Something Worth Doing: The Sub-Arctic Voyage of Aqua Star [Hardcover]

Judith Wright Chopra (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1995

This book is an account of Leslie and Carolann Sike's sailing expedition from Toronto, Canada, to Churchill, Manitoba, on the Western shore of the Hudson Bay. Judith Chopra documents each facet of the journey from the years of pre-trip planning, fund-raising and outfitting to the excitement of media attention and the thrill of sailing through dangerous waters. Sike built the 41-foot cutter out of steel, the sturdiest material, so that he and his crew could become the first Canadian group to sail a yacht across the treacherous waters of the Hudson Bay. Throughout the voyage the crew kept journals recording each day's experiences. Judith Chopra includes excerpts from the journals which reveal many of the fears and technical difficulties the crew struggled to master from the trip's inception to its successful completion in 1985.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In May 1985 Aqua Star, a custom-built steel cutter, set out from Toronto for Churchill, Manitoba, on the west shore of Hudson Bay. No sailing vessel had ventured beyond Hudson Strait since the 19th century; it was a sparsely inhabited area of harsh terrain with ice-and fog-bound coasts. On board were the owner-skipper Leslie Sike and wife Carolann, both in their 40s; also Gay Currie, a young woman with sailing experience, and David Farr, a photographer. Chopra, who covered the voyage for Canadian Yachting and had access to the personal journals and ship's log, here re-creates the adventure in a gripping narrative of derring-do and of discord. Nearing Hudson Strait the sailors encountered ice; in the Bay they ran into heavy weather and fog. Arguments and ill-feeling continued unabated. That September, after 108 days and 3600 miles, Aqua Star reached Churchill. And all agreed, as will readers, that the voyage was something worth doing. Photos.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 186 pages
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc; 1st edition (June 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393034461
• ISBN-13: 978-0393034462
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,235,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Richly illustrated account of journey across Hudson Bay, March 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Something Worth Doing: The Sub-Arctic Voyage of Aqua Star (Hardcover)

The reader gets a beautiful photographic glimpse of sub arctic Canada and an interesting socialogical glimpse of the four crew members as they make a record setting trek across Hudson Bay in a 40 foot sailboat.

4.0 out of 5 stars Something Worth Doing: The Sub-Arctic Voyage of Aqua Star, October 15, 2009

By 

Laurie A. Swan (Fredericton, NB Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Something Worth Doing: The Sub-Arctic Voyage of Aqua Star (Hardcover)

This is a very honest protrail of real life onboard a yacht occupied by four distinct personalaties. I have personally met Leslie Sikes and his wife and from that meeting I had to order the book. As I read through the pages of a book made up almost entirely from passages taken from their personal diaries I could feel what it must have been like to experiance the highs and lows of the journey. The love and dedication that Leslie had for his boat as well as for the voyage is evident throughout. This book is an honest gut feelings from the crew of 4.