MTU Library Catalogue

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Just sea & sky : England to New Zealand the hard way ; a vintage cruise through the South Seas / Ben Pester ; introduction by Dick Durham.

By: Pester, Ben, 1924- [author.].
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookPublisher: London : Adlard Coles Nautical, 2010Copyright date: ©2010Description: xv, 191 pages, 8 pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 20 cm.Content type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: volumeISBN: 9781408128558 (paperback) .Subject(s): Pester, Ben, 1924- -- Travel | Voyages and travelsDDC classification: 910.450922
Contents:
Genesis -- The joining up -- The Iberian experience -- The Atlantic experience -- Caribbean odyssey -- To the silver sea -- In pursuit of Darwin -- Into the South Seas -- Polynesian pleasures -- Enchanted isles -- What happened to Tern II?
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Copy number Status Barcode
General lending MTU National Maritime College of Ireland Library Lending 910.450922 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 00180547
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This is the charming account of two men who journeyed half way round the world from Plymouth to New Zealand in a small boat in 1955. It is a rare insight into a time, not so long ago, when sailors had no GPS, electronics, radio or any of the mod cons that we take for granted today. Without lifejackets or a liferaft, they 'just took what came along', hand steering all the way, navigating by sextant, hand-cranking their engine and using oil lamps for light at night and for navigation. Sailors will be staggered by how primitive conditions were only a few decades ago.
Part travelogue and part adventure story, the two friends encountered drunken harbourmasters, the mafia, the legacy of slavery and lost civilisations in the Pacific. Beautifully written, vividly recounting their exploits ashore and on board, this quirky and entertaining book will be a fascinating read for sailors and non-sailors alike.
'A compelling story - I feel like I have sailed with them.' Yachting Monthly

Genesis -- The joining up -- The Iberian experience -- The Atlantic experience -- Caribbean odyssey -- To the silver sea -- In pursuit of Darwin -- Into the South Seas -- Polynesian pleasures -- Enchanted isles -- What happened to Tern II?

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Ben Pester was born in New Zealand and came to the UK in 1943, aged 18, to serve in the Royal Navy. During the 1950s he served in the New Zealand Navy. After leaving the service he joined the aluminium industry, rising to the position of international chief executive. After retiring in 1990 he became a sailing instructor and undertook several long distance cruises, including rounding Cape Horn. Now well into his eighties, he still enjoys sailing all year round.