THE SOLITUDE OF THE OPEN SEA

Gregory Newell Smith is a truly gifted observer and storyteller. In this collection of seventeen narrative essays, Smith draws upon his years of ocean sailing to explore the importance of broadening our horizons beyond the known and commonplace, freeing ourselves from cultural self-centeredness, and achieving self-discovery through perseverance, hardship, and solitude. The individual pieces range from light and humorous, as the naive sailor attempts to make sense of the world’s unfamiliar places and peoples, to sober and reflective, as encountering harsh realities becomes unavoidable. And because there is an inherent danger in facing the sea, the account even includes a brush with death.

Features

• The Solitude of the Open Sea
• Kava on Kandavu (or, Kandavu on Kava)
• The Horsewoman’s Tale
• Bungees and Bagpipes
• Florence
• A Tourist in Mauritius
• Madagascar by Taxi-Brousse
• The Tasman
• Tongue Looseners
• A Weekend in Neiafu
• The Pleasures of Passage
• Aussies
• The New South Africa
• Maintenance: Boat, Body, and Soul
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Climb Aboard
• The Sleigh Ride