Boat books, fiction

[OldDan1943]

I need to learn how to absorb audio books on technical subjects through earbuds while sleeping!

Never worked for me in college.

The do have USCG rules on tape but, puts me to sleep immediately.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

Second the recommendation of A Voyage for Madmen, about a 1968 round-the-world sailing race in which one contestant really did go mad.

The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst (the guy who went crazy or maybe crazier). Good reading for anybody who boats solo. It goes into some detail on his "public log" that he was transmitting via radio to the outside world and his "private log" that was found on his abandoned boat.

I picked up a copy of The Caine Mutiny, thinking that having seen the movie the book might not be too interesting. Nope, much better than the movie and another with a lot of psychological intrigue. Turns out that Capt. Queeg (the Bogart character) might not have been the one with issues.

Time to make a list and hit my favorite used bookstore.

 

[rgano]

I also loved The Cruel Sea by Monsarrat. Have read it at least 3 times over the last 40 years, first time as a teenager.

40 years ago you were a teenager? Nice! I was the executive officer of a guided missile destroyer. Time flies when reading good books.

 

[catalinajack]

Rich, my son was a CTT First Class aboard the USS Gridley, DDD 101. He is now a Chief aboard the Cape St. George, a CG based in San Diego but slated to be towed to Seattle within two weeks for a two-year refit. I once did a three-day Tiger Cruise from Puerto Vallarta to San Diego, a terrific experience. My dock neighbor (retired) was the assistant commander of a San Diego destroyer squadron. One Christmas he and my son had a long conversation. They used so many acronyms that I gave up trying to follow along.

40 years ago you were a teenager? Nice! I was the executive officer of a guided missile destroyer. Time flies when reading good books.

 

[rgano]

Rich, my son was a CTT First Class aboard the USS Gridley, DDD 101. He is now a Chief aboard the Cape St. George, a CG based in San Diego but slated to be towed to Seattle within two weeks for a two-year refit. I once did a three-day Tiger Cruise from Puerto Vallarta to San Diego, a terrific experience. My dock neighbor (retired) was the assistant commander of a San Diego destroyer squadron. One Christmas he and my son had a long conversation. They used so many acronyms that I gave up trying to follow along.

I was riding destroyers for work until 2012, maybe 2-3 a month since 1996, and I hafta tell ya the acronyms they used just because of the shipbuilders' nomenclature were often bewildering. My favorite thing about that period was quickly conning the ships into precise position for the tests we were conducting and watching the look on the young officers' faces as the rudder orders flew and the ship magically performed. I had a lot of commanding officers thank me for showing their officers how it was done - the shame of it was that they simply did not get the opportunity to do much of that sort of thing in the ordinary run of ops. I had an ensign tell me one day that he thought I had the coolest job in the world, and lieutenants asked me how to get a job mile mine. Try thirty plus years at sea first.

 

[catalinajack]

Rich, my other son was a BM aboard an LSD. He became very skilled effecting course changes. He was able to spin the wheel toward the new course and then bring it back a bit to smoothly hit the new course with much precision. He liked the Navy but he got out sometime in the mid-ninties because the sea duty rotation for BMs was five years sea duty, two years on shore. For CTTs now the rotation is three and three. Here's a Navy thing. I mentioned that my son the Chief is going to Seattle with his ship for a refit. He is getting sea pay for the two years the ship will be in the yards but, yet, his three-year sea tour will not officially begin until his ship is back in the water. Go figure.

I was riding destroyers for work until 2012, maybe 2-3 a month since 1996, and I hafta tell ya the acronyms they used just because of the shipbuilders' nomenclature were often bewildering. My favorite thing about that period was quickly conning the ships into precise position for the tests we were conducting and watching the look on the young officers' faces as the rudder orders flew and the ship magically performed. I had a lot of commanding officers thank me for showing their officers how it was done - the shame of it was that they simply did not get the opportunity to do much of that sort of thing in the ordinary run of ops. I had an ensign tell me one day that he thought I had the coolest job in the world, and lieutenants asked me how to get a job mile mine. Try thirty plus years at sea first.

 

[rgano]

Sea duty, whether the ship is underway or not, is far more arduous than shore duty - it just IS. As a boat owner, just consider the time you spend keeping the boat up versus your boatless next door neighbor. So it is with a Sailor assigned to a ship in refit. In fact it is some of the worst duty in the Navy because if you are not off the ship at some training course, you work your butt off on the ship with many non-technical tasks that the Navy would not pay the expensive yard workers to do, and you don't even get the chance to take a moment to lean over the rail and watch the sea going by. So as far as I'm concerned, sea pay is highly deserved ANY time you are assigned to a warship.

 

[catalinajack]

Rich, thank you for that education. When the Bonhomme Richard caught fire in San Diego a couple of months ago, two nearby destroyers got under way with just their duty sections and no tugs to help. All hands, regardless of rate, helped the deck crew with line handing. The smoke was so thick the work was done blindly, testament to duty and training. These kids sometimes do amazingly dangerous tasks that are unknown to most folks. Are these kids suckers? Sorry, I just couldn't resist a political comment when I think about the dangerous jobs in every service branch that are done routinely and without objection. Makes my blood boil when I know that my son would unhesitatingly put his life in danger to save a shipmate.

Sea duty, whether the ship is underway or not, is far more arduous than shore duty - it just IS. As a boat owner, just consider the time you spend keeping the boat up versus your boatless next door neighbor. So it is with a Sailor assigned to a ship in refit. In fact it is some of the worst duty in the Navy because if you are not off the ship at some training course, you work your butt off on the ship with many non-technical tasks that the Navy would not pay the expensive yard workers to do, and you don't even get the chance to take a moment to lean over the rail and watch the sea going by. So as far as I'm concerned, sea pay is highly deserved ANY time you are assigned to a warship.

 

[rgano]

Despite media reports, I am certain in my soul that we all, President on down, have the greatest respect for those volunteering to serve in our armed forces.

 

[OldDan1943]

Despite media reports, I am certain in my soul that we all, President on down, have the greatest respect for those volunteering to serve in our armed forces.

+1

MM1(SS)

 

[Marco Flamingo]

I just went to my favorite used bookstore and found the first 10 books by Patrick O'Brien all bundled together for $28. That should keep me busy.

 

[OldDan1943]

I just went to my favorite used bookstore and found the first 10 books by Patrick O'Brien all bundled together for $28. That should keep me busy.

There are still used bookstore and new book stores????
I thought Amazon killed off the brick type book stores.

 

[bogranjac1]

Anything by J.Conrad is a good read and always got a lot of maritime references in it.
'Typhoon' can be read many times over and still be held in awe.

 

[HopCar]

There are still used bookstore and new book stores????
I thought Amazon killed off the brick type book stores.

There is a great brick and mortar store in Miami called Books and Books. There are several locations in the Miami area. They also have locations in Key West and a Grand Cayman. They have book signings and readings several times a week. As a former retailer, I’m very impressed by how well run it is.

 

[OldDan1943]

There is a great brick and mortar store in Miami called Books and Books. There are several locations in the Miami area. They also have locations in Key West and a Grand Cayman. They have book signings and readings several times a week. As a former retailer, I’m very impressed by how well run it is.

I shall check into Books and Books. Thanks!!