Not all dreams have happy endings. Sailing in Circles, Goin’ Somewhere is the funny, bittersweet memoir of a Prince Edward Island man who, over seven years, builds a classic 1930s wooden sailboat and, in 2004, attempts to circumnavigate eastern North America. The author leaves a small fishing port on the Island and tracks along the rugged coast, up the St. Lawrence River, and through the Great Lakes. Alone, he encounters heavy fog, near-collisions with freighters, mechanical breakdowns, enormous seas, several brushes with disaster, and even a hostile reception at one French-speaking port. He meets odd and curious people. It all comes to an inglorious and mundane end when the author and his boat, the Arja D., are stuck in, of all places, Peoria, Illinois. Was it worth it? Maybe.
Written by Finley Martin, a respected Island fiction writer, this finely crafted and humorous book will appeal to adventurers, sailors, and lovers of a good yarn.
Available in Canada at Amazon.ca, Indigo! and Bookmark. Available in the USA at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and BAM!
admin –
“I sail, and dream about longer and more interesting trips in my sailing future. after reading this book, I will be better prepared for my future (non-trivial) boat trips. I learned not just about the complications that can arise, but also the wonders that occur. I recently journeyed through the St. Lawrence seaway (on a small cruise ship), and so his path from Prince Edward Island to Montreal was somewhat familiar to me, which added to my enjoyment of the story. And having grown up in Illinois – and having boated very near one of his stops on the Illinois River – his journey down Lake Michigan, out the Chicago River, and onto the Illinois River brought back familiar places and experiences.
As the subtitle says, “not your typical boat story“. But this story is real, and real doesn’t always match (idealized) story. I certainly recommend this book for sailors of any level.”
– GoodReads.com reviewer
admin –
“I enjoyed Sailing in Circles. In fact I couldn’t put it down. I read the whole book all day Saturday.
I loved the port descriptions, probably because I have been to many of them. I could really envision some of the places he sailed. The descriptions were excellent. I even learned a bit of History.I have some sailing friends that I am going to tell….this is a must read.”
– GoodReads.com reviewer