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Sea Change: Alone Across the Atlantic in a Wooden Boat |  | Author: Peter Nichols
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
List Price: $17.00
Buy Used: $0.54
as of 11/25/2009 00:43 CST details
You Save: $16.46 (97%)
New (6) Used (38) from $0.54
Seller: internationalbooks
Rating:  23 reviews
Sales Rank: 727653
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st THUS
Pages: 256
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5
ISBN: 0140264132
Dewey Decimal Number: 920
EAN: 9780140264135
ASIN: 0140264132
Publication Date: May 1, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
When your marriage fails and life in England gives no solace, the solution, thought Peter Nichols, is to take his beloved boat Toad and sail across the Atlantic to Maine. Nichols, who has spent years sailing small boats but who is far from a wealthy yachtsman, had lovingly restored his 27-foot boat with his former wife. At sea, he reflects upon the busted marriage and upon the odd turns his life has taken. He also engages in some fascinating thoughts detailing the rigors of sailing single-handedly across an ocean. This book is very well written, and as Nichols slowly realizes that Toad has a flaw below the waterline making her less than seaworthy, it turns into a poignant battle for survival on the open ocean.
Product Description
Many people go to the sea in boats, but few of them write as movingly about the experience as Peter Nichols does in this enthralling meditation on the wonders of sailing, the mystery of the sea, and the ebbs and flows of love. With only a sextant, his own instincts as a seasoned sailor, and a boat full of memories of his foundering marriage, Nichols sets out alone from England for Maine, where he plans to sell his beloved twenty-seven-foot sailboat, Toad. Combining the adventure of Into Thin Air, the nautical lore of The Perfect Storm, and the spiritual self-discovery of The Snow Leopard, this thrilling adventure is a classic tale of a man struggling to come to terms with his reckless spirit, his highest hopes, and his broken dreams.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 23
 So Disappointing November 7, 2009
S. Kelly (Jinan, China)
I had hoped for something like an "Into Thin Air" where I'd get caught up in an endeavor I know little about, but respect and be blown away.
Not a bit. This is a long winded account of a man's journey across the Atlantic. I expected he'd have to bail out or really fight to survive. Not so much. He provides every account of his musings on his failed marriage and on other more interesting journeys across the Atlantic. His insights on his marriage, the journey and life seem commonplace, rather than enlightening.
His writing isn't that great and in places made me groan. Take this: "Instinctively, without thinking I . . ." Instinctively means without thinking.
I expected more adventure and insight. I skipped paragraphs of banal descriptions just to get to the end. I rarely do that as a reader.
 Enjoyable, emotional read June 19, 2009
S. W. Strickland (Locust Grove, Ga)
I actually discovered Peter Nichols in another one of his books, "A Voyage for Madmen", which I enjoyed immensely(read about 10 times!). Afterward I found Sea Change & ordered it from Amazon. The story is wonderful and sad, for anyone who longs to adventure, to wander and explore. Coupled with that sense of spirit is the aspect of emotional adventure and wandering we find in love. How sometimes we arent where we think we are after all. The reader is made to feel all the swells and dips of emotion where Peter and his wife begin and consequently sail together to their troubles and then his eventual decision to put the boat up for sale.It's this decision that really puts the book in motion and gives him the opportunity to clear himslef of our typical chaos of life and see more clearly what has happened to him that he couldn't optherwise see. The final pieces are the discovery of his wife's diary which contrasts his belief that all was well and shows him his relationship from another vantage point. Meanwhile, there is the voyage to sell the boat he is making and all the intricasies of survival that cuts into his introspections and reflection.Having been a sailor myself(U.S. Navy) I appreciate the necessity for companionship and the lonliness one can experience on the sea. This is a wonderful book, albeit short and quick...but arent all good books? If you enjoy this book, you definetly should pick up "A Voyage for Madmen"A Voyage for Madmen
A Great Read July 19, 2007
Daniel A. Richman (Shoreline, WA USA)
I learned a lot from reading this book and enjoyed every minute. I particularly appreciated the author's take on other sailing books and his inclusion of a bibliography. His understated writing style was a pleasure.
A book about love August 10, 2005
Pablo R. Vitaver (Ft Lauderdale, FL USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Peter writes about his love for boats that he developed early in life from his teacher Mr. Earl; his love for his wife J; for Toad, his little wooden boat that he rebuilt and sailed for so many miles, often alone; his love for the sea; the Hiscocks; even for the Captain that rescues him (without telling the end of the story). His is a very entertaining and inspiring story, which also teaches a whole lot about sailing offshore. This is a true story with all the elements of an intense life, as real as it gets. I definitively recommend reading this book. At one point Peter is thousands of miles offshore, alone in his small boat, and taking on water at an increasing rate. Hard to put down.
Excellent Read November 22, 2004
Blake Wright
A story that weaves the threads of life is found in this book. I first read it when it came out, and recently re-read it. I found it more enjoyable the second-time around. The stories within the story are filled with great tales, danger, introspection, teak, and global adventures. The reward of getting through this book will stay with you long after it has been put away. It is true that this is a story of sailing, but it is really so much more. It contains much more than other books in the same genre.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 23
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