Two Years Before The Mast ...

Oct 26, 2008
6,043
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
I consider myself to be fairly well-read but for some reason, I had missed this classic until my step-son gave me this book as a Christmas present. This book truly is a marvel. I don't know what took me so long to take notice of it (which I may never have done if not for Cory). I want to re-read it with a glossary and a diagram in-hand. So many of the phases and nautical components are still incomprehensible to me. It's funny how Dana makes the same basic comment early in his narrative. What would be a good source for descriptions? I'm pretty well versed on the sails, masts, and yards, with aid from pictures. It's the various call-outs for running rigging and the various activities related to belaying the rigging that has me bewildered.
Can you imagine California, 200 years ago, when it was just a remote province of Mexico? Imagine seeing the location that would become San Francisco, before there were barely even any huts to make up a settlement! It is so fascinating to read about this! I can't imagine why this wasn't on the required-reading list during my schooling. On the other hand, at my age, I'm always ecstatic to come upon something unexpected and so astonishingly interesting for the first time. I'm grateful to my step-son Cory for giving me such a pleasant discovery to wind down the year and begin anew.
 
Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
I've always enjoyed Two Years. It's a great work of literature, in addition to a great sailing story. Richard Dana's life itself is a great adventure story as well. Following his forced trip to the wilds of California, he returned to Harvard Law and on to become a noted attorney and champion of sailors - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Henry_Dana_Jr. Based on his book, I've always wanted to visit the west coast and imagine what it would have been like then.
 

LuzSD

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Feb 21, 2009
1,009
Catalina 30 San Diego/ Dana Point, Ca.
well, we live in Dana Point and though this book is required reading in schools here, I have not read it either! wow, shame on me! We have often stood at the headlands and thought about how it must have been. I currently have 2 books that were recommended in Sail Magazine recently (Passage East, Mitchell, and The Voyage of American Promise, Dodge Morgan) but missed the one most obvious! thanks for the reminder!! good, good idea!
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
So, to make your experience complete, you only need to charter out of San Diego and visit Dana Point--part of that section of the coast Dana referred to as San Juan--"San Juan is the only romantic spot in California." At Dana Pt is a replica of Pilgrim, the brig of his outbound voyage, and a statue of Dana looking toward sea. He was a strong man. Plus, you can anchor for 72 h in the west basin of the harbor right under the point (Dana Pt) whence cow hides were thrown down to the crew. A lovely spot.;)
 
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LuzSD

.
Feb 21, 2009
1,009
Catalina 30 San Diego/ Dana Point, Ca.
Unbelievable.:doh:
...I know, I am amazed at myself! Years ago, I moved to Donner Lake in Tahoe. I lived right there below Immigrant's Pass and read 'The Donner Party' at that time. It was fascinating because I could go see exactly where they were talking about or could look out a window with 15 feet of snow (at the time) and imagine double that. I will get the book mentioned with the Authors' son's comments... that is intriguing to me.
 
Oct 26, 2008
6,043
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
Having just returned from Hawaii when reading this book, I was interested in his frequent references to "Kanakas" and "Sandwich Islanders" and the various ships that were sailing between California and the "Sandwich Islands". I figure that the term "Kanaka" could be derogatory, but Dana's references to the Islanders was always in glowing terms. I also was amused by his attitude that he wanted to get away from California and back to the east coast at the earliest opportunity and he described many areas as being completely dismal. He didn't seem to have much praise for the land or the native people. It (the attitude) must have come from the hard labor. The ship's captains didn't appear to have much tolerance for any days off!
LuzSD, I saw one of your posts today and it reminded me to start this thread!
 
Jan 18, 2016
782
Catalina 387 Dana Point
When I bought my boat, I got a copy for the boat. I read it during/at a trip to Two Harbors. 'Tis a very interesting read.

Just seemed fitting to have a copy of Dana's book on board a boat berthed in Dana Point Harbor.
 

PaulK

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Dec 1, 2009
1,222
Sabre 402 Southport, CT
I liked his description of how the Californians jumped on horses just to go a quarter-mile down the road instead of walking anywhere.
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Now for a different point of view:
Dana was a "Stinking Intellectual" who got himself into a situation where he had to work like working people of that time did. And he couldn't deal with it. Again and again, in Two Years Before the Mast, he complained about the labor. That's all he did. I'm surprised the captain didn't put him off before the Horn.
And he was lucky it wasn't a few hundred years before, when in the age of sail it wasn't at all unusual for a captain to pull up to shore and drag some crew member off to be slaughtered on the beach in the most brutal way. If the voyage wasn't going well, they would just accuse some crew member of being a spy or agent of Spain, if the ship was British, or vice versa, if the ship was Catholic. Many times there were spies, but due process was lacking.
Back to Dana. He went on to his law career and never had to do any real labor again - because he hated it. In summary, he visited real life for two years, and ran back to his comfortable life, while men of that era did that kind of labor for their entire lives. He had no appreciation of the experiences he had, or of the adventures he had, and no prospective of a entire life of labor. He was a complainer and I'm not surprised he ended up in law. (After reading his Bio, just now, I'll give him credit for his abolishionist stand). But he worked for the good of seamen and others out of guilt from his own surroundings. He really was not a seaman. He was a Blue Blood New England elitist.
Having said all this, Two Year Before the Mast was one of my Mother's favorite books. There is a copy in my office for her memory. We argued many times about these things. The last time I read the book was - a long time ago. Maybe I'll pick it up again and see what has changed.
Flame suit on!
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
A "Stinking Intellectual?" What? Is that supposed to be the opposite of an illiterate, low-life, scutt-worker--the salt of the Earth? Who designed and built those sailing ships that were the heart of U.S. commerce in colonial American and afterward? Who navigated them? Without Two Years Before the Mast we'd know virtually nothing about the hide-trade commerce w/ Mexico of early 19th-century America/California. Who cares if he complained about the hardships of sea? If that life were so wonderful it would not be necessary to Shanghai crew or send out Government press gangs to round 'em up. He did the work and wrote a great piece of literature about it. I don't see the problem.
 
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LuzSD

.
Feb 21, 2009
1,009
Catalina 30 San Diego/ Dana Point, Ca.
I liked his description of how the Californians jumped on horses just to go a quarter-mile down the road instead of walking anywhere.
hahahaha, nothing has changed!!!
 
Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
Calm down and take a breath, Shermandr. No need to get so upset about a 19th century man that was born to a famiily of wealthy lawyers, experienced a different side of life, and it changed him such that he devoted his life to improving conditions for other people. Perhaps he was a product of his day and birth - who among us are not. For my part, I am grateful that Dana exposed the plight of sailors and more generally working people. He also crafted a fine bit of storytelling that was fun to read, not just a bunch of whining. Perhaps some of that grace could rub off on all of us.
 
Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
Scott, the same thing happened to me with Moby Dick. I remember reading only those chapters assigned by the teacher to read. When it came to the parts where much action on board the ship were taking place, I was totally lost. I reread the book again and this time I had pictures of a fully rigged ship. It all came together. Now I know the sail plan and when I was watching Black Sails I fully understood what they were doing.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
There's actually another book out there that might help with "interpreting" the vernacular of the 19th-century sailor: The Making of a Sailor or Sea Life Aboard a Yankee Square-Rigger, Frederick Pease Harlow, Dover, 1988 (reprint of an original publication in 1928 of the Marine Research Society of Salem, MA). Good read. even if somewhat laborious at times.:thumbup:
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Now for a different point of view:
Dana was a "Stinking Intellectual" who got himself into a situation where he had to work like working people of that time did. And he couldn't deal with it. Again and again, in Two Years Before the Mast, he complained about the labor. That's all he did. I'm surprised the captain didn't put him off before the Horn.
And he was lucky it wasn't a few hundred years before, when in the age of sail it wasn't at all unusual for a captain to pull up to shore and drag some crew member off to be slaughtered on the beach in the most brutal way. If the voyage wasn't going well, they would just accuse some crew member of being a spy or agent of Spain, if the ship was British, or vice versa, if the ship was Catholic. Many times there were spies, but due process was lacking.
Back to Dana. He went on to his law career and never had to do any real labor again - because he hated it. In summary, he visited real life for two years, and ran back to his comfortable life, while men of that era did that kind of labor for their entire lives. He had no appreciation of the experiences he had, or of the adventures he had, and no prospective of a entire life of labor. He was a complainer and I'm not surprised he ended up in law. (After reading his Bio, just now, I'll give him credit for his abolishionist stand). But he worked for the good of seamen and others out of guilt from his own surroundings. He really was not a seaman. He was a Blue Blood New England elitist.
Having said all this, Two Year Before the Mast was one of my Mother's favorite books. There is a copy in my office for her memory. We argued many times about these things. The last time I read the book was - a long time ago. Maybe I'll pick it up again and see what has changed.
Flame suit on!
everyone gets something different from what they read...

it seems like such a harsh review of one man who wrote about HIS experiences at sea, when there are so many more sailing authors who have written about their troubles also, maybe more so, even when THEY were in charge of their own actions, rather than having an intolerable captain or first mate to have to answer to...

without going into the library to get a big list, here are a few that comes to mind.... some do a lot more whining and complaining than others, and given the conditions a bit of whining may be justified, so one shouldnt think lowly of the author because he decided to make note of the low points of his voyage....

76 days lost at sea... steven callahan
gypsy moth circles the world.. sir francis chichester
sailing alone around the world... joshua slocum
maiden voyage... tania aebi... and there are many other authors that have written about their experiences at sea.

none of these people had to go to sea, but when they did they encountered problems and they wrote about it... some wrote/complained about their depression of being alone, some wrote/complained about the stupid mistakes they made, some wrote complained about the problems caused by the weather or failed rigging, some whined about being so sick at times

I dont believe Richard Dana, even with his backround had a much difference experience than any of his shipmates who may have been pressed into service.... BUT, he kept a log and wrote about the life, which is so much different than anyone else who worked "before the mast"....

Ive read enough books to feel the temperament of the captain of his ship was about normal for the times, and that it could have been much worse for him....

in my opinion, if anyone has an interest in the old square riggers or in the history of sailing ships, two years before the mast is a must read book...
 
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sdstef

.
Jan 31, 2013
140
Hunter 28 Branched Oak Lake
I kept my sailboat in Dana Point back in the very early 90's. They had the Pilgrim, and some other tall ship side by side and would do pirate stuff. It was a hoot to anchor off and watch it with cannon fire, and pirates and wenches swinging from the yard arms.