“Tuesday’n’Me” by David Foreman
This is an unusual and highly personal and true account of a 15,000 miles single-handed sailing voyage in 2003/4, from Suffolk UK down to Brazil and the South Atlantic, and the subsequent return via St.Helena Island and The Azores.
The story is told in the form of a selection from the personal messages between the solo skipper and his family and close friends, a conversation which opens a window into the emotions and fears of travelling alone by sea. It tells of the catastrophe when both the ship and her crew were severely damaged by lightning, the frustration of waiting and waiting for replacement parts which never arrived, the discipline required as each fresh problem arose, the humour, and the self discovery.
It is also a description of the kaleidoscope of images seen through the eyes of an East Anglian who had never travelled very far before, and of the truly remarkable people he met, very few of whom we would ever hear about otherwise, and the tale inspires a sense of wonder at the natural events he witnessed.
The adventure was considerably complicated by the lightning damage, which made the homeward 9,000 mile voyage via St.Helena Island a difficult and challenging exercise, necessitating the use of old fashioned navigation techniques.
A must for anyone interested in the mind of the lone sailor, or for those who might be contemplating a similar adventure.
