Last Voyages

Nicholas Gray describes, with an elegance and sympathy rightfully deserved by such characters, the lives, sailing careers and final voyages of a number of well-known yachtsmen, all friends of or known to him. He gives a wonderful insight into the people behind the headlines and the lives before the tragedies. This is an excellent tribute to truly great sailors. Last Voyages is a superb read. I thoroughly recommend it for anyone, like me, with a love of the sea or an admiration of those who have the courage to contend with this mighty force of nature. (Sir Chay Blyth); This is an unusual and absorbing book which describes the exploits and adventures of eleven great sailors, some very well known and others less so, all of whom lost their lives at sea. The subject matter is not as depressing as it sounds. Nicholas Gray has succeeded in making it more of a celebration of the lives and achievements of these remarkable people. The author knew many of the sailors who are featured, and writes in an engaging, almost conversational style with much hitherto unpublished background detail and reminiscences. Each story is very different, but all are fascinating. One is left with a consistent feeling of admiration for the seamanship, endurance and above all for the sense of fun that prevailed throughout. They all lived life to the full, and Last Voyages is a very fitting tribute. (Royal Cruising Club). I really enjoyed Last Voyages. At first glance the subject matter might sound depressing or even morbid... The tone is calm and factual, avoiding any hint of sensationalism to be found in other books on similar themes and, what might have been little more than an anthology of well-known tales, is brought into sharp focus by the fact that the author knew a large proportion of the sailors whose final voyages recounted here. He is also an outstandingly good writer... In each case the author tells us first about the person's life and, in many cases, their very significant achievements in the world of sailing. Only then does he lead into the voyage which led to their death... Very highly recommended. (Flying Fish) Makes fascinating reading. (Motorboat & Yachting, Apr 2017) he progresses beyond an account of a voyage to a much richer character portrait, allowing the reader to share both the challenges of these ambitious voyages and what the sailor was going through. The sailors are a remarkable collection. (Yachting Life, Mar 2017) breath-taking accounts of events that led to the tragic seafaring deaths of seventeen people....in a captivating easy-to-read style, each page crammed with information and insights... a `must-read' for anyone contemplating a serious sea voyage or offshore race. (Cruising Association, 2017) will send shivers down the spines of many a sailor, but that's not to say it's not packed with hope, drama, intrigue and well worth a read... Travel back through the lives and sailing adventures of some of history's most famous yachtsmen, seeing how Mother Nature ultimately sealed their demise on their last voyages. (Sailing Today, Mar 2018) This compilation of sailors' last voyages naturally finishes with sad and tragic events; however it does capture the pioneering spirit in an era of few navigation aids, the use of new materials in boat construction and scant regard for individual safety. (Little Ship Club, Jan 2018) breath-taking accounts of event that led to the tragic seafaring deaths of 17 people... Gray sets out a series of difficult subjects in a captivating easy-to-read style, each page crammed with information and insights. (Little Ship Club, Jan 2018). These memoirs are just as much a celebration of the good - tales of hope, achievement and courageous spirit - as they are an account of the tragic final voyages. (All At Sea, February, 2018) This collection of eleven moving accounts of tragic final voyages is also a celebration of achievement and the courageous human spirit. (Julian Stockwin, June 2018)