By John Kretschmer
Published by Adlard Coles 2019. This book could be entitled Zen and the Art of Sailing Boat Maintenance, as, like the famed tome, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, the author John Kretschmer is both poet and practitioner.
His philosophical take on blue water sailing leads him to deal with practical problems in a tangential manner. He will scare you in these pages, but leave you inspired.
Whether crossing the Atlantic or the Pacific, the open ocean always throws up challenges which Kretschmer always rises too. He is equally up to the job on land as well – with a narrow escape from a coup in Yemen, or deliverance from a coral reef off Belize. His crew pay for the privilege of learning at his side and have included a motley bunch from corporate executives to TV celebrities.
His yarns are threaded with practical tips and seamanship, but also reveal the pure satisfaction of a life being well lived.
