Pacific Islands

117 Days Adrift (In the Pacific) – Maurice & Maralyn Bailey – First Australian Edition 1974

Published by The Australasian Publishing Co, Hornsby a first edition 1974. Large octavo, 192 pages with endpaper maps, further charts and numerous excellent illustrations

This story is up there with Apollo 13.

Maurice and Maralyn Bailey give up their lives as a clerk and a tax officer in the South of England sell their house to live life at sea. They had the Auralyn built to meet their own needs and finally sailed for New Zealand in June 1972.

The made the Atlantic and through the Panama without notable incident. However North East of the Galapagos it all went wrong when they were hit by a whale and the boat began to sink. All attempts to save her were in vain and they had to abandon the Auralyn for their inflatable raft and dinghy. Meagre supplies were recovered.

Along the way we have storms, capsizing, numerous sightings of ship that did not see them … the first on day 8! They captured fresh water but not without difficulty and caught fish and turtles for food. Eventually rescued by a Korean fishing vessel “Weolmi 306” drifting further north having already crossed the main shipping route.

Their remarkable story and their survival among the marine life of Pacific area known as the “Tropical convergence” warranted foreword by Sir peter Scott

Incredible story of survival in the Pacific

$30.00

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Come Aboard – Eric Hiscock – First Edition 1978

Published by Oxford University Press a first edition 1978. Octavo, 237 pages with 43 coloured photographs by the Hiscock’s and seven charts. Very good near fine condition.

In 1976, Eric Hiscock and his wife set off on their third circumnavigation of the world.

They traveled west from New Zealand in the jib-headed ketch Wanderer IV via the Durban to England, the Canaries and a stop off in the West Indies before through the Panama and across the Pacific taking in the Marquesas, Tahiti and Fiji.

Nicely illustrated and with good technical dialogue.

Fine sailing third time all the way

$30.00

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Captain Cook – Alistair MacLean – First Edition 1972

Published by Collins, London in 1972 a first edition. Octavo, 192 pages, nicely illustrated with endpaper maps. A fine copy in a fine dust jacket …

A best selling fiction author MacLean writes a riveting narrative for this factual book on Cook. Beautifully illustrated throughout and a well rounded approach to the whole of Cook’s exploits.

Cook all Over … by MacLean

$40.00

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The Epic Voyage of the Seven Little Sisters – A 6,700 Mile Voyage Alone Across the Pacific – William Willis – 1955

Published by Hutchinson, London a first UK edition 1955. Octavo, 243 pages, nicely illustrated with photographic images, charts and sketches. A very good copy in a very good dust jacket.

Further and faster than the Kon-Tiki … William Willis achieved the impossible in 1954 sailing his incredible raft for Callao, Peru to Pago Pago in British Samoa.

Strap those logs tightly next time you raft!

$25.00

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Rahui – Colin Iles

Published by Reed , Wellington 1975 a first printing. Octavo, 194 pages endpaper maps, nicely illustrated. Very good near fine condition.

In 1969 Colin Iles decided to give it all up in England and move to New Zealand. To get there he bought the “Clarinda” although he had never sailed before. He took a mate of similar expertise and off they went across the Atlantic.

They took on a more cluey American in the west Indies and had a great time among the islands before heading off through the Panama. Then down through the Marquesas, Tahiti, Cook Islands and Tonga experiencing the beauty human and natural of those exotic islands.

In NZ Colin met Rahui a hula dancing nurse from the Cook Islands . they became a pair and went on a Honeymoon Cruise to Fiji, New Hebrides, Solomons, New Guinea and Cairns.

After all that they went to live in England. Rahui wanted to see Hadrian’s Wall and they settled in the Midlands where Colin managed Ruhui’s popular hula dancing act!

Life changing voyages – romance in the Pacific

$25.00

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Raroia – Happy Island of the South Seas – Bengt Danielsson (Ex Kon Tiki expedition)

Published by Rand McNally, New York a first English language edition translated by F.H. Lyon. Octavo,304 pages with endpaper maps and many illustrations from photographs taken by the author or his wife. Dust jacket a little tired, internally very clean … a very good copy of a very hard to find book.

A scarce book. The author was part of the Kon-Tiki expedition. They were shipwrecked at Raroia which is a coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago, to the east of Tahiti.

Danielsson and his wife returned there and spent a year and a half enjoying the relaxed lifestyle. A very funny account but there is tragedy in the death of a key character and the inevitable cyclone.

Perspective .. in 2012 the population of Raroia was 233, there is nowhere to stay so visitors are always invited to stay in the homes of maybe the friendliest people on earth!

Unusual Pacific account

PS … we have included in the images a chart of what the average Raroian gets up to during the week … compare your lifestyle .. Voyager Bill struggled to not put “went to Voyager” in every box! Book your tickets or maybe leave them alone!

$35.00

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117 Days Adrift (In the Pacific) – Maurice & Maralyn Bailey – First Australian Edition 1974

Come Aboard – Eric Hiscock – First Edition 1978

Captain Cook – Alistair MacLean – First Edition 1972

The Epic Voyage of the Seven Little Sisters – A 6,700 Mile Voyage Alone Across the Pacific – William Willis – 1955

Rahui – Colin Iles

Raroia – Happy Island of the South Seas – Bengt Danielsson (Ex Kon Tiki expedition)

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