Written by a psychiatrist with 30 years of sailing experience, this title uses true tales of sea adventure to examine the psychological forces at play on a boat and provides useful insights into key issues such as what it takes to be a good skipper and what it takes for an effective crew. With the help of co-author Ros Hogbin, Noble also considers the special issues raised by bluewatercruising, ocean racing, singlehanded sailing, sailing under extreme condidtions, and abandoning ship.
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It's no accident that some of the world's greatest literature has inspired by the sea. At sea in a small boat, a sailor experiences unique emotional and psychological dimensions. The sea is an unpredictable and unforgiving environment that requires the utmost in self-sufficiency. The skipper bears an extraordinary responsibility for the boat and crew. The crew comprise an isolated, interdependent community that must cooperate effectively for an extended time in close quarters. And sailors who attempt long passages alone expose themselves to extremes of fear, loneliness, exhaustion, and hardship that few of us will ever experience. Yet until now there has been little serious study of the psychological aspects of sailing.
The Mind of the Sailor fills that gap. Peter Noble, a psychiatrist and experienced offshore sailor, examines the psychological forces at play on a boat and explores critical issues such as what it takes to be a good skipper, why some sailors handle stress better than others, and why some crews pull together in adversity while others fall apart. With coauthor Ros Hogbin, Noble also considers the special issues raised by long-distance cruising, ocean racing, singlehanded sailing, sailing in heavy weather, and abandoning ship.
Noble illustrates these themes with famous events from the history of seafaring, ranging from the amazing to the bizarre. Among them is the story of Captain Bligh and the mutinies he provoked; the strange case of Donald Crowhurst and his descent into madness and suicide during an early singlehanded race; and the infamous case of the yacht Apollonia, in which a disgruntled crewmember took control of the boat and executed the owner.
Along the way, Noble draws practical conclusions on questions that concern every boater, such as how to be a better skipper, how to assemble a compatible crew, and how to run a safe and happy ship. The result is both a fascinating exploration of the mind of the sailor and a riveting story of the sea.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good as far as it goes, but incomplete.,
By
This review is from: The Mind of the Sailor: An Exploration of the Human Stories Behind Adventures and Misadventures at Sea (Hardcover)
This short book addresses the psychological aspects of ocean voyaging. Individual chapters draw conclusions about such subjects as a skipper's leadership and the dynamics of groups confined to small spaces for long periods of time. The book intersperses essays with three famous cases of failure: the Bligh mutinies, the Apollonia murders, and the suicide of Donald Crowhurst. The authors give particular emphasis to single-handed sailing. Each chapter ends with references that can be used for further reading. This book is useful as far as it goes, but could have covered a much wider sampling of psychology at sea. The authors are very British in their outlook, saying little about non-European sailors. Except for the Bligh mutinies, the book focuses almost exclusively on the post World War Two period. One wishes that the book had addressed more voyages from the great ages of exploration.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Captain Blight could have done with this book,
By Jimmy Cornell (France) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Mind of the Sailor: An Exploration of the Human Stories Behind Adventures and Misadventures at Sea (Hardcover)
More voyages have been brought to an abrupt end by friction among the crew than by any other problem. In spite of that, there are hundreds of books dealing with every single aspect of sailing, but, as far as I know, this is the only book that deals exclusively with that most sophisticated and delicate piece of machinery: the human mind. With a lifetime of clinical psychiatry and many years of sailing behind him, Peter Noble is in an ideal position to probe deep into the mind of the sailor and find out what makes a yacht skipper tick. Tension between captain and crew has been with us every since man first went to sea and the book draws on some famous examples in the history of seafaring to help us understand this perennial problem. All potential sources of tension are explored, from crew compatibility to watchkeeping. Having participated in, and observed, the sailing scene for many years, the author has a rich stock of valuable advice on how to run a happy ship. Peter Noble's contribution is complemented by co-author Ros Hogbin who deals with the psychological aspects of life afloat, and draws on her practical experience gained during a voyage around the world.
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