Yachting

Escape to the Sea – The Adventures of Fred Rebell [Single Handed Small Boat across the Pacific]

Scarce and sought after voyaging account despite being second printing 1951 – try and find another.

Published by John Murray, London. Octavo, 254 pages, illustrated with good voyage chart and from original photographs. Jacket aged and torn to spine – previous book owners stamp on title otherwise a nice clean copy of as we say a hard to come by worthy account.

Fred Rebell was born in Russian occupied Latvia and made his break and off to Australia. Sitting in the Sydney public library he dreamed of sailing, proper sailing – something he had never done before. His goal was set high, and this account is of his first outing, a 9,000 mile open boat voyage from Sydney to California. Nice in the moment writing with considerable detail … New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Danger Islands, Hawaii then the long haul to California.

Unfortunately, in California his passport documents were seen as, well sort of “home- made” and he was without funds which saw him jailed [twice] and eventually deported!

Nothing came that easy to Fred Rebell – all the way across the Pacific without any previous experience.

$40.00

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Sails Full and By – Dom Degnon

Published by Sheridan House, Dobbs Ferry a first edition 1995. Octavo, 244 pages illustrated. Very good near fine condition.

A seven-year circumnavigation in the 41 foot ketch “Taku”. A full crew of friends and family who come and go during the “voyage”.

With more time than some they have more time for the exotic .. and in the Pacific Ahe, Tahiti, Samoa, Sunwarrow, Tonga, Fiji and New Zealand. Then off to the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea and then difficulties with the boat and they just made it to Australia’s Lizard island. And then more ….

A long time around the world an unusual narrative

$30.00

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Sea Change – Alone Across the Atlantic – Peter Nichols

Published by Viking a first edition 1997. Octavo, 238 pages. Very good if not fine condition.

A different sailing book. There are no pictures or maps here. Maybe therefore it is not surprising that the writing is special. Peter Nichols sailed with his wife. Sadly, they separated after a west to east Atlantic crossing. This book reflects on his single-handed return voyage in the 27-foot engineless “Toad” which had a habit of springing leaks.

Interspersed throughout are references to classic sailing accounts … Chichester, Blyth, Moitessier, Knox-Johnston, Ridgway et al.

Interesting for an experienced maritime reader most useful of an introductee.

Nichols a personal challenge – knowledgeable author.

$25.00

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Pacific Odyssey [Three Years in the Pacific - Easter Island, Samoa, Tuvalu etc] – Gwenda Cornell – 1985

Published by Adlard Coles, London in 1985 a first edition soft cover. 218 pages, double page map and black and white illustrations.

A super Pacific voyage taking in Easter Islands, Samoa, the birth of Tuvalu and the nose flute playing in Tonga. Three years in all were spent in the Pacific in what would be a six year round the world adventure.

A sailing adventure to die for and a well written narrative.

$25.00

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Medal – Royal Hobart Regatta [Striking Design] – 2013

Albeit quite modern appears very hard to find.

Superbly struck with high relief – the yachts full sail in “combat” particularly well done. Nice patina, gilt style finish. Xx diameter weighing xxgm

Regatta Medal with a very pleasing design.

$70.00

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Small Boats and Big Seas [A Hundred Years of Yachting – Edited by Ralph Stephenson

First edition published by Oxford University Press, Melbourne in 1978.

Octavo, 189 pages, nicely illustrated, a pretty good copy in a nice dust jacket.

Numerous small boat accounts by well known names from the early days – Slocum, Vanderdecken, Knight etc to the mid period – Jack London, Fox, Villiers and Richards to more modern times with Moitessier, Tetley, Whitaker etc …

Wonderful collection of salty water adventurers.

$25.00

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Escape to the Sea – The Adventures of Fred Rebell [Single Handed Small Boat across the Pacific]

Sails Full and By – Dom Degnon

Sea Change – Alone Across the Atlantic – Peter Nichols

Pacific Odyssey [Three Years in the Pacific - Easter Island, Samoa, Tuvalu etc] – Gwenda Cornell – 1985

Medal – Royal Hobart Regatta [Striking Design] – 2013

Small Boats and Big Seas [A Hundred Years of Yachting – Edited by Ralph Stephenson

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