The long awaited—or not—story of my sixth circumnavigation is set to be published by Harbor Books on November 14.
Because the book contains more than one hundred color photographs and charts—the book’s page at Amazon says 200, but I think that is high—it would be prohibitively expensive to publish in paper, so it will come out in a Kindle Edition.
Pre-orders at Amazon are open now. Search: Webb Chiles GANNET 6.
vigation, is about to be published by Harbor Books, and I believe your readers may be interested.
While I no longer live in California, LATITUDE 38 has long shown nterest in my voyages and the voyage began and ended in San Diego and was made in a Moore 24, onof the greatest west coast boats
Here is a statement about the book:
While the publisher is using my age to promote the book, when I made the voyage my age was not a consideration. I had completed circumnavigations in the previous four decades—two in the 00s—and thought making it five might be interesting. Plus I wanted a new challenge, some sailing joy, and to experience again the monastery of the sea.
Here is a statement about the book:
One of the world’s most experienced sailors, Webb Chiles, set out on his sixth circumnavigation at age seventy-two. No other American has ever circumnavigated six times in his own boats. He was seventy-seven when he completed the voyage.
On his first circumnavigation, completed fifty years earlier, he became the first American to sail alone around Cape Horn and set what was then a world record for the fastest circumnavigation in a monohull, breaking Sir Francis Chichester’s record by more than three weeks.
Two years later, seeking an even greater challenge, he set off to circumnavigate in an 18’ open boat, an undecked Drascombe yawl, in which he crossed both the Pacific and Indian Oceans, before after 20,000 miles being arrested and held as a spy in Saudi Arabia.
Webb Chiles has written that the defining responsibility of the artist is to go beyond the limits of human experience and send back reports. That is what he has done for fifty years.
For his sixth circumnavigation he chose an unusual boat, an ultralight Moore 24, known to sail exceptionally well and intended to be raced around buoys in harbors. Some had been raced to Hawaii, but no one had ever sailed a Moore 24 farther. Even at seventy-two, Webb Chiles wanted to push limits.
He named his boat GANNET, after birds he admired when in New Zealand. He made her totally self-contained. Once he owned her she was never connected to shore power. She ran from sun, wind, and his aged muscles.
The voyage was one man sailing alone, without sponsorship or shore team. And it was sailed. In 30,000 miles GANNET was under (electric) power for less than 15 miles.
It is an inspirational true tale for readers intrigued by what can be done in old age, at any age, if you have the will and the gifts and don’t let others define you.
GANNET 6 is more than just a sailing story. Webb Chiles has been called the most talented living writer in the sailing world. It has often been said that he takes the reader with him into his boats, causes them to feel the experience of fifty-knot gales, masthead in the water knockdowns, as well as the beauty and serenity of what he calls the monastery of the sea.
But he writes about more. About the places he visits, often visited before. The kindness of strangers. The books he is reading. The changes in the world he has seen.
Readers attracted to what they think of as an adventure should know that Chiles, who is an original, has written: “Amateurs seek adventure; professionals seek to avoid them”; but still in GANNET 6 there are storms, knockdowns, freak waves, and soul eroding calms.
GANNET 6 will take you where you have never been, and may make you seek to do more than you thought you could. If so, Webb Chiles will be pleased.
——-
If you buy the book and enjoy it, I would appreciate your telling others..
1 comment:
Ordered - waiting in anticipation !
Post a Comment