Modern Era Voyaging

Vertue XXXV [Falmouth to New York] – Humphrey Barton – First Edition 1949

Scarce first edition of the sailing classic from Falmouth in England to New York published by Robert Ross, London in 1949.

Octavo, 210 pages with end paper charts, and numerous diagrams and illustrations from photographs. Dust jacket sunned on the spine and with edge chips, overall not bad and we have not see another one. Internally very tidy.

The book generally follows the voyage chronologically with narrative superior to the usual log approach, this all after stating clearly the nature of the project and its objective .. with a voyage summary at the rear as an Appendix.

The book is regarded as instructive by those that sail the heavy sea … Barton’s sailing experience backed by an intimate knowledge of yacht design and construction … he was a qualified yacht surveyor and partner in a then leading firm of designers. Having said that instinctive skills were required to survive the Hurricane that hit them in the final stages of there voyage.

Barton a yachting expert makes the Atlantic – scarce first edition..

$40.00

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Bluenose II: Saga of the Great Fishing Schooners – L.B. Jenson

A highly respected work published by Nimbus, Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1994.

Landscape 36cm by 28cn perfect bound soft cover with illustrated card covers. 125 pages magnificently illustrated throughout, minimal creasing lower right from pages turning, otherwise a very good copy.

The original Bluenose Schooner was designed by W.J. Roue and built in 1921 at the Smith and Rhuland Shipyard, Lunenburg. It was a cracker. In 1962 the Oland family commissioned the building of Bluenose II, a replica, and one of the last two-masted schooners.

L.B. Jenson, a noted marine artist and historic illustrator produced this dedicated work. Measured drawings have been carefully reproduced and checked whilst Bluenose II was fully rigged and a working vessel. We have her decks, fittings and housings … booms, gaffs, bowsprit, rigging etc. Supported by illustrations of the vessel under sail. Drawings of the hull, masts and sails, nothing left out for the marine enthusiast. Additionally, Jenson has provided an illustrated history of the fishery.

Bluenose II a dying breed – beautifully described and drawn.

$60.00

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Wind Aloft Wind Alow – Marin-Marie

Single-handed crossings of the Atlantic under sail and then under power.

Translated from the French, this edition 1947 by Peter Davies, London. Octavo, 322 pages. Book and jacket have received a scrunch in the top right, internally very clean. Jacket now in Brodart, a good copy. Nicely illustrated, some from the authors accomplished paintings

Marin-Marie was the appointed “Painter to the French Ministry of Marine”. This is his super account of the Atlantic crossings first by sail in the Winnibelle and the under power in the Arielle. Sail occupying two thirds of the book. At the time he was the first to go it alone all the way across under power.

A book full of the marine … quite technical in places re automatic steering, engines etc

Marin-Marie twice across sail and power.

SO SORRY SOLD

$25.00

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The Crossing of the Copula – Jean Filloux – First English Edition 1955

A first English edition of Filloux’s adventure in the North Atlantic, translated by Gretchen Besser.

Published by Collins. London in 1955. Octavo, 253 pages plus diagrams of the vessel, nicely illustrated throughout with images from photographs taken on the voyage. End paper maps on which one has dates written by a previous owner, helpful we think. A couple of snags to what is a complete dust jacket, a pretty good copy.

Filloux, a penniless young engineer took a berth on the Copula, a 47 foot catamaran rigged like a Chinese Junk. They took their time. Thirteen months, to voyage from Bordeaux o New York … with time off in the Canaries (forced on them) and in the Windies having reached Martinique (chosen plan). Well written unusual account

Copula across the Atlantic an round the Windies – not your usual vessel or adventurer.

$25.00

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The Kon-Tiki Expedition – Thor Heyerdahl (With Original Photograph of the Raft)

Well certainly not a rare book, probably the biggest selling modern maritime adventure book. But a very good copy.

A 1959 edition by which time it had already run to 23 impressions. Octavo, 235 pages with eighty odd photographic images.

Thor Heyerdahl set off on the most amazing raft voyage with five companions determined to prove his migration theories. This account, praised by Somerset Maugham as “an incredible adventure which happens to be true. It would be a very dull reader who did not admire and envy the courage of the six men who took part in it”. Very good copy.

We also have what appears to be an original photograph of the raft on its way … the camera work is rather shaky so clearly taken from another vessel.

Leaving Callao in Peru for Tahiti, they almost made it running aground on the Raroia Reef were the raft was smashed to smithereens.

Kon-Tiki nice copy with photograph.

$30.00

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Last Voyage – Ann Davison – First edition 1951

First edition of Ann Davison’s autobiographical account which ends in the most dramatic shipwreck and the loss of her husband.

An incredible individual, after all of this, she became the first woman to single-handedly sail across the Atlantic.

Published by Peter Davis, London, 1951. Octavo, 248 pages, two photographs of Ann and Frank … it was not that sort of adventure. Very good condition.

The Last Voyage begins with her earlier life as an aviator in the 1930’s delivering mail around the UK. She married Frank Davison a fellow aviator when they both worked at the Hooten airfield near Liverpool. They has a long held ambition for sailing and bought a run-down 70 foot ketch “Reliance”. Doing it up sent them broke and before the work was finished they sailed to avoid their creditors. They encountered incredible storms in the Channel and the Irish Sea … they foundered on the Portland Bill. Taking to their cork life raft they battled to survive and Frank died out of pure exhaustion ..

Now scarce and one of the most personal accounts we have read.

$35.00

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Vertue XXXV [Falmouth to New York] – Humphrey Barton – First Edition 1949

Bluenose II: Saga of the Great Fishing Schooners – L.B. Jenson

Wind Aloft Wind Alow – Marin-Marie

The Crossing of the Copula – Jean Filloux – First English Edition 1955

The Kon-Tiki Expedition – Thor Heyerdahl (With Original Photograph of the Raft)

Last Voyage – Ann Davison – First edition 1951

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