The adventures of Bernard Moitessier--French sailor, explorer and writer, in his own words. This memoir encompasses his childhood in Southeast Asia, his war experience fighting the Viet Minh, and his numerous sea exploits.

Jean-Michel Barrault is a writer and friend of sailing legend Bernard Moitessier.

"I would like now to write a practical book that will cover three topics: boats, the sea, and the beachcombing life." These were the thought of Bernard Moitessier after he finished writing his last book, Tamata and the Alliance, while in Polynesia. The great master died in 1994 and never completed the book, but here it is, meticulously collected from his many writings, published and unpublished, by his companion, Véronique Lerebours Pigeonnière. Moitessier's notebooks include all the know-how and the 1,001 tips of this legendary sailor, the knowledge he acquired on the water, in meeting with sailors, during long passages, and during his many years living on various islands. The first part of the book details how to prepare for an extensive cruise, what kind of boat to choose, the rigging, the sails, the anchors, on deck, and below deck. The second part describes the passage: the weather, navigation, watch-keeping, and heavy weather. In the third part, Moitessier takes us to the South Sea islands and shows how to adapt to living on an atoll, gardening, fishing, and attaining self-sufficiency.

In 1969, the first two men landed on the moon. There were five other landings, leading to a total of twelve astronauts standing on the moon. A further six circled above while the world watched. Also in 1969, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was the first man to sail solo non-stop around the world south of Cape Horn. He was the eighth of only eleven men who rounded the Horn alone before the final moon landing. Those eleven men had no-one watching them.This dramatic and exciting book, written so vividly you can feel the sea's spray on your face and taste the salt on your lips, tells the story of the lives of those eleven men and their sailing exploits, and compares and contrasts their voyages with what the twelve space astronauts achieved.'One famous astronaut spoke of "e;a small step for man, one great leap for mankind"e;. For those who go to sea, rather than into space, there's no greater step than rounding the Horn.'From the preface, written by Paul Heiney

A broken heart leads Kevin Patterson to the dock of a sailboat brokerage on Vancouver Island, where he stands contemplating the romance of the sea and his heartfelt desire to get away. By the end of the day, he finds himself the owner of a thirty-seven-foot ketch called Sea Mouse. Although he's never really been on the ocean before (aside from the odd ferry-ride), he feels compelled to sail to Tahiti and back, to burn away his failings in hard miles at sea.

This book explores the sociology of sailing and yachting. Drawing on original research, and employing a theoretical framework based on the work of Pierre Bourdieu, the book argues that sailing is, still, an upper-middle-class activity that has much to tell us about the wider sociology of leisure and sport. The book examines the historical foundations of blue-water sailing as established by naval and colonial shipping, to trace the roots of contemporary sailing and yachting culture. It also examines archives of sailing narratives and cruising guides, as well as the children’s books of Arthur Ransome, arguing that this archival material offers a social rather than a psychological interpretation of the ‘bodily investment’ in sailing. The book uses Bourdieu’s concepts of ‘illusio’ – an investment of time, emotion and body into a worthwhile activity – and ‘habitus’, or lifeworld, alongside contemporary data sets, to examine the yacht club as a social institution, including why many boats never go out on the water, the relationship between yacht clubs and the state, and social issues as manifested in yacht clubs, such as sexism, racism and homophobia. Offering a vigorous sociological critique of yachting and sailing, this book is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in the sociology of leisure and sport, subcultures, social theory, or social issues in wider society.

Though only twelve years old, orphaned Tara has developed strange telekinetic powers that allow her to bend space and levitate others high above the ground, as if they are lighter than air. Her two best friends, Betty and Fabrice—often the victims of Tara’s uncontrollable abilities—are the only ones who know about Tara’s secret. Even her grandmother and caretaker, Isabella, doesn’t have a clue. That is until Tara learns that she is a spellweaver, descended from a long line of powerful magic-wielders born on the planet OtherWorld. Forced to flee her Earth home when Magister, the Master of the Bloodgraves, attacks, Tara escapes to planet Other- World, where she finds loyal friends and learns about her mysterious powers. But when Tara discovers that her mother is alive and being held captive by Magister, will she be able to save her? Tara Duncan is an inspiring heroine, whose adventures and personal struggles will captivate readers already hooked by fantasy adventures and characters like Harry Potter. This is the first installment of the Tara Duncan series—an epic adventure full of magic and bravery that is sure to cast a spell on young readers!