The Mariner’s Library

A dusty, somewhat diminutive tome at the end of a high bookshelf here in the Mariner Library, 'Strange, But True' by Capt. Thomas Crapo is just the sort of book this podcast is all about, it's rare to see a copy, it's all about the sea and it is a veritable treasure-trove of authentic, historically accurate, seamanship information that is still absolutely relevant to modern sailors. 

A note of caution if you are sensitive to the deplorable act of whaling, as the opening chapters do deal with Capt. Crapo's earlier days working on a whaling ship on a four year voyage to the Pacific. If you are able to get past factually reported information about an activity which was moral to those depicted here at the end of the 17th century (and not to be confused with the questionable morality of those still pursuing this type of hunting in the 21st Century); you will discover a delightfully observant yet dry authorial style, that depicts not only the incredible circumstances Thomas Crapo and his wife lived through, but also their mental and emotional journey as a couple facing an enormous challenge.

If you are enjoying these stories and would like to support the creation of more great free content, please support the podcast by heading over to my Patreon site and joining the community there.

Click here to support the show for $5 a month 

If you have any sailing books that you think would be an interesting read for modern sailors please contact me at [email protected] and we will see if we can bring them and their forgotten voyages back to life here on Rare Nautical Reads.

A dusty, somewhat diminutive tome at the end of a high bookshelf here in the Mariner Library, 'Strange, But True' by Capt. Thomas Crapo is just the sort of book this podcast is all about, it's rare to see a copy, it's all about the sea and it is a veritable treasure-trove of authentic, historically accurate, seamanship information that is still absolutely relevant to modern sailors. 

A note of caution if you are sensitive to the deplorable act of whaling, as the opening chapters do deal with Capt. Crapo's earlier days working on a whaling ship on a four year voyage to the Pacific. If you are able to get past factually reported information about an activity which was moral to those depicted here at the end of the 17th century (and not to be confused with the questionable morality of those still pursuing this type of hunting in the 21st Century); you will discover a delightfully observant yet dry authorial style, that depicts not only the incredible circumstances Thomas Crapo and his wife lived through, but also their mental and emotional journey as a couple facing an enormous challenge.

If you are enjoying these stories and would like to support the creation of more great free content, please support the podcast by heading over to my Patreon site and joining the community there.

Click here to support the show for $5 a month 

If you have any sailing books that you think would be an interesting read for modern sailors please contact me at [email protected] and we will see if we can bring them and their forgotten voyages back to life here on Rare Nautical Reads.

A dusty, somewhat diminutive tome at the end of a high bookshelf here in the Mariner Library, 'Strange, But True' by Capt. Thomas Crapo is just the sort of book this podcast is all about, it's rare to see a copy, it's all about the sea and it is a veritable treasure-trove of authentic, historically accurate, seamanship information that is still absolutely relevant to modern sailors. 

A note of caution if you are sensitive to the deplorable act of whaling, as the opening chapters do deal with Capt. Crapo's earlier days working on a whaling ship on a four year voyage to the Pacific. If you are able to get past factually reported information about an activity which was moral to those depicted here at the end of the 17th century (and not to be confused with the questionable morality of those still pursuing this type of hunting in the 21st Century); you will discover a delightfully observant yet dry authorial style, that depicts not only the incredible circumstances Thomas Crapo and his wife lived through, but also their mental and emotional journey as a couple facing an enormous challenge.

If you are enjoying these stories and would like to support the creation of more great free content, please support the podcast by heading over to my Patreon site and joining the community there.

Click here to support the show for $5 a month 

If you have any sailing books published before 1925 that you think would be an interesting read for modern sailors please contact me at [email protected] and we will see if we can bring them and their forgotten voyages back to life here on Rare Nautical Reads.

A dusty, somewhat diminutive tome at the end of a high bookshelf here in the Mariner Library, 'Strange, But True' by Capt. Thomas Crapo is just the sort of book this podcast is all about, it's rare to see a copy, it's all about the sea and it is a veritable treasure-trove of authentic, historically accurate, seamanship information that is still absolutely relevant to modern sailors. 

A note of caution if you are sensitive to the deplorable act of whaling, as the opening chapters do deal with Capt. Crapo's earlier days working on a whaling ship on a four year voyage to the Pacific. If you are able to get past factually reported information about an activity which was moral to those depicted here at the end of the 17th century (and not to be confused with the questionable morality of those still pursuing this type of hunting in the 21st Century); you will discover a delightfully observant yet dry authorial style, that depicts not only the incredible circumstances Thomas Crapo and his wife lived through, but also their mental and emotional journey as a couple facing an enormous challenge.

If you are enjoying these stories and would like to support the creation of more great free content, please support the podcast by heading over to my Patreon site and joining the community there.

Click here to support the show for $5 a month 

If you have any sailing books published before 1925 that you think would be an interesting read for modern sailors please contact me at [email protected] and we will see if we can bring them and their forgotten voyages back to life here on Rare Nautical Reads.

A dusty, somewhat diminutive tome at the end of a high bookshelf here in the Mariner Library, 'Strange, But True' by Capt. Thomas Crapo is just the sort of book this podcast is all about, it's rare to see a copy, it's all about the sea and it is a veritable treasure-trove of authentic, historically accurate, seamanship information that is still absolutely relevant to modern sailors. 

A note of caution if you are sensitive to the deplorable act of whaling, as the opening chapters do deal with Capt. Crapo's earlier days working on a whaling ship on a four year voyage to the Pacific. If you are able to get past factually reported information about an activity which was moral to those depicted here at the end of the 17th century (and not to be confused with the questionable morality of those still pursuing this type of hunting in the 21st Century); you will discover a delightfully observant yet dry authorial style, that depicts not only the incredible circumstances Thomas Crapo and his wife lived through, but also their mental and emotional journey as a couple facing an enormous challenge.

If you are enjoying these stories and would like to support the creation of more great free content, please support the podcast by heading over to my Patreon site and joining the community there.

Click here to support the show for $5 a month 

If you have any sailing books published before 1925 that you think would be an interesting read for modern sailors please contact me at [email protected] and we will see if we can bring them and their forgotten voyages back to life here on Rare Nautical Reads.

A dusty, somewhat diminutive tome at the end of a high bookshelf here in the Mariner Library, 'Strange, But True' by Capt. Thomas Crapo is just the sort of book this podcast is all about, it's rare to see a copy, it's all about the sea and it is a veritable treasure-trove of authentic, historically accurate, seamanship information that is still absolutely relevant to modern sailors. 

A note of caution if you are sensitive to the deplorable act of whaling as the opening chapters do deal with Capt. Crapo's earlier days working on a whaling ship on a four year voyage to the Pacific.

However, if you are able to get past factually reported information about an activity which was moral to those depicted here at the end of the 17th century (and not to be confused with the questionable morality of those still pursuing this type of hunting in the 21st Century); you will discover a delightfully observant yet dry authorial style, that depicts not only the incredible circumstances Thomas Crapo and his wife lived through, but also their mental and emotional journey as a couple facing an enormous challenge.

If you are enjoying these stories and would like to support the creation of more great free content, please support the podcast by heading over to my Patreon site and joining the community there.

Click here to support the show for $5 a month 

If you have any sailing books published before 1925 that you think would be an interesting read for modern sailors please contact me at [email protected] and we will see if we can bring them and their forgotten voyages back to life here on Rare Nautical Reads.

A dusty, somewhat diminutive tome at the end of a high bookshelf here in the Mariner Library, 'Strange, But True' by Capt. Thomas Craypo is just the sort of book this podcast is all about, it's rare to see a copy, it's all about the sea and it is a veritable treasure-trove of authentic, historically accurate, seamanship information that is still absolutely relevant to modern sailors. 

A note of caution if you are sensitive to the deplorable act of whaling as the opening chapters do deal with Capt. Craypo's earlier days working on a whaling ship on a four year voyage to the Pacific.

However, if you are able to get past factually reported information about an activity which was moral to those depicted here at the end of the 17th century (and not to be confused with the questionable morality of those still pursuing this type of hunting in the 21st Century); you will discover a delightfully observant yet dry authorial style, that depicts not only the incredible circumstances Thomas Craypo and his wife lived through, but also their mental and emotional journey as a couple facing an enormous challenge.

If you are enjoying these stories and would like to support the creation of more great free content, please support the podcast by heading over to my Patreon site and joining the community there.

Click here to support the show for $5 a month 

If you have any sailing books published before 1925 that you think would be an interesting read for modern sailors please contact me at [email protected] and we will see if we can bring them and their forgotten voyages back to life here on Rare Nautical Reads.

A dusty, somewhat diminutive tome at the end of a high bookshelf here in the Mariner Library, 'Strange, But True' by Capt. Thomas Craypo is just the sort of book this podcast is all about, it's rare to see a copy, it's all about the sea and it is a veritable treasure-trove of authentic, historically accurate, seamanship information that is still absolutely relevant to modern sailors. 

A note of caution if you are sensitive to the deplorable act of whaling as the opening chapters do deal with Capt. Craypo's earlier days working on a whaling ship on a four year voyage to the Pacific.

However, if you are able to get past factually reported information about an activity which was moral to those depicted here at the end of the 17th century (and not to be confused with the questionable morality of those still pursuing this type of hunting in the 21st Century); you will discover a delightfully observant yet dry authorial style, that depicts not only the incredible circumstances Thomas Craypo and his wife lived through, but also their mental and emotional journey as a couple facing an enormous challenge.

If you are enjoying these stories and would like to support the creation of more great free content, please support the podcast by heading over to my Patreon site and joining the community there.

Click here to support the show for $5 a month 

If you have any sailing books published before 1925 that you think would be an interesting read for modern sailors please contact me at [email protected] and we will see if we can bring them and their forgotten voyages back to life here on Rare Nautical Reads.

The eighteenth and last part of Brian Connell's 1953 English translation of Dr. Alain Bombard's notable 1952 French manuscript, 'The Bombard Story'.

This is the story of an unbelievable voyage, requiring huge personal sacrifice and with barely mitigated risk,  taken solely in the altruistic pursuit of furthering scientific understanding towards providing hard and fast possibilities to help 50,000 ship wreck survivors a year (at that time) hold on long enough for help to reach them.

This is a book that I have wanted to read for many years because it has direct application to the kind of survival situations I might find myself in as a pelagic mariner. 

Having personally been in a situation in a round the world yacht race where my desalination machine was reduced in it's capacity to provide fresh water down to only 250ml a day, I know what it is to be surrounded by water but not have  drop to drink.  In my situation, I was in an equatorial area with no rain showers and with two weeks sailing to the nearest land. I survived by mixing my fresh water with an equal amount of salt water and adding sugar 'to taste/not puke'   

My method worked, I finished the leg (3rd!) and I suffered no ill effects, but I am now understandably interested in discovering all I can about Dr Bombard's work and learning more about how it was possible for him to cross the Atlantic, in a rubber boat, in sixty five days with no food & no fresh water.

Let's find out together. 

If you are enjoying these stories and would like to support the creation of more great free content, please support the podcast by heading over to my Patreon site and joining the community there.

Click here to support the show for $5 a month 

If you have any sailing books published before 1925 that you think would be an interesting read for modern sailors please contact me at [email protected] and we will see if we can bring them and their forgotten voyages back to life here on Rare Nautical Reads.

The seventeenth part of Brian Connell's 1953 English translation of Dr. Alain Bombard's notable 1952 French manuscript, 'The Bombard Story'.

This is the story of an unbelievable voyage, requiring huge personal sacrifice and with barely mitigated risk,  taken solely in the altruistic pursuit of furthering scientific understanding towards providing hard and fast possibilities to help 50,000 ship wreck survivors a year (at that time) hold on long enough for help to reach them.

This is a book that I have wanted to read for many years because it has direct application to the kind of survival situations I might find myself in as a pelagic mariner. 

Having personally been in a situation in a round the world yacht race where my desalination machine was reduced in it's capacity to provide fresh water down to only 250ml a day, I know what it is to be surrounded by water but not have  drop to drink.  In my situation, I was in an equatorial area with no rain showers and with two weeks sailing to the nearest land. I survived by mixing my fresh water with an equal amount of salt water and adding sugar 'to taste/not puke'   

My method worked, I finished the leg (3rd!) and I suffered no ill effects, but I am now understandably interested in discovering all I can about Dr Bombard's work and learning more about how it was possible for him to cross the Atlantic, in a rubber boat, in sixty five days with no food & no fresh water.

Let's find out together. 

If you are enjoying these stories and would like to support the creation of more great free content, please support the podcast by heading over to my Patreon site and joining the community there.

Click here to support the show for $5 a month 

If you have any sailing books published before 1925 that you think would be an interesting read for modern sailors please contact me at [email protected] and we will see if we can bring them and their forgotten voyages back to life here on Rare Nautical Reads.