Book Report - In Shoal Waters
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2018 4:00 pm
In Shoal Waters
A C Stock
213 pages
Published by Lode Star Books
Available through Small Craft Advisor.
"In Shoal Waters" has something of a double meaning. His 16 foot gaff rigged boat was named Shoal Waters and his sailing territory was the shoal waters of the Thames Estuary and the coast line of England. He sailed first "Zephyr" a 16 foot gunter rigged open boat and then he built Shoal Waters in 1963 and sailed her until his death in 2012. Most of his sailing was single handed. The book is a diary of all his voyages and gives an excellent insight into small boat sailing in England.
The book is a very good read and almost completely devoid of my pet peeve, sailing in storms and having near death experiences! It almost seems like most sailing adventures are designed to keep people from taking up the sport!. Mr. Stock gives us a sense of serenity and the adventure of going to places you have never been. Having a shoal draft allowed him to venture up creeks and streams 90% of the keel boats could never visit.
He casually speaks of waiting for the tide and one learns that knowing the dynamics of water movement is as important as learning the winds. Either it never gets dark in England or Mr. Stock never slept as he speaks constantly of getting under way at 0430 after dropping anchor at 2200. He does go out in some fairly brisk winds, 5 to 6 on the Beaufort Scale but it appears most are Force 3 to 4. He travels by the tides as much as by the winds.
All in all, the book is a very good read and I highly recommend it to all. If I had one complaint it would be there were only 13 photos in the book and it would have been nice to see more.
Thanks
Norman
A C Stock
213 pages
Published by Lode Star Books
Available through Small Craft Advisor.
"In Shoal Waters" has something of a double meaning. His 16 foot gaff rigged boat was named Shoal Waters and his sailing territory was the shoal waters of the Thames Estuary and the coast line of England. He sailed first "Zephyr" a 16 foot gunter rigged open boat and then he built Shoal Waters in 1963 and sailed her until his death in 2012. Most of his sailing was single handed. The book is a diary of all his voyages and gives an excellent insight into small boat sailing in England.
The book is a very good read and almost completely devoid of my pet peeve, sailing in storms and having near death experiences! It almost seems like most sailing adventures are designed to keep people from taking up the sport!. Mr. Stock gives us a sense of serenity and the adventure of going to places you have never been. Having a shoal draft allowed him to venture up creeks and streams 90% of the keel boats could never visit.
He casually speaks of waiting for the tide and one learns that knowing the dynamics of water movement is as important as learning the winds. Either it never gets dark in England or Mr. Stock never slept as he speaks constantly of getting under way at 0430 after dropping anchor at 2200. He does go out in some fairly brisk winds, 5 to 6 on the Beaufort Scale but it appears most are Force 3 to 4. He travels by the tides as much as by the winds.
All in all, the book is a very good read and I highly recommend it to all. If I had one complaint it would be there were only 13 photos in the book and it would have been nice to see more.
Thanks
Norman
