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By
Bob Archibald
arch@svic.net
This is a family story, husband and
wife and their two children (boy and Girl) on a 24', outboard powered
sailboat. The author, Les, is a New Zeeland school teacher and his
wife is of Greek heritage. He has secured a teaching position in Greece
which he has not yet assumed. She is hungry to see her family and he has
talked her into having a grand adventure in getting there.
Their adventure starts
with their exploration of the river Thames and progresses with a rather
hairy crossing of the English channel complete with fog, airboats and
the normal assortment of heavy traffic. It is never explained how they
got the boat to England, whether they bought it there or brought it
there, not that it matters.
This tale is set at the
end of the cold war and has much to do with the trials and tribulations
of dealing with the countries who are just emerging from under Soviet
domination. These countries don't know who they are or what they are and
so much of their thinking is still in line with what they have just
discarded. As you read this you get the feeling that the wife is a bit
of a "pouter" and doesn't really enter into the spirit of the
adventure, a sort of "hit the ball and drag Despina" (her
name). However, she does redeem herself considerably as a procurer of
supplies in these emerging 3rd world countries. (that is what they are,
with an attitude)
All and all it was a good
fun read..... not really a sailing story with the beating off the
lee shore in a gale sort of thing, but rather a adventure story of
a family in strange circumstances learning to communicate in strange
languages.....all in a small boat with very dangerous fast running
rivers, huge barges and slow officials.
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