Excellent sea adventure book. Rounding Cape Horn in 1742, chasing a treasure ship, ship wreck, mutiny, court martial, and more. All true! Extremely well researched and written. Enjoy.
Good Winter Read
- Thread starter RoyS
- Start date
Thanks. Looks interesting.
Patrick O'Brian wrote a novel about the voyage of the Wager called "The Unknown Shore". It's one of two books that are essentially considered precursors to his Aubrey/Maturin series. It will be fun to compare O"Brian's fictionalization with Grann's factual account.
Patrick O'Brian wrote a novel about the voyage of the Wager called "The Unknown Shore". It's one of two books that are essentially considered precursors to his Aubrey/Maturin series. It will be fun to compare O"Brian's fictionalization with Grann's factual account.
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Thanks Roy,
Down loaded to my I pad Kindle reader a couple of days ago. Reading now; very interesting & enjoyable. Can't begin to imagine the hardships these mariners endured.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,752
Imagine that! Not to mention typhoid fever that decimated their crew.
Book is available as hard cover, ebook or audio book. I listen to the audio during my morning walks, weather permitting. Very enjoyable and highly recommended.
They also suffered from Scurvy. Terrible disease that affected sailors of that age due to a vitamin deficiency. Eventually it was discovered that lemons or limes in the diet would eliminate the threat. Here is my go to Scurvy preventative:
Tom Collins (strong)
4 Oz. Gin
2 Oz. Lemon Juice (fresh squeezed)
1 Oz. Simple Syrup
4 Oz. Club Soda
Fill 16 Oz. tall glass with ice. Place glass in freezer. Pour gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup into shaker with some ice. Shake until shaker is too cold to hold. Pour into now frosted glass through strainer. Top up with club soda. Add cherry and lemon slice. Sip slowly through straw. Take short nap. Purely medicinal. Guaranteed to work.
Tom Collins (strong)
4 Oz. Gin
2 Oz. Lemon Juice (fresh squeezed)
1 Oz. Simple Syrup
4 Oz. Club Soda
Fill 16 Oz. tall glass with ice. Place glass in freezer. Pour gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup into shaker with some ice. Shake until shaker is too cold to hold. Pour into now frosted glass through strainer. Top up with club soda. Add cherry and lemon slice. Sip slowly through straw. Take short nap. Purely medicinal. Guaranteed to work.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,752
Walking among the boats and history of sailing here in Antigua, I happened upon finishers of the Worlds Toughest Row.
I met Elliot who had just finished. This is his boat. Elliot rowed to raise funds for heart research. He looks like a strapping lad who could dominate on the Rugby team. You would not know it by looking at him. Elliot wears a pacemaker.
He said it was easy. Just let go of the dock in the Canaries and 1 billion strokes later, you arrive 3000nm away in Antigua.
I suggest for your reading pleasure “Flares Up”. A true story of two rowers who did just that. Rowed across the Atlantic.
I met Elliot who had just finished. This is his boat. Elliot rowed to raise funds for heart research. He looks like a strapping lad who could dominate on the Rugby team. You would not know it by looking at him. Elliot wears a pacemaker.
He said it was easy. Just let go of the dock in the Canaries and 1 billion strokes later, you arrive 3000nm away in Antigua.
I suggest for your reading pleasure “Flares Up”. A true story of two rowers who did just that. Rowed across the Atlantic.
Having read t
Having read Captain James Cook: A Biography several years ago I was surprised that he discovered that cabbage was probably the best produce to carry aboard to fight off scurvy. But of course, where does one find cabbage in the south seas? Yes. Citrus fruits were also important, but you can carry cabbage for likely a couple of months w/o refrigeration.
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I've been carrying cabbage, it lasts a long time. Another nice thing is when it starts to go, it goes from the outside. So you can remove the outer leaves and get to good cabbage underneath.
dj
Yeah. It’ll outlast potatoes for quality meal, at least. Cook reported that it was difficult to get his crew to eat novel foods that they might find abroad, or to take their “rations” of the foods aboard that he felt would ward off scurvy. He kept good records on the rate of appearance of scurvy symptons. They clearly knew its onset was related to a lack of fresh foods, i.e. “produce”, aboard. The trip from Grand Canary to Cuba was short compared to Cook’s voyages around the Cape of Good Hope to the South Pacific (New Zealand), etc. and eventually into the eastern North Pacific. Long stretches.
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I've not been worried about scurvy. We have eaten very well, fresh food was there to greater or lesser amounts for all legs. I also bought vitamins that you put in water as a supplement to the water. The vitamin C supplement made the water taste like citrus - quite tasty actually. I carried multivitamins plus the C and another "hydration" mix...
dj