Sails Full and By

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Sails Full and By

by Dom Degnon

Sails Full and By is the light-hearted tale of a seven-year circumnavigation aboard Taku, a 41-foot ketch. Skipper Dom and Celia, a sailing friend who will share most of the trip, are constantly gaining and losing crew: friends, relatives, and hired hands. To this array of characters are added the places seen and the people met. First the Caribbean, where Russian-speaking Armen and unforgettable Cristina join the crew, then through the Panama Canal and on to the Pacific. Hard to leave are French Polynesia, American Samoa, Suwarow, Tonga, Fiji, and New Zealand, where Taku gets a refit. Later, in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, a host of problems start plaguing the boat, from sails mildewing to the freshwater pump quitting to the turnbuckle exploding.

From Australia on, more adventures await, from the masseuses in Bali to the rescue of a grounded yacht, which involves dealing with the Yemeni Secret Police. Baksheesh and yelling become a way of life before leaving the Suez Canal. After reaching the Mediterranean and Gibraltar, all that remains is crossing the "pond," which Taku finishes in fine order, seven years after her departure from the U.S. This is a delightful, well-written story.

288 pp. 38 photos. 1995 0924486759

Online Marine Price $27.50 Buy Now