Modern Era Voyaging

In a Junk Across the Pacific – Allen Petersen – First edition 1954

First edition of Petersen’s exotic book of maritime travel pre WWII with his partner Tani.

Published by Elek, New York in 1954, Octavo, 224 pages, end paper maps, illustrated throughout with images from photographs taken on the voyage. Previous ownership name on end paper and title, stain to rear dust jacket, still a pretty good copy of a very interesting account.

Petersen, an American Doctor sails his Chinese Junk from Shanghai right across the Pacific reaching the coast north of San Francisco. From there they sailed well south into the southern hemisphere and Ecuador before reaching the trade winds blowing west which took them through the Marquises, Samoa and south of the Solomons before being wrecked on a run into Samurai in Papua New Guinea. The war arrived.

Challenging west/east then east west Pacific voyage …. Counts against the best.

$30.00

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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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The Cruise of the Dream Ship – Ralph Stock (1950 Edition in Complete Dust Jacket)

First published 1921, this is the 1950 edition same publisher, Heinemann, London.

Octavo, 265 pages, numerous from period photographs. Super dust jacket for seventy years old, a few spots to top edge and a little aged in the ends, internally very clean and bright, rates as a very good copy.

The Dream Ship was originally designed as a lifeboat for the North Sea fishing fleet. Forty-seven feet with a fifteen foot beam and eight foot draught … to start there was no money to buy here … but these obstacles are often overcome. Purchased, converted and fitted out we are off to the Pacific … first down to Vigo, the Canaries and over to the West Indies and Barbados. Through the Panama and to the Galapagos and then the Marquesas and the Paumoto Islands, Tahiti (its pleasures and problems). Moorea, Palmertson (almost a Hurricane), Savage, Friendly and on to Thursday Island … Finally some advice to “Dreamers of Dream Ships”

Sailing fantasy fulfilled on the Dream Ship

$35.00

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Moana – The Vastness of the Sea – Bernard Gorsky – First English edition 1956

A very nice copy of the first English edition published in 1956.

Translated from the original French by Alec Brown an published by Elek Books, London. Interestingly, still published a year before the French equivalent.

Octavo, 239 pages with endpaper maps and numerous illustrations taken from photographs of the voyage, many underwater. Very goo condition, tres clean inside.

Bernard Gorsky was inspired on reading a sailing adventure. He assembled a crew of three and bought a forty-foot cutter. They set sail from Dinard and the book follows their travels to Tangiers, the Canaries and across the Atlantic to the West Indies with some beautiful sailing and diving. Through the Panama with time in the Galapagos among the turtles and further west to the Atolls of Tuamotu and Tahiti.

The writing is special and has been compared, rather curiously, with Melville and Conrad .. well it is a delight

Moana – a superior sailing and diving adventure

$30.00

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In a Junk Across the Pacific – Allen Petersen – First edition 1954

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

The Cruise of the Dream Ship – Ralph Stock (1950 Edition in Complete Dust Jacket)

Moana – The Vastness of the Sea – Bernard Gorsky – First English edition 1956

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