Adrift on a Sea of Blue Light [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Peter Muilenburg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2005

Peter Muilenburg has lived in the Virgin Islands for almost 40 years, building boats and sailing his gaff-rigged ketch throughout the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and along the African coast. Here are his true tales, many previously published in magazines such as Islands, SAIL and Reader's Digest. Peter's passion for the sea, the stars, his family, his boat and the islands themselves is mirrored in his sensuous prose, his ear for dialogue, and his talent for transporting the reader to the place and time of his Caribbean imagination, and to his wondrous insights into island (and everyday) life. * * "DELIGHTFUL . . Muilenburg has the enviable ability to write as if he were talking with a friend . . immerse yourself in the world beyond, and a life lived simply but full of riches." SAIL, 12/05 * "SEAWORTHY . . During their adventures, Muilenburg and his wife, Dorothy, find themselves building boats, raising two sons . . and narrowly escaping would-be disasters . . Many of the 32 stories are full of intriguing encounters . . With his self-deprecating humor and zest for life, Muilenburg's collection is an entertaining read that will make you want to set sail." ISLANDS, 06/05 * "I don't know when I have enjoyed a book of stories more than 'Adrift' . . The tales revealed are warm, human, poignant and hysterically funny . . The accompanying black and white photos . . lend a dreamy and exquisite aura to the pages . .This book is a wonderful way to get away from it all and I cannot praise it enough." ALL AT SEA, 07/05 (see below). * "The author . . has the generous outlook of a seasoned world traveler . . [A] book I would heartily recommend to all cruisers and armchair sailors . ." CARIBBEAN COMPASS, 10/05 * "[This] incredible book . . is probably one the best books to come out of St. John, ever." St. John Sun Times, 5/20/05. * "Read this book . . Muilenburg deserves an A+." Paul Leary, The Daily News (St. Thomas), 3/22/05.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Afro-Indies Press; 1ST edition (2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976139707
• ISBN-13: 978-0976139706
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #433,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Travel > Africa > Gambia & Senegal

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review by Juditha Hruza, March 19, 2005

By 

Maureen Sullivan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adrift on a Sea of Blue Light (Paperback)

If you like suspenseful adventure stories, about travels to faraway places, read this book.
If you are interested in sailing, in nature, in animals and people, read this book.
If you want to learn about life on the sea, about history and geography without the tedious textbooks, then this book is for you.
Peter Muilenburg lives on St. John, Virgin Islands. He built his boat Breath, a 42' ketch and sailed on her with his family in the Caribbean and Mediterranean Sea in Africa and North and South America spanning 20 years. The stories are about the experiences, encounters and adventures, dangerous situations and even brushes with death. The characters are real and vivid. The information, the facts shared by this excellent teacher are priceless, the described sceneries breathtaking.
Reading the book you get much more than knowleldge and entertainment. You get insight in the author's life philosophy, his love for his family, his compassion for every living creature, his deep humanity, his respect for the sea and his sence of humor. After reading the book, the reader becomes a wiser, better and happier person.
Besides the countless merits of the book, there is one quality that makes me reread it time and again; it's unique language. Sometimes I feel the author uses his pen as a paintbrush, a magical one, because his paintings are not static, ther are in constant motion. Other times I hear a distinct melody in the words, or a mountain creek whose rhythmic tune reflects every pebble and rock which lies in the cascading water's way. A simple detail of the narrratives become lively and significant in his words:

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Living in the World via the Sea, May 24, 2005

By 

Rita (Durham, NH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adrift on a Sea of Blue Light (Paperback)

I thought the many personal and historic anecdotes and "tales" had a spiritual and often humourous thread that connects all humans. (and dogs!) There are tears at times, but a rejoicing at successful outcomes, achieved not just by luck, as the author might have you believe, but by a careful filing and retrieval of life experience. The wide variety of cultures, non-monetary riches in our lives and the common foundations we all have are all themes in this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mariner's Magic, May 26, 2005

By 

Sea Spirit (Sitka Alaska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adrift on a Sea of Blue Light (Paperback)

Peter Muilenburg has led the life that we all dream of...building a beauty of a ship with his hands, raising a family on her...traveling to distant ports. What sets this book apart from others is Peter's quiet humor and the delicate weaving of the magic of the Caribbean, the characters of these lovely islands and the adventures of Santos, a dog who surely must have been a pirate in a past life. This book proves there is still treasure to be found in the Caribbean...each chapter is a gem.