Passages: Cape Horn and Beyond
By Lin Pardey
For pre-orders or signed copies click here.
I have lived and breathed sailing for the past two years, not just afloat, but ashore. While David and I were cruising on Sahula and meandering through the 250-mile-long coral fringed lagoon of New Caledonia, I spent several mornings each week writing the first chapters of a book with the working title of Passages.
While I
wrote, David enjoyed working his way through an art course to help him
negotiate away from acrylics and back to using oil paints (water oils.) My work
computer and his easel soon had new storage spots. Instead of being tucked away
in the forepeak, they were right at hand in the main saloon. Though other
cruisers might have resented the reinforced trades that set in for weeks at a
time and kept us from exploring the outer reef anchorages, neither of us seemed
to notice. I became so engrossed in the story I was trying to tell, that each
day seemed to rush past. When David suggested we climb into the dinghy and find
a place to land so we could stretch our legs, I had to spend a few minutes
dragging myself away from the people, the places, the by-gone passages I was
engrossed in so I could live in the moment.
Even as we
were sailing away from the threat of cyclones towards New Zealand, my project
added to life afloat. The trade winds,
instead of helping us reach quickly south, now seemed to decide to take “time
out.” For seven of the nine days of that passage, we had extremely light
winds. No problem. Out came “the book
project” to quell any sense of impatience.
I had brought along several of the logbooks I kept during the later
years of voyaging with Larry on board Taleisin plus the several of the
diaries I keep when I am ashore. They became my quiet-time reading as I tried
to decide what to include in the next chapters of the book.
When we
arrived back in New Zealand, I realized, if I wanted to have this book finished
for the Annapolis boat show, I had to work on Passages at least six
hours a day, five days a week. David helped tremendously with this. When I
seemed to bog down, he’d begin packing Sahula . He suggested we head off
for a week or ten days to meander around to some of the islands within a day of
sailing from my homebase. We had rendezvous with friends, took long walks along
the meandering streams on shore, settled into the cockpit seats to watch the
sun go down. But after a day or two of leaving my office, my computer came out
and I was back at my “project” feeling invigorated. And even when we flew to Australia
for a two week visit with all of David’s daughters and his six grandchildren,
everyone generously accepted I would hide away in a quiet corner for several
hours each day and keep reliving my past.
Finally, not
too long ago, David got out a bottle of our best wine, set out a tray of
nibbles then helped me celebrate writing the very last words of the story that
now had a full name, Passages: Cape Horn and Beyond. Ever a supporter of
my writing habit, he said, “It’s great.” But I reminded David, though he liked
what I had written, and I felt I had written something that many sailors would
enjoy reading, I had concerns that others might be disappointed because this
book is was far different than anything I’d written before.
Then the
outsiders set to work and, emails began pouring in as first the editor, then
the proofreader sent query after query – correction after correction: did I
want numbers over ten written out; should it be on board, aboard or onboard. I
suffered through what felt like a lesson in punctuation and accuracy. A week
ago, the book designer took over from the editors. Now the emails asked, “do
you have a higher res copy of this photo?” “Who gets credit for that photo?”
I had, as required
by the publisher, sent a copy of the manuscript to several early readers. Fingers
crossed, I prayed they would like what I have written and offer a short comment
for the back cover of the book. I held my breath as I waited for their
impressions.
I can let my
breath out now. I am thrilled with the initial response to the hardest story I
have ever tried to tell.
“Lin Pardey’s new book just may be her best. It’s a classic Pardey voyaging narrative, but it’s so much more. It’s filled with wisdom and love, as Lin chronicles Larry’s slow decline with perspective and deep gratitude for the life they were able to share. And it’s filled with hope and optimism for the future, a blueprint for how to keep living as we get older. It’s a terrific story.” — John Kretschmer, adventurer/author, Sailing a Serious Ocean
This is a brave book, written by an indomitable woman and sailor. It honors the man with whom she shared more than 50 years of that life voyaging the world’s oceans and inspiring generations of sailors. And though it sails straight on into the hardest of life’s passages, it also celebrates the light that emerges when one has had the strength and courage to endure the storm. - Wendy Mitman Clarke, Editor-in-Chief, SAIL Magazine
“The title reflects both the thrilling sailing adventures of Lin and Larry Pardey and the profound changes in Lin's life. I absolutely loved this!”
Carolyn Shearlock – Creator of TheBoatgalley.com
“Generations of sailors have found inspiration and courage in the voyages of Lin Pardey, whose self-reliant sailor ethos sets her apart in an ocean of sailing stories. Her writing has never been more compelling and speaks to sailors in every part of life’s journey.”- Erin Schanen, editor, SAILING Magazine
So ,what do I do while I wait for Passages to be published? Once again, David is getting Sahula ready so we can head off sailing towards the quiet anchorages at the far end of Waiheke Island to enjoy the first bit of good weather that comes along. It is blowing a gale right now, heavy rain is forecast, the days are bitterly cold (In New Zealand that means 42 degrees at night, 50 degrees during the day.) But there is a high-pressure system moving towards us from Australia. So next week we should be able to sail and enjoy just messing about in boats.
If you would like signed copies of
Passages, click here.
Orders for signed copies must be placed before October 10th so I can
arrange to sign them while I am in the
USA.
The pre-order link is now available here
Passages will be ready to ship on
October 15th. I’ll have copies with me for the Annapolis Sailboat
show.
