I thought to create, and maintain a sea story thread. I'm looking for a few recommendations in the realm of ocean adventure, and happy to talk 'sea writing.' I've bluffed my way through a couple of writes, can draw a scene just abouts, sprinkling the nautical terminology. As for me I do have a seafaring background as long as your armpit. I came last in the UK surf champs '99, but these days prefer a sail. When I get a spare two thousand, I'm purchasing a 16ft Wayfarer, and then when I'm really old I'll buy a big boat and live on it, come see you all, if you like? So, any sea stories I can go buy for a penny on Amazon? Thanks, Mat A couple of my favourites
Hey, I never knew there was another salty hand here I and the sea go back only about 10 years (my, how time flies). I fell in love with the sea when I went on scientific research cruises during my PhD, and when my pay grade went up and I became too expensive, I switched to comparatively small yachts, up to 45 feet. Actually I take that back: once I crewed on a 62. Nowadays I prefer the smaller ones (around 40ish), with not a lot of comfort but plenty of possibility for speed and taking storm and waves. I'm a dedicated ocean sailor and my motto could be 'land is only in the way'. No beach cruises or sightseeing tours for me I've yet to find good sea-stories, so I'm no help to you in this regard, but I'll be reading the discoveries of others sure!
during my trip to Southern California, I visited Hermosa Beach. I was dealing with lots of inner turmoil so I imagined how it'll be if I just jumped from the shoreline into the sea and just swam until I found a seaman. We'd take his boat and just sail the seas until God knows when. That's it; that's my story.
I read this story once of a couple of nocturnal predators—outlaws if I recall, you know 'Bonnie and Clyde' style. They robbed a music store, a bank, and even the honey from a hive while hiding low in the woods a while. Anyway, the heat was on...barking bloodhounds they did bay. So to (the bay) the sea-faring part went the duo; they commandeered a boat, pea-green it was. Made good their escape and, while one rowed, the other strummed and picked with plectrum some sea-shanty (about pussy I think?). Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet has a lot of sea stuff in it btw, a bit of a tome but well researched.
Most of what Joseph Conrad wrote qualifies. I love his story "Youth." He spent 20 years or so in the merchant marine, sailing all over the world, before he started writing. Can't forget Patrick O'Brian's novels. Master and Commander and it's twenty or so sequels. Incredible realistic period detail in those. A more modern story is Robert Stone's Outerbridge Reach. It deals with a man competing in a solo round-the-world sailing race.
C.S.Forester's Hornblower series is set in the Napoleonic wars Douglas Reeman covers WWII (and, I think WWI) - although they are a little formulaic - and, as Alexander Kent, the Richard Bolitho novels, again set around the Napoleonic era. Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald's career inspired a number of writers of nautical fiction. The first was Captain Frederick Marryat, who had served under him as a midshipman and published his first novel in 1829. In the 20th century, the figures and careers of Horatio Hornblower in the novels by C. S. Forester and of Jack Aubrey in the Aubrey–Maturin series of novels by Patrick O'Brian were in part modelled on his exploits.[54] Appearance in fiction[edit] Lord Cochrane was first featured as a character in a novel in G. A. Henty's With Cochrane the Dauntless (1897). The novel The Sea Lord (originally The Frigate Captain) by Showell Styles is about Lord Cochrane. Cochrane is one of main characters in the novel Sharpe's Devil by Bernard Cornwell, taking place in 1821 and portraying Cochrane's attack on the Chilean port of Valdivia.[55] Lord Cochrane is a minor character in Manuela by Gregory Kauffman, a novel about the South American revolutions. The novel Flashman and the Seawolf, by Robert Brightwell, is based on Cochrane's early career aboard Speedy. In the alternate history series The Domination by S.M. Stirling, Lord Cochrane is featured leading the occupation of Cape Colony in South Africa.[56] Poetry[edit] Cochrane inspired "Lord Cochrane de Chile", a 1967 collection of poems by Pablo Neruda which was set to music by Chilean composer Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt. "Lord Cochranes maskine" (Lord Cochrane's Machine) is mentioned in the Danish rather gruesome children's song "En svensk konstabel fra Sverrig" as a monstrous and unspecified war machine. In fact it is a Swedish soldier that has blown himself up with a cannon.
Woah. okay I wrote this before you posted @Shadowfax, I'll get clicking. Also, I liked your post @Lifeline, all that yachty stuff I'll ramble on about that as soon as I can @minstrel I surprised myself and enjoyed Hornblower, but need to work harder to properly appreciate O'Brian, maybe read Master & Commander again? Also Conrad's ambitious for me - flashbacks to college/school - though I think YOUTH should go on the list. 1. Youth by Joseph Conrad I'll check out Outerbridge Reach, eh. On the same theme, another classic down below. I was obsessed by this guy for a couple of years, a great anti-hero. And this one where a shipwrecked crew discover a derelict clipper ship, very evocative. Beautiful language. This one's okay, he sailed to Antarctica in a 30ft boat... ...but, forgive me, he doesn't come across as such a...I mean you can understand why he went to Antarctica on his own.
@SethLoki & @Alex R. Encomienda I think you're teasing me, Seth. Have you read Three Men In A Boat? Supposed to be one of these 'funniest books ever written.' I got through it, I think - a bit like Diary Of A Nobody - which is very wonderful. As for bad guys stealing boats? You need to write it so they get away with it, I've tried a couple of times, but the odds are stacked with coastguards and gunships. I'm working hard on my Somali Pirate Diaries. ... So are you writing that one you mentioned, @AlexREncomienda? Good luck chief.
No, the Re No, the Reeman stuff is rather less gritty and authentic. One I remember has a monitor (2 x 15inch guns, top speed 15 knots, WWI vintage) employed on escort duty in the Med...they come up against an Italian squadron led by one of their newest Littorio class battleships (9 x 15 inch guns, 30 knots and all the latest tech...)...the monitor charges into action and the Italians run for their lives... Another has an RN officer aboard a French submarine, clearly modelled upon the Surcouf (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_submarine_Surcouf), can't remember much more about it... The formula is always that the MC is tormented with doubt, because of an earlier mistake; generally he struggles against the unfairness of those in authority over him; he's always heroic (vide the monitor vs battleship action) and resourceful, and generally has a love interest with brown hair and brown eyes - seriously! ETA: His obituary in The Telegraph actually reads: "The typical hero of a Reeman novel is an amiable but bloody-minded sailor who sidesteps attempts by his bungling superiors to prevent him from engaging with the enemy on his own terms, and scores a famous victory against the odds. The brass hats patronise him on account of his lower social standing, and one of the most twittish usually ends up as his love rival."
Oh man, Donald Crowhurst, what a fascinating story. I've been searching for years for a copy of the diary he kept, where he supposedly rambled on about how time isn't real, etc. If anyone knows where I can find it do let me know. Also Famous Artsy Photographer Tacita Dean once found where his boat had washed up on some island in the Carribean, and did a series on it. Doesn't count as writing, I suppose, but some great images of Crowhurst's hubris etc. gone to rot.
Sorted, please don't frighten yourself. https://experimentalwriting2014dg.wordpress.com/2014/04/08/donald-crowhurst-logbook-entries/
This one is rather ghoulish I think I read that the skippers were criticised by the enquiry, but here the 'main man' emerges through the piece - seemingly a brilliant professional, but who am I to say? Fascinating study in radio etiquette [nerd] and respectfully rest in peace those 850 lost souls. See also Lancastria.
Ah, I love being able to waggle my fingers and get the Internet to do work for me...er, I mean, thanks @matwoolf
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jun/21/sailing-into-hell-two-men-dingy-dangerous-journey Reading 'the book' at the moment. Going to check this out: http://users.tpg.com.au/kkmiller/hobie/across_atlantic.html
That's "battlecruiser" and the ship in question is the Reliant (clearly modeled on the resolute, renown etc class) - while I generally agree about the lack of gritty realism its not totally beyond the realms of possibility that a battle cruiser (not a monitor) could take on a Littorio class and win. The main weakness in the battle cruisers was lack of armour on the deck, but on the other hand they were fast and could out maneuver a battleship
Reeman also wrote the Richard Bolitho series of Napoleonic era naval books under the pen name Alexander Kent
I'd like to read an old 'Bagley.' I got caught up reading a review the other day, but [maybe] same goes as for 'old' Len Deighton front covers, always hard work in the end. I should try one of those 'destroyer crew' type - pulp fiction (?) you two are discussing.
A Grue of Ice by Geoffrey Jenkins is pretty good nautical adventure. Kon Tiki is pretty much my favourite, though. It's the story of Thor Heyerdahl's journey across the Pacific, from Peru to the Polynesian Islands, on a balsawood raft to prove that Pre-Columbian South Americans could have made the same crossing.
'Kon Tiki' - not sure I even read it in the end. One of those books on parents' bookshelves - you look at all the pictures when you're seven. 'A Grue of Ice,' thanks