Can You Canoe?
With masts reaching high into the sky and carrying
more canvas than any boat their size should, Chesapeake Bay log canoes require a hefty crew perched outboard
on long boards to keep them balanced and upright. Watching crews manhandle these graceful, overpowered vessels is a summer Eastern Shore tradition. In Tradition, Speed and Grace, John C. North II discusses his 70 years of experience in log canoes. North’s family owns and
campaigns four of them, and he captains Island Bird,
which his great-grandfather built in 1882. The 150-page book has more than 140 photographs and illustrations. ($65, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum)
A Grand Adventure
Randy and Rebecca Tisch have piloted their Nordhavn 68 Argo from Florida halfway around the world to New Zealand. The couple recount their voyages in Crossing The Wild Pacific, discussing not only the cultural and historical aspects of each country visited, but also the logistics of cruising in exotic lands. The book follows Argo’s day-by-day progress and includes vivid descriptions of battling storms, navigating atolls through coral-lined channels and enduring an 18-day passage from the Galápagos to the Marquesas.
($14, BookBaby)
Swell, Surf and Sail
Surfer Liz Clark sailed away on her Cal 40, Swell, from San Diego more than 12 years and 20,000 miles ago. She discovered that ocean voyaging is far less glamorous and far grittier than she imagined. For the past three years, she’s been in the South Pacific and writing Swell. Clark recounts violent storms packing fierce winds, lonely nights alone on the ocean, and the emotional, financial and physical tolls that nearly made her give up. Through it all, she manages to see the inherent good in humanity. ($35, Patagonia)
This article originally appeared in the June 2018 issue.
