Fair Wind and Plenty of It
A Modern-Day Tall-Ship Adventure
-
- $15.99
-
- $15.99
Publisher Description
In the tradition of Godforsaken Sea and In the Heart of the Sea, Fair Wind and Plenty of It is a virtuoso debut by a sailor turned scribe -- a must-read for lovers of nautical adventure.
On November 25th, 1997, the barque Picton Castle, a three-masted, square-rigged tall ship, headed out from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia on a voyage around the world. Aboard ship a shifting crew of thirty, a combination of professional sailors and paying crew who were out $32,500 for the privilege of working “crew before the mast,” would travel for over a year and half, calling in at ports as exotic and varied as Aruba, Somoa, Bali and Zanzibar.
Fair Wind and Plenty of It tells the story of an obsession, as Captain Dan Moreland, driven by a desire to make his mark in the world of traditional sail, rallies forces to convert a sixty-nine-year-old North Sea trawler into a seaworthy tall ship, and then assembles the crew to sail it. It’s the story of the uneasy balance that is achieved on board, where insubordination and rancour must be kept in line among a crew whose only connection is their common desire to be part of this journey. And it is Rigel’s story: a man who was conceived the day his father laid the keel for his first boat, whose mother was a sailmaker, and who has to reconcile his family legacy with his own need to understand why he must take part in the voyage of the barque Picton Castle.
In Fair Wind and Plenty of It, Rigel Crockett tells a tale of shipboard camaraderie, gut-wrenching struggles and the near-mutinies that marked the year-and-a half journey -- where fellow shipmates proved to be as perilous as the ever-present sea.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Crockett's engrossing memoir of working on a tall ship as it circumnavigates the globe has more than enough nautical detail for Patrick O'Brian fans, but its lasting pleasures derive from more modern sensibilities. The story begins before the Picton Castle leaves Nova Scotia, as Crockett helps in the preparations, and wonders if the rest of his family will join him on the 18-month journey (they don't). The narrative becomes half travelogue, half personal drama centered on Crockett's struggle to find a sense of belonging on board, juxtaposing the romance of the open seas with his contentious relationship with the captain (who insists the tough discipline will make Crockett a better sailor). Crockett isn't the only one who locks horns with the captain, and he finds room for quick sketches of most of his mates, from the woman who treats the crew to makeovers to the cad who runs off with the ship's cook and $4,000 earmarked for provisions. A professional sailor and first-time author, Crockett vividly portrays the difficulties of living and working with others in cramped quarters, as well as the feeling of abandon that comes upon arrival on land. The sailing elements distinguish the story from other global treks, and the voyage's scope helps it stand out from recent nautical accounts. 8 pages of b&w photos.
