Book Review- Sailing a serious ocean
Review of John Kretschmer’s book, “Sailing a Serious Ocean”
When I read anything about sailing, whether it be on lakes, bays, sounds, rivers or our great oceans, my thoughts and my interests always gravitate to actual experiences. In my opinion, one can read, or watch a presentation about an experience all they wish, but to actually ‘be there’ gives one a true sense of reality with their environment. Certain activities must be experienced first-hand to be appreciated and fully understood.
Sailing and to journey across a body of water propelled only by one of nature’s fundamental forces….wind, is one of those activities. As a sailor myself and a lover of anything nautical, my first hand experiences on some of the world’s bodies of water have provided wonderful, vivid experiences in many different conditions.
I particularly enjoy reading of other seafarer’s tales and first-hand knowledge of their adventures. For me,. It not only gives great entertainment, but also paints a picture of what it is really like to venture away from dry land.
Some authors of books and publications are not only very good at relaying the look and ‘feel’ of actual events underway at sea, but they simultaneously give facts, figures and information that is valuable to the reader. John Kretschmer is one of those authors. He is very accomplished both in ocean sailing world-wide, course planning and preparation as well as a delivery skipper primarily on the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean.
This is the first book by Mr. Kretschmer I have had the pleasure of reading. Its very title, “Sailing a Serious Ocean” evokes images of storm tossed seas and full gale conditions, but it also tells the reader even before they open the cover…..to take any body of water, especially the deep ocean very seriously.
This book is chock full of well phrased first-hand accounts of preparing for and sailing through severe weather conditions at sea. A very good quality of any author is when they can add more to the story…. much more. Mr. Kretschmer does exactly that by giving the reader a considerable amount of information on lesson’s learned before, during and after those encounters with storm conditions.
I particularly like his humble approach to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He explains well on several ocean passages how he, as the master of the vessel was simply on a schedule and thought he and his boat could outrun or out maneuver a forecast weather system. It would be one thing for an author to time and again write how the crewel ocean overcame and mistreated their small helpless vessel even though they took every precaution to avoid bad weather. Mr. Kretschmer does not take that approach. He is refreshing in the sense that he realizes his own human frailties and imperfect decisions. He makes note of times when he mis-judged, mis-read or ignored weather reports warning of possible storm systems that could affect his passage. As a delivery skipper myself, I understand how these mistakes in judgement can occur. The author explains how on many occasions, he was heavily motivated to have a particular boat in a location by a certain time frame. Sometimes it was a crew member who might have to catch a flight or get home, or back to work. Independent of the reasons, Mr. Kretschmer makes a good point to not only have your boat outfitted well, your crew capable, but to listen to your own inner voice and use your past experiences in when to cast off the dock lines and turn for sea.
Like all of us mariners and humans in general, we are almost always at the mercy of the calendar on the wall and the watch on our wrist. I am under the opinion that both of those man made items may have their place in shoreside, urban life, but at sea, they can be mis-leading and irrelevant. The author even agreed with me, eluding to the fact that being a slave to a calendar can get you into serious trouble if you don’t heavily factor in and listen to the whims of mother nature.
"Sailing a Serious Ocean" is an informative and engaging book that offers a wealth of insights and advice for anyone interested in sailing offshore or undertaking long-distance voyages. The author, John Kretschmer, is a seasoned sailor with decades of experience sailing around the world, and he shares his expertise in a clear and accessible way throughout the book.
The book is organized into chapters that cover a range of topics related to offshore sailing, including boat selection, weather forecasting, navigation, seamanship, and safety. Kretschmer draws on his personal experiences as well as those of other sailors to illustrate key points and provide real-world examples.
One of the strengths of the book is Kretschmer's writing style, which is both informative and engaging. He has a knack for explaining complex topics in a way that is easy to understand, and he peppers his narrative with colorful anecdotes and insights that bring the material to life.
Overall, "Sailing a Serious Ocean" is an excellent resource for anyone interested in offshore sailing or long-distance cruising. Whether you're a seasoned sailor or a novice, there is something in this book for everyone. Highly recommended!