Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Sailing Alone Around The World



Somewhere beyond the sea
Somewhere waiting for me
My lover stands on golden sands
And watches the ships that go sailing.


Doubtful that you will ever find me in a sailboat but for some reason, I have a strange fascination with the sea.  I have written of my love for a book about sailing called "Sailing Alone Around The World" by Joshua Slocum.    You would never guess...Les from Prairie Horizons sent me a copy of her husband's book... it is an annotated copy of this book!
http://www.amazon.com/Annotated-Sailing-Alone-Around-World/dp/1574092758

THANK YOU to Les and Rod!  (And also thanks to  Nan who I believe told Les of my love for this book!)

There, I think I have a link on Amazon for you, but please feel free to buy it from any bookstore
or book shop in England!  The wonderful thing, Rod Scher (husband of Les, if you are still following me!) has great knowledge of the history of sailing and therefore gives you lots of facts alongside the story itself.  Not bragging, but I surprised myself at how much I already knew of this nautical and historical information! I learned a lot but still, I didn't think I would know ANYTHING! This is just from my reading, but then, I am getting on in years, so doggone it, I should be remembering something! 

The song "Somewhere Beyond The Sea" was a big hit for Bobby Darin in the late 50's...I just bet that Rod and all other sailors would know this song too! (And wanna-be sailors like me!)

This is just a quick post since, as I told you, not much time for a while, hope to be back with you soon...until then, keep an even keel!

25 comments:

  1. I cannot believe the coincidence. I was listening to Bobby Darin last night before bed. Somewhere Beyond The Sea is my favorite of his songs. I would love to go sailing but not alone. And not around the world all at once.

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    1. I hope you saw the movie with Kevin Spacey, I loved it, I thought it was great!

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    1. Oh! You are so right, I cannot TELL you how tickled this made me! It was such a gift for me that it's hard to put it into words. Guess that shows what a great writer I am! HA!

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  3. Sailing is fascinating and dangerous! (Well, i guess we can say that about driving or flying, too.) That sounds like an amazing book.

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    1. You would love that book, I just know that you would! I am not a very daring soul, maybe that is why I like reading books like this!

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  4. Just finished reading "In the heart of the sea" by Nathaniel Philbrick. The true account of the sinking of the Nantucket whaling ship the Essex which was the inspiration behind Moby Dick. After reading that I think I'll stick to dry land.

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    1. I want to read that one too! After I had read Sailing Alone Around The World and was looking it up on book review sites, I saw the book "In The Heart of the Sea" mentioned! I know that Moby Dick is more popular, but I prefer "Sailing Alone Around The World"! Please read it, you will THANK me, I promise! :-)

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  5. I'm too young to remember Bobby Darin...

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    1. Ha! You can know music from any age! I taught our son to sing "Splish Splash" from about the age of two! When he was in his little pre school, the teacher asked him to sing it at the close of every day! So, even our son knows Bobby Darin. Good music is for all and forever!

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  6. I love that song by Bobby Darin...he was great. It was a pity he died so young.

    I love the sea...but sailing is not for me! :)

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    1. Hey Lee!
      I do hope that you have seen the movie about him, the one with Kevin Spacey playing Bobby Darin. The critics didn't like it, but I did!
      I have only been on a sailboat once, in the Bahamas, and it was wonderful!

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  7. What a wonderful gift. It makes me believe in the goodness of people! And I do remember that Bobby Darin hit. Hadn't realized he died so young. So sad, but he did a lot with the time he had.

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    1. You are so right, a WONDERFUL gift indeed! You might laugh at me, but when I opened it, I HUGGED it to myself, like a silly girl!! :-)
      Songwriters have a special place in my heart and always will!

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  8. I was actually sailing. We had sailboat for 10 years, but we never sailed around the world, hehe
    So unimaginably scary sometimes, but so beautiful too
    I loved the freedom of sailing!

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    1. Of course, my mountain climbing friend in Norway would also be a sailor!!
      Freedom, yes, that is how I see it also, the idea of sailing...make sure you read "Sailing Alone Around The World", you would love it!!

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  9. I get seasick, although not on big cruise ships! I can't even imagine sailing around a lake...around the world would be too much!

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    1. HA! I can get seasick too, and yet, I still love being on boats and ships! Go figure!! My excitement has to overshadow the sickness, I guess!

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  10. Thanks for the shout-out! And I DO know (and love) that song! :)

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    1. Oh, dear Rod, thank you very much for this book! I loved all the background that you had with the book, and I learned a lot about sailing!
      The only reason I know anything about ships is because I have read so many English books in my life! After all, as a kid I once won a spelling bee by correctly spelling "gunwale". And I knew what it was too!
      And I just KNEW you would love the song too!
      Thanks again for the book, ROD! (Aren't you glad I didn't say Ron?)
      :-)

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    2. Wow, "gunwale"! Did they make you pronounce it? :) So many great books about the sea and seafaring. I did an annotation of Dana's Two Years Before the Mast, a book that was nautical at its core, but with more history than the Slocum book. What a great learning experience for me, and what fun! Thanks again for the kind words. Slocum was an amazing man.

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  11. Thank you for this lovely write-up, Kay! I'm so pleased you enjoyed Rod's book. We love being on the water and had hoped to spend a week at the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend (WA) this past week, but work commitments interfered. Hopefully, next summer!

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    1. Thank YOU, Les! I only wish I could have written a better write up about the book. One thing I have learned from blogging, as much as I love books and reading, I find it nearly impossible to write about it!
      The Wooden Boat Festival, that sounds wonderful! Will look forward to seeing a post from you next year when you go!
      Oh! And I remembered after this post, but I forgot to mention it, I think your mother, Les, had told me about your husband's book but I had forgotten about it, please thank her also for me, would you! :-)

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  12. No way would I take off in a sailboat around the world. We've been in big storms on cruise ships and it was scary. I can't imagine being out alone in the middle of the ocean. It's beautiful to look at and so vast it takes my breath away.
    I'm fine with a ski boat out on the lake.
    I like the Bobby Darin song too.

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    1. And the boat that Joshua Slocum was in, was only about 40 feet long! Can you imagine?!
      "There's A Wideness in God's Mercy, Like the Wideness of the Sea"...that is a hymn that you have reminded me of...look it up, you will like it, I am sure.

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