Yachting

Last Voyage – Ann Davison – First edition 1951

First edition of Ann Davison’s autobiographical account which ends in the most dramatic shipwreck and the loss of her husband.

An incredible individual, after all of this, she became the first woman to single-handedly sail across the Atlantic.

Published by Peter Davis, London, 1951. Octavo, 248 pages, two photographs of Ann and Frank … it was not that sort of adventure. Very good condition.

The Last Voyage begins with her earlier life as an aviator in the 1930’s delivering mail around the UK. She married Frank Davison a fellow aviator when they both worked at the Hooten airfield near Liverpool. They has a long held ambition for sailing and bought a run-down 70 foot ketch “Reliance”. Doing it up sent them broke and before the work was finished they sailed to avoid their creditors. They encountered incredible storms in the Channel and the Irish Sea … they foundered on the Portland Bill. Taking to their cork life raft they battled to survive and Frank died out of pure exhaustion ..

Now scarce and one of the most personal accounts we have read.

$35.00

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Children of Cape Horn – Rosie Swale

First edition of Rosie Swales very readable account of one of the greatest “family” voyages of all time.

Published by Paul Elek, London in 1974. Octavo, 242 pages, illustrated with end paper maps, images from voyage photographs and diagrams in the text.

An 18 month voyage leaving Gibraltar on 19th December 1971 … across to Barbados and through the Panama Canal and a course across the Pacific via the glorious Pacific Islands route to Sydney. Back along the roaring forties and around the Horn and on up and up to Plymouth arriving 1st July 1973. Lots of adventure, some danger and frivolity along the way.

Talented Rosie and Colin Swale – proper sailing with family in tow.

$25.00

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Airborne (A Voyage West to East Across the Atlantic) – William Buckley – First edition 1976

A first edition of a sentimental journey, published by Macmillan, New York in 1976.

Octavo, 252 pages, end paper maps and heavily illustrated from photographs taken on the voyage.

Buckley was a media celebrity being a multi published author, editor of the National Review and host of Firing Line.

His west east crossing of the Atlantic was a dream of many years. A charming, detailed account from Miami, to Bermuda across to the Azores an on to Marbella. An honest account of emotions and behaviour along the way.

First edition west – east across the Atlantic

$25.00

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The Southseaman – Life-story of a Schooner – Weston Martyr

A later edition, 1949 of a book first issued in the 1920’s. Published by Blackwood, Edinburgh and London.

Octavo, 327 with frontispiece of the yacht and illustrations, mainly technical sketches throughout. Very good condition albeit some nibbling to the dust jacket crease … rare to still have the jacket though.

Joseph Weston Martyr (1885-1966) was some character. This is his first book about the design and building of a schooner yacht in the fishing port of Shelbourne Nova Scotia. The description of which should please any yachting tragic. Later in the book he sails for Bermuda and the vessel eventually is involved in rum-running … the times.

Martyr had an interesting life … ran a shipping business in New York, mined in South Africa and adventures in China and the South Pacific. He sailed in the Bermuda yacht races which inspired him to create the challenging Fastnet Race off the south west coat of England.

Martyr’s first book a bit of a classic.

$30.00

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Innocent Aboard – Chay and Maureen Blyth – First Edition 1970

First edition published by the Nautical Publishing Company 1970. Octavo, 196 pages all in very good condition.

Chay Blyth’s first serious sailing expedition, setting off from England he was soon lost … and then got his bearings and sea legs. On south he sailed. Through the Canaries, Cape Verde Islands and to the far south and Tristan da Cunha before South Africa.

His boat was a small family cruiser, so his aspiration to cross and make the Horn had to be curtailed. Confident, he cabled his wife to join him for the return voyage … which she did.

His story won over Sir Alec Rose who provided a very supportive foreword.

Chay Blyth – first voyage and quite an adventure

$25.00

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A White Boat from England – George Millar 1951

A first edition published by Heinemann, London in 1951. Octavo, 308 pages nicely illustrated and with several maps.

George Millar had already sailed the Mediterranean in the thirty-ton ketch Truant. Here in a new vessel, a sixteen-ton sloop Serica they take a leisurely sail down and around the coast of Portugal and Spain.

What might seem like an easy passage turns into a challenge; a near miss and then run down by a fishing boat. Later illness and injury puts them in danger, before coming across Riviera smugglers and the opportunity to save another man’s life of Cap Ferrat.

It’s not all easy going in the Mediterranean … but there are some luxuries for sure.

$25.00

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Last Voyage – Ann Davison – First edition 1951

Children of Cape Horn – Rosie Swale

Airborne (A Voyage West to East Across the Atlantic) – William Buckley – First edition 1976

The Southseaman – Life-story of a Schooner – Weston Martyr

Innocent Aboard – Chay and Maureen Blyth – First Edition 1970

A White Boat from England – George Millar 1951

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