The Long Way by Bernard Moitessier

[JC Reefer]

Have you ever seen an old movie for the first time and wanted to talk about it with friends? That’s what’s happening here...

I just got to reading The Long Way and I gotta say that at first glance I thought he had gone nuts. By the end I think he is able to bring it back. The last quarter of the book is a fantastic section of useful tips and topics. All in all I found it exciting and educational, my favorite type of reading.

Next time I’m in the Galapagos I’m definitely canning one of those goats.

Anyway, I’m interested in knowing what others thought of the book and what books they might recommend.

Cheers!

[er9]

fantastic book! iv'e read it three times now. i thought he got way overly criticized by many. i dont think he lost it at all...i think he found sanity. i guess many people do agree though considering how loved he is in the sailing community.

i agree the tips in the last part of the book are pure gold. i am going to re-rig next year and plan on copying pretty much, his method using galvanized steel and wire clamps for my shrouds.

i hope someday i can make the same passage.

[Andreas W]

I read it in French the first time, and I am just reading it again in English. Fantastic book, by a great sailor!

[Michael Cobbe]

I read Moitessier's book and it made me want go long distance sailing, which I did with Jane my other half.

[Siberian Sea]

“To save my soul” he said, without a doubt one of my hero’s and life inspirations.

[bumpman]

Great book not only about sailing methods and adventure but also about wisdom and the soul.

[fatherchronica]

I have a copy he signed for me. I too have read it a few times. I started sailing when it was considered foolhardy and maybe suicidal to leave the safety of a slip in any boat that was not a double ender. And Bernard convinced many that a steel boat was actually the only seaworthy building material. Of course a third of the boats he lost were steel, so maybe it didn’t matter so much. Another great sailing author who sank 3 boats was Bill Tilman. All of his 8 sailing books are great reads, and his 7 mountain climbing books are all great stories too.

[taxwizz]

I read that book many years ago, and think that it is not about sailing.
It is about Philosophy.

[canyonbat]

It has been a while since I read it but my impression then was he was either insane or on drugs when he wrote it. I found it difficult to get through. Sorry to those who liked it.

[taxwizz]

Originally Posted by canyonbat

It has been a while since I read it but my impression then was he was either insane or on drugs when he wrote it. I found it difficult to get through. Sorry to those who liked it.

No krazy sense of adventure eh?

Or should it be "No sense of krazy adventure?"

[rmlarson1098]

Originally Posted by JC Reefer

Have you ever seen an old movie for the first time and wanted to talk about it with friends? That’s what’s happening here...

I just got to reading The Long Way and I gotta say that at first glance I thought he had gone nuts. By the end I think he is able to bring it back. The last quarter of the book is a fantastic section of useful tips and topics. All in all I found it exciting and educational, my favorite type of reading.

Next time I’m in the Galapagos I’m definitely canning one of those goats.

Anyway, I’m interested in knowing what others thought of the book and what books they might recommend.

Cheers!

If you haven't read 'A Voyage for Madmen' by Peter Nichols, I'd highly recommend it. The book (a bestseller for good reason) tells the story of the very same race around the world, and is a wonderful, breathtaking read.
That's the way I came to 'The Long Way', and the books compliment one another beautifully. Have read both several times.

[thomm225]

I read Robin Knox-Johnston's book but did not finish Bernard Moitessier's. (or haven't yet) It's on my boat, and I might pick it up day and try to finish it.

One thing Knox-Johnston used to do was dive overboard and swim along the side of the boat 100's of miles offshore during the race!

I thought that was wild at first, but he was 28 or 29 years old at the time which sort of explains it. At that age, you know what you can do and don't get too caught up in the what if's.

He worked on leaks on his boat for the first few weeks of sailing at least.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/20...ists/mainsail/

[Scaramanga F25]

Next time I’m in the Galapagos I’m definitely canning one of those goats.

Those goats do belong to someone.

[roverhi]

We met Moitessier when he was living on Ahe in the Tuamotu's. He was trying to get the people to plant gardens so they wouldn't be so dependent on the Copra Boats for supplies and would have fresh produce. He went to an agricultural high school in Viet Nam and was trying to put his studies to practical use. The effort was an example of who he was. A bit of a mystic who was trying to do some good in the world. Unfortunately his efforts weren't always what the majority of us would describe as sanity.

I'd read the Long Way and Cape Horn, The Logical Route before we left for SoPac and was suffering from a bit of hero worship on his exploits. We were building our Westsail so his trials and tribulations in finishing Joshua were what we were living through. Much later read Sailing to the Reefs which I found to be his most entertaining book on a way of life in Colonial Indo-China and eaking out a living cruising that no longer exists. Tamara and the Alliance goes further into his early days in Viet Nam and was also a good read if you ignore his mystical stuff.

He was not a perfect man but a good writer who captures the allure of being at sea. Remember those Zen moments that Moitessier describes when out on the bowsprit at night urging the boat on. I'm sure someone will point out he lost Joshua when he decided to get drunk with a friend in a bar rather than look after the boat but that doesn't take away from his ability as a seaman.

[Dougtiff]

The logical route was the first book i read by Moitessier, i subsequently read all of his book's,Tamara and the alliance was interesting, as i had anchored in most of the anchorage's he described, having had sailed these water's for 20 year's, many tales of the 70'S and 80'S, including a gun battle with Thai pirates[ i carried a AK47], i won.