Tales of a Sea Gypsy [Paperback]

Ray Jason (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2001

For many years, Ray Jason has been delighting readers of the sailing magazine Latitude 38, with his "Sea Gypsy Vignettes." These hilarious stories chronicle some of the misadventures of today's sailboat cruisers. Now, for the first time ever, some of his best yarns are available in one book. So settle back and sail away with the offbeat characters that roam the pages of Tales of a Sea Gypsy.Relive the terror of getting rammed by a tanker - not just once, but TWICE! Discover the little-known danger of poodles in hurricanes. And ponder how a donkey could possible wander into a sea story. If romance and passion are what lure you to sea, you'll find these pages full of it in some of its most intriguing variations. Meet a couple bonded together by epoxy glue. Enter a disco full of people dancing in their underwear. And encounter lovers who unleash the little-known erotic power of macaroons.These are just a few of the bizarre episodes that make these twenty-two stories so captivating.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...so universal, an Iowa farm boy will enjoy them - so timeless, Blackbeard would have laughed his head off. -- John Riise, Managing Editor Latitude 38

This is yarn spinning at its zestiest and most hilarious...Ray Jason is completely unique. -- Alex Shoumatoff

About the Author

Making the most of his political science degree, Ray Jason became San Francisco's first street juggler back in the early '70s. But apparently juggling torches, machetes and bowling balls became a bit too boring, so he took up the sea gypsy life. Since 1985 he has sailed his beautiful 30-foot sloop, Aventura, over 20,000 miles - most of them single-handed.

Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: Paradise Cay Publications (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0939837471
• ISBN-13: 978-0939837472
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #437,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tales of a Sea Gypsy, March 10, 2002

By 

Christopher Love (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales of a Sea Gypsy (Paperback)

Tales of a Sea Gypsy was an enjoyable book to read and as a cruising sailor it was refreshing to read great stories and not the "how too" or "what I did on my summer vacation" usual. Ray Jason's writing style keeps you interested, is easy to read and very, very funny. I recommend a cruise through these mini adventures for any diehard cruiser and the many "I wish I was doing that" sailors everywhere.

Chris on SV Rapture

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Could Ray Jason be the next Tristan Jones, January 27, 2002

By 

don Brame (Sunnyvale Ca, soon to be back at sea) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales of a Sea Gypsy (Paperback)

Being a lover of the sea and a sailor for most of my life, I love reading sea tales. A few years back we lost the one great sea story teller in Tristan Jones.
For Christmas my wife bought me this book by Ray Jason, Tales of a Sea Gypsy "a Ray autographed copy". It took me sometime to get around to starting the book but once I was half way through the first yarn I knew this book was for me. I found myself laughing outload story after story.
Tristan had a way of tranforming me into making me feel I was living out part of his story and much to my joy Ray was able to bring me to that special place with him.
This book is for anyone who enjoys adventure and humor in or around the sea. My only regret in the book is, was that when I finished reading it I looked for other books by this arthor, only to find that this is the only one Ray has written so far.
A special thanks to my wonderful wife for finding me this fantastic book and a thank you to Ray for being able to write a book that was fun and exciting to read.
Have we our next Tristan Jones here, I sure hope so because I love reading sea stories and I sure miss the yarns Tristan brought to us.
A must read for anyone who has ever sailed the seas or for all of the armchair sailors out there.

Don and Pam Brame
Sailing vessel
"All the Way"

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sailor's Dream, August 20, 2001

By 

Richard B. Peacock (Carlsbad Ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales of a Sea Gypsy (Paperback)

This is a book that's full of wry humor and adventure, a great companion for seafarers and those of us stuck on land. Jason made me laugh at life and lust for the freedom he worked out for himself. If you like off-beat sea stories, you'll love this book.