A Single Wave
Stories of Storms and SurvivalBy Webb Chiles
208 pp. 4 b&w photos, map. 1999. Hardcover. $22.95ISBN 1 57409 072 0
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"So here are the dramatic highlights of a quarter century in three boats, EGREGIOUS, a 37-foot cutter; CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE, an 18-foot open undecked yawl; and RESURGAM, a 36-foot sloop. In these boats, I made more than three circumnavigations, twice alone, twice setting world records, twice via Cape Horn, which I was the first American to round alone."
The extraordinary dramas presented by world-class sailor and writer Webb Chiles in his new book A Single Wave include battling Force 12 winds off Cape Horn, capsizing in a cyclone in the Tasman Sea and also in a storm in the Southern Ocean, drifting for two weeks and 300 miles in the South Pacific after a swamping west of Fiji, swimming for 26 hours and 130 miles in the Gulf Stream after sinking off the coast of Florida, and many other awesome trials of endurance in exotic climes — from South Africa and Bali to Tahiti and the Red Sea.
These engrossing accounts reveal a man relentlessy driven to discover his limits and then push beyond them. His inspiring, often poignant story is one that no reader will soon forget.
"Chiles is an excellent writer, and even a casual reader will enjoy this well-crafted medley of adventures." —SAIL
"Webb Chiles may be sailing's worst lunatic — and its best living writer." —Latitude 38
"Webb Chiles is one of kind. Few others can describe the beauty and danger of the sea as well as he. If you don't love the sea, read Webb Chiles. He will convert you." —Yachting
"Webb Chiles has that rare combination of toughness and sensitivity that allows him to perform amazing feats and then capture them in words that reverberate. The result is writing that defies any narrow categorization and speaks to everyone." —Sun-Sentinel, Ft. Lauderdale
"...a compelling account of a man obsessed...a powerful memoir. I couldn't put it down." —Herb Payson
"[Webb Chiles] is an inspiration..." —Ocean Navigator
"Only the most cynical wouldn't wish Chiles the best and take pleasure in his capers..." —Kirkus Reviews
"Chiles is philosopher, adventurer, confessor, seaman par excellence and, of course, survivor. Above all, he is a consummate storyteller who, like a true pugilist, pulls no punches but lands his blows with the sensitivity of a poet." —Yachting Monthly
"A Single Wave, Webb Chiles' philosophical and often humorous look back at a life spent largely at sea, is a testament to his extraordinary seamanship and survival instincts as well as his skill as a storyteller of the modern age. This anthology recounting his noteworthy voyages in three boats will keep readers turning the pages and leave them eagerly anticipating new tales of adventure that are sure to spring from his next circumnavigation in boat number four, THE HAWKE OF TUONELA." —Cruising World
- See what else the press has to say: Reviews
- To see reader reviews, or to submit comments of your own, visit our Reader Recommendations page.
- To read a selection from this title, please visit our Excerpts page.
- Follow the ongoing adventures of Webb Chiles as he sends us periodical missives from the sea.
Contents:
- Turning Away
- Eden
- Cape Horn 1
- Capsize
- The Incomparable Wind
- Cyclone in the Tasman
- The Last Six Miles
- Adrift
- The Proper Storm
- The Red Sea Backwards
- The Island That Would Not Be Passed
- Nautical Roulette
- Thin Water
- Perfection
- Cape Horn Is Just Another Place
- Almost
- Swimming
- Epilogue: THE HAWKE OF TUONELA 1993 —
About the Author:
Webb Chiles is one of the world's most experienced sailors (three circumnavigations, two world records, the first American to round Cape Horn alone) as well as an experienced writer (four books and more than one hundred magazine and newspaper articles). He now lives in Boston on his boat THE HAWKE OF TUONELA and plans to resume his fourth circumnavigation in the near future.