High adventure on a small budget - this is Charles Stock's philosophy as he cruises his midget 16 -foot gaff-rigged sailing cruiser Shoal Waters on the Thames Estuary, having logged 68,000 miles since 1963. No engine, no electronics. The art of pottering taken to its zenith, and happiness achieved with great simplicity. There's a lesson here for all of us who hanker after the South Seas!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By Paul Gray
Format:Paperback
Stock's book explains how he cruises more miles per year in a boat half the size of most others.
Essentially he keeps it simple and has an intuitive use of tides to work his way around in a 16' boat with no engine.
Essentially he keeps it simple and has an intuitive use of tides to work his way around in a 16' boat with no engine.
His humour and seamanship come through every page and make great entertainment and an education in practical seamanship.
Excellent!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By K. Gray
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
From the title and cover of this book, you might assume it to be a light-hearted, anecdotal account of adventures and misadventures in a variety of sailing locations. Not so. This is a serious sailing book by a very serious sailor who spends his time amongst the shifting sands and drying rivers of the Thames Estuary. Lots of wisdom and sound advice if you sail there or somewhere akin to it, or indeed, if you're just starting out in a small boat of your own, and reckon Hiscock's "Cruising under sail" is a bit OTT for an eighteen-footer, but like Hiscock's book, you don't buy this one for laughs.
The several cruises Stock describes are rich in technicalities such as state of tide, weather, time, etc.,etc., but if writers truly want to involve readers in their travels, they need to paint a picture with the prose or provide a decent map that details, at the very least, everything referred to in the text. Well in this case, I reckon the author mislaid his brushes, and the map is worse than useless. It was only when I hit on the idea of using Google Earth along with the book, that the whole thing came alive.
A much more appropriate title for this publication would be "How to sail an awful lot of miles on the Thames Estuary in a small boat with no engine".
The several cruises Stock describes are rich in technicalities such as state of tide, weather, time, etc.,etc., but if writers truly want to involve readers in their travels, they need to paint a picture with the prose or provide a decent map that details, at the very least, everything referred to in the text. Well in this case, I reckon the author mislaid his brushes, and the map is worse than useless. It was only when I hit on the idea of using Google Earth along with the book, that the whole thing came alive.
A much more appropriate title for this publication would be "How to sail an awful lot of miles on the Thames Estuary in a small boat with no engine".
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The book is very much how the author did it, that his way is best and that there is no sea room for anybody else. As I do not have a small cruiser and have never sailed on the Thames estuary this can be very annoying (a better map would help explain where Shoal Waters has been and how it had got there). The author did grow on me as the book progressed but the start was slow.
However with years of experience he has imparted hundred of handy tips some of which I know I will try and routes that I suspect have not been sailed in years!
I would recommend this to a friend but only if they will be sailing these waters and with a small boat.
However with years of experience he has imparted hundred of handy tips some of which I know I will try and routes that I suspect have not been sailed in years!
I would recommend this to a friend but only if they will be sailing these waters and with a small boat.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By B. OSullivan
Format:Paperback
The fact that my book is so worn speaks volumes.
Of the many sailing books I own, this is the book I refer to for both inspiration and advice on coastal sailing.
Of the many sailing books I own, this is the book I refer to for both inspiration and advice on coastal sailing.
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
The author sails his small boat in the same area as me, and it was fascinating to read his years of experience with sandbanks, seals and contrary tides. Sometimes I got irritated with his 'my way is the best' approach, but it is based on real knowledge. My friends are already sick of 'Mr Stock says...', but his advice has added to my sailing enjoyment.
By cyril lowe
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
.Having been a small boat sailor I appreciate his pleasure and tribulations. I always had the use of an outboard,though. C.Lowe.
By ALISON
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this for my husband and he is still reading it. Charles Stock is a local man so a lot of the places he visits are known to us and this makes it even more interesting. I would recommend it to anyone who loves sailing.
By D Walker
Format:Paperback
A good read and full of good advice on dinghy cruising. Well written and easy to read. Perhaps not high adventure but low adventure which is what most people are really looking for
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Read
This is an excellent little book packed with information and knowledge gleaned from decades of sailing around the Thames estuary. Read more
Published 23 months ago by MChandley
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sailing just for fun
This is a brilliant book for anyone who wants to start sailing but only has limited resources. Swallows and Amazons for grown ups where adventures are led by tide and time.
Published on 15 Nov 2010 by Jukes
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to have fun
A fantastic book. The author's experience really shows - over half a century of wise knowledge and amusing anecdotes are packed into this book. Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2010 by Mr Sponge
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