En cours de chargement...
Tales of the Sea is a semi-autobiographical novel based on my life at sea between 1957 and 1969. In its pages the reader will meet the characters with whom I sailed and their antics. They will experience nights ashore and visit through my eyes exotic places. Read about the different ships, old and new as they plough across the oceans carrying the products of the world Throughout there is the sea and its dangers.
The sea can be angry or benevolent. The essence of the novel can be summed up in a poem:The CallThe sea is calling, always callingEven when the sailor has long left voyaging behind. The sea calls, ever calls, Over the noise of this sometimes dreadful life. To sail away , to leave this life behind, But to where?That is what adds to the thrill. Let the voyage be long or short, Let the oceans be calm or fierce, In the urge to sail away, Lies man's eternal questFor something new.
Why oh why does man always strive after the newWhen accepting the present would save a lot of heart ache. It has long been a mystery to me but, More than in any other profession, The sea offers a greater chance to satisfy this need. The sailor never arrivesBecause each new port is a stepping stone to the nextAnd on to the nextUntil the nomadic lifestyle grows too much. It maybe that the sailor observes other peopleSettling into a pattern of life which brings rewardsSuch things as family and home, Anchored to other views of livingRather than constantly on the move.
So the sailor leaves the seaAnd puts down roots. Or does he?The sound of a seagull screaming , The wind moaning around the roof of his houseThe sound of waves lapping on the shoreWill awaken in the hidden recesses of his mindThe longing to feel the excitement once moreAs the ship goes silent, Ready to leave for the sea.