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The Sailor's Classics library introduces a new generation of readers to the best books ever written about small boats under sail
When the 46-foot Tzu Hang sailed from Australia into the vast Southern Ocean in December 1956, her crew of three couldn't know what terror awaited them.
"Unique among books of maritime adventure."--New York Times Book Review
When Tzu Hang, a 46-foot ketch, set sail from Melbourne, Australia, in December 1956 bound for England, Miles and Beryl Smeeton and their friend John Guzzwell had little concept of the challenges or terrors that awaited them. At that time very few small sailboats had successfully rounded Cape Horn, and none had sailed as far south as Tzu Hang--just north of the Antarctic iceberg limit.
Six weeks later, in the icy seas several hundred miles west of Cape Horn, Tzu Hang was caught from astern by a huge wave that somersaulted her. Beryl Smeeton, who had been alone at the tiller, was thrown thirty yards into the sea. Despite a broken collarbone, she managed to swim to the wreckage of masts and rigging in the water where Miles and John could heave her on board. Tzu Hang was a shambles: the tiller, rudder, doghouse, anchor, compass, and dinghies had all been ripped away; the masts had broken off level with the deck; and the boat was close to sinking. Working beyond exhaustion, the crew emptied the water bucket by bucket, salvaged what they could, built a new doghouse, fashioned a jury rig, and five weeks later sailed into Arauco Bay on the Chilean coast.
After ten months of repair work in a Chilean navy yard, Miles and Beryl Smeeton (without John Guzzwell) sailed again toward Cape Horn and again were capsized, dismasted, and nearly sunk by a rogue wave. Once more, they survived the disaster and sailed 2,000 miles to Valparaiso, Chile.
When it was first published in 1959, Once Is Enough electrified the sailing world. But what keeps it fresh and captivating is not just Smeeton's vivid re-creation of the sea's fury. His eloquent descriptions of ordinary life at sea make Once Is Enough timeless reading for sailors and armchair adventurers alike.
"It is the struggle of these three indomitable sailors for survival and their extraordinary resource . . . that makes their taut journal unique among books of maritime adventure. . . . Tzu Hang and her crew add up not only to survival but to a tale full of sound and fury told by an intrepid but eminently sane survivor."--Times (London) Literary Supplement
"The strangest and most memorable thing about Once Is Enough is that it's not a heroic tale of survival, but--of all things--an idyll."--from the introduction by Jonathan Raban
"Brigadier Smeeton's saga is the very essence of authenticity. Its message is clear and simple: Beware the sea in anger, for no small boat can conquer it, however expertly sailed."--New York Times Book Review
"They are the first people ever to return alive to tell the story of a boat being somersaulted. . . . And they certainly make fascinating company for a reader with his eyes on the heights of human endeavor."--Sunday Times
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A "must read" for aspiring blue water cruisers,
By Tucson Sammy (Tucson, Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Once is Enough (Paperback)
This is a first hand account of two thwarted attempts to round Cape Horn from the west. It is written by Miles Smeeton, the skipper of the forty two foot ketch, Tzu Hang. It is not for sailors only, and if all you want is sailing, you may end up bored. Much of the book takes place in a port town in Chile, where the Smeetons and John Guzzwell (Trekka Round the World) put in for repairs. The Chilean section is interesting in that it is about the people who end up involved in helping to restore the yacht - some of whom are real characters.
Be sure to read the forward, which provides a brief expalnation of who these people were, and how they ended up spending their retirement sailing the worlds oceans. Smeeton is not a professional writer, but he writes well, with good descriptions of the people they met, his own impressions, and sensory detail, all of which combine to make the book readable. There is an historical angle as well. It takes place in the mid-1950's. Smeeton and his wife, Beryl, retired after World War II, Smeeton being an Btritish Army officer and veteran of that war. They are virtually never freaked-out, and always find time for tea. If you like Brits, if you like sailing, or if you just like a first hand account of some of the original adventure travelers, you will like this book.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
anold set of friends reviseted..,
By
This review is from: Once is Enough (Paperback)
Miles and "B" Smeton, along with John Guzzwell were all members of the same sailing organization with me, and we shared some exciting and happy times cruising Hawaiian waters..and meeting up from time to time..
While many writers have attempted to explain the incredible shambles of a rollover at sea, I think Miles, in his rather old school British style, has done it best. This is reality in cool, understated British Brigadier style that every sailor should read, not just for the adventure, but for the example of coolness under duress, inventiveness, and determination that it represents,, David M. "DR Dave" Parker
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Once is Enough" a Cautionary Tale,
This review is from: Once is Enough (Paperback)
The book "Once is Enough" by Miles Smeeton is fine narrative of a bordering on insane adventure. Miles describes how he and his wife Beryl, and their great friend John Guzzwell take on the southern oceans around Cape Horn. Originating in Melbourne, Australia after the end of the 1956 Olympics, the Smeetons waved goodbye to the great yacht Brittania and prepared for their own journey.
With their daughter Clio now safely in England attending school, Miles and Beryl chart a very southern route around Cape Horn. They have notched a few miles in their 46 foot yacht, Tzu Hang, but nothing as dangerous as this trip. Many a larger ship than theirs had been lost in the waters of the southern ocean. So with enough food and water to last a year the 3 of them sail away just days before Christmas. Their first thousand miles they experience rough seas despite being in the southern hemisphere during summer. But what would make dread build in me seems to simply egg these people on. The rougher the better they seem to be saying, with John and their Siamese cat Pwe going along for the rugged ride. Miles describes the white capped waters surrounding their yacht in the manner of somebody who is in awe of what he is witnessing and not afraid. His skill as a writer leads to equally impressive descriptions of his wife Beryl's breakfasts every morning. In whatever kind of weather she always pulled off porridge, bacon and eggs, and burnt toast with marmalade and in that order. Whenever I despaired of understanding these people during the reading of this book, I recalled these breakfasts to remind myself that they were not complete hair shirters. I don't want to reveal the incredible things that happen to the crew and their ship during this voyage but I will say that it is a page turner. You will be riveted by the extreme nature of their peril and astounded at how they manage themselves and their boat. You do not have to be a sailor to appreciate this story but you better love adventure. "Once is Enough" is a book that you will want to read again.
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