A Sea Vagabond’s World Boats and Sails, Distant Shores, Islands and Lagoons

“I would like now to write a practical book that will cover three topics: boats, the sea, and the beachcombing life.” These were the thought of Bernard Moitessier after he finished writing his last book, Tamata and the Alliance, while in Polynesia.

The great master died in 1994 and never completed the book, but here it is, meticulously collected from his many writings, published and unpublished, by his companion, Véronique Lerebours Pigeonnière. Moitessier’s notebooks include all the know-how and the 1,001 tips of this legendary sailor, the knowledge he acquired on the water, in meeting with sailors, during long passages, and during his many years living on various islands. The first part of the book details how to prepare for an extensive cruise, what kind of boat to choose, the rigging, the sails, the anchors, on deck, and below deck. The second part describes the passage: the weather, navigation, watch-keeping, and heavy weather. In the third part, Moitessier takes us to the South Sea islands and shows how to adapt to living on an atoll, gardening, fishing, and attaining self-sufficiency.