Cape Horn: The Logical Route ; 14,216 Miles Without Port of Call [Paperback]

Bernard Moitessier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2003

This is more than the story of a voyage. It is the story of Bernard and Franoise Moitessier's honeymoon voyage from Europe to the islands of the Pacific and back by way of Cape Horn. Setting out from Tahiti, they took the 'logical route' back because it was the fastest, taking them through the Roaring Forties, through the high latitudes of relentless gale-force winds, and through iceberg territory. Their survival was due to great seamanship, careful preparation, and perhaps also their sense of harmony with Joshua and the sea.

It is the story of Joshua (named for their sailing hero, Joshua Slocum), the dreamboat that became a reality, of how Moitessier recovered from the disaster of losing his previous boat-which he built himself-to pursue his great love, sailing the world's oceans.

It is also a mariner's guide to the pleasures and perils of sailing the Trade Winds, the archipelagos of the Pacific, and the Cape Horn route including preparation suggestions and the sailing survival knowledge that made the Moitessier's voyage successful and joyous.

Bernard Moitessier was one of the world's great small-boat sailors, and he displays his skills and knowledge in this book. He writes with great feeling, bringing every minute of the voyage to life with vividness, which makes this book exceptional.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A true classic by and about one of cruising's best known authors." --Latitudes & Attitudes, October 2003

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 251 pages
• Publisher: Sheridan House (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574091549
• ISBN-13: 978-1574091540
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #594,569 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #70 in Books > Travel > Latin America > South America > Chile

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, but how times have changed!, March 20, 2007

By 

Kyle Lerfald "mainsail67" (St. Paul, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cape Horn: The Logical Route ; 14,216 Miles Without Port of Call (Paperback)

Moitessier is a marvelous story teller, and his seamanship is unquestionably excellent. The story of their voyage is absolutely a gem, and should be required reading for those who wish to cruise, or at least love sailing. Sadly, in some ways the book is a sort of time capsule, and scenes like his turtle-hunting in the Galapagos Islands are not as joyful as perhaps they once were, as the species in that area are now considered threatened or endangered. Of course, people were only later to become more conscious of the environment and the fragilities of ecosystems to outside forces, but these days, I can see some sailors cringing at certain paragraphs. I very highly recommend this book, I really do, but be prepared for some jarring moments.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a classic, January 9, 2007

By 

Erminio Di Lodovico "Miky" (Caracas, VENEZUELA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cape Horn: The Logical Route ; 14,216 Miles Without Port of Call (Paperback)

This is one of those books that ough to be in every sailor library. It might seem outdated for these days, and the Moitessier's style might seem too "poetic" even surreal, but we are talking of a real pioneer of the sea

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Always Torn by Moitessier, March 30, 2011

By 

David Baker "CHug Munechow" (New Haven, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cape Horn: The Logical Route ; 14,216 Miles Without Port of Call (Paperback)

Moitessier had a keen sense of perception and a poetic / romantic French writing style that slips nicely into accounts of extreme crossings like this title. I can't get over the degree of generosity that his friends, family, and fellow navigators must have sustained to allow him to "escape from the shackles of land", I assume there must be some artistic license on his part as nobody has a boat of this scale built for the cost of materials, buys a parcel of land in France, and runs off with a new wife leaving the kids with relatives or at boarding school. His nuances include, how to roll cigarettes in 40 foot crests, modifying hatches to provide weather protection, eating turtles, idolization of Dumass, talking to his boat like it had sentience in spite of an Asian philosophy, learning Bowditch, and talking to his new bride like she is a halfwit. (Perhaps she was, but I pick up on a degree of self centered condescension with females in most of Moitessiers books.)

I get the impression that this man and I would have killed each other after two days at sea and think he was an irresponsible but socially gifted trust fund baby, but I can't bring myself to hate this book. I have read it three times and reference it constantly. It and all his other books are marvels of semi-self reliance, cunning, while exploring poetically the mindset of isolation and survival among beauty and force.