Customer Reviews

Sailing In A Spoonful of Water

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This true account of the author's first encounters as the pilot of his new wooden boat are recalled through his romantic yet very human writing style. I have been whisked away by Coomer's love of the sea and plan to read this book again as well as some of his other novels.

I bought this book on impulse as another addition to my ever-growing nautical library. When I began reading the book, I was delighted to see that the story takes place in the same waters I cruise. Joe Coomer's book tells of the uncertainty a new captain feels when taking command of their first boat. I laughed as he described the very same things I've felt and experienced as a new skipper. My only regret is that I didn't buy the book before getting my cabin cruiser. It showed me that I'm not the only one these things happen to.

An author previously unknown to me, Joe Coomer has written one of those books that sneaks up on you. I started the book to read about an old wooden boat and got a whole lot more. Mr. Coomer's wry wit and self-effacing style draws you into his world while constantly providing reflected glimpses of yourself. The book is a wonderful encapsulation of the hopes, dreams, and fears of those who take to the sea in small boats.

Joe Coomer never disappoints his readers....I can get lost in his books very quickly and most often wish they would not end.

I just finished this wonderful book last night. It's not a piece of fiction as other Coomer stories. It's actually autobiographical. Joe Coomer writes about getting his first boat, and it's all about him, his family, and his experiences as a brand new boat owner. Sounds bland if you aren't a boat person. But he writes so beautifully and pulls you right into it. I also loved how he talked about his fears and insecurities as he was learning to be a sailor and a boat owner. I grew up with ski boats that my dad built, and this book brought me back to my childhood days on the water. I was never afraid back then, feeling perfect childhood faith in my dad to keep us safe. Now I wonder if my dad felt all the same fears and thrills that Coomer shares in this absorbing book.

As with other Joe Coomer books, I find myself uncovering phrases that make me want to stop and read them again in the hopes that they will absorb into my memory. I feel like writing him a fan letter. He's that good!

I have read dozens of books of boating, mostly books of self discovery through experiences on the water. I haven't always liked the author as a person. I haven't always understood WHY the authors would do something such as sailing an 8 foot boat solo across the ocean. But I always learned something from them. I was challenged. I was amazed. My heart was warmed.

Here I could relate to and appreciate the love Joe felt for the boat, for his family, and for nature, but there seemed to be little depth behind it or a more in-depth reason for sharing it. The people in the story buy waterfront homes and expensive motorsailors without blinking an eye. I appreciate the money Joe spent on keeping his beautiful boat afloat, and he does ponder the money spent, but it is clear it is money he can well afford. There is no crime in being wealthy, but perhaps this all came too easily for them. No crime in that either, except it makes for rather slow reading. I love my children, I love my wife, I love that funny old Model T I have in the basement, but I wouldn't write a book about it.

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So in the end, this is a book of a simple love of family and a beautiful old boat. There are a few minor challenges, but things basically go well. When it doesn't you can always pay someone to fix it. A pleasant but unchallenging book.

Having only sailed a few times with friends, I consider myself an armchair sailor. I picked up this book at a friend's house and couldn't put it down. The story about the wooden boat is wonderful, but the stories about friends and family are so interwoven that you feel you are a part of Mr. Coomer's family. I look forward to reading more of his books.

Strongly recommended for all sailors and armchair sailors alike. Especially recommended for those who have always intended to get a boat "someday".