Adrift

by Tristan Jones

Paperback, 1983

Status

Available

Call number

910.4

Collection

Publication

Avon Books (1983)

Description

Emerging from the South American wilderness after adventures related in The Incredible Voyage, Tristan Jones finally makes it home to Britain to find his vessel, the tiny, nearly indestructible Sea Dart, impounded by customs officials because he cannot pay the import tax. In his quest for the means to liberate his boat, he takes any work he can get: stoking the boilers at Harrod's, regaling TV talk show viewers with wild stories, and in New York skippering one-day around the lighthouse cruises.

Media reviews

delightful climax,... The Welshman is mellowing, but still a charmer.

User reviews

LibraryThing member olyra
I really enjoy this author, and although this is one of his more serious books, it is still funny in places.
LibraryThing member juniperSun
What a wonderful tale spinner!. This is the story of Jones' departure from South America (following the cross-continent trip in The Incredible Voyage, which I have not yet read)back home to Great Britain and then skippering other boats to the US and Virgin Islands. He is eloquent about his love for
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the ocean, the importance of the freedom of the seas, and his concern for how we are despoiling them.
There is more time spent on land, and the travails of surviving without an income. Some people might consider him no better than a bum, but his can-do outlook on life and philosophy of "I got myself into this mess, it's up to me to get myself out" carry him through.
He shows respect for all the lower class people he meets--perhaps more respect than he has for the upper class, at least those who do no real work and just live on profits made at the expense of others. He moves freely between the different levels of society, e.g. getting a response from Prince Charles while living among Bowery bums in NY.
His adventures sound fantastic, and he has such a personable approach that you want to keep reading. Towards the end he becomes more philosophical, a distillation of many thoughts he's had during his long solitary travels. Since I've read how he interacts with people, how he puts his values to practice, I welcome his gems gleaned from his experiences. He is passionate about saving the oceans, yet does so from a solitary approach, not joining in with the nascent environmental movement of the 1970's.
I wish I had met him.
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Language

Original language

English

ISBN

0380624559 / 9780380624553
Page: 0.2744 seconds