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Read a terrific non-fiction book you will certainly enjoy!

1911tex

Sustaining Member
“On The Hard Wind” an autobiography by Russ Hofvendahl. When he was 15, the late 1930’s in San Francisco, he got the wild hair to skip school, and hire onto a merchant ship and visit ports around the world for a better education. He lied about his age, hired on without taking the time to discover the ship or its itinerary. Turns out it had no ports of call…S.F. 5 months at sea, back to S.F. It turned out to be the last of the old wooden large 4 mast sailing fishing vessels going to the Bering Sea to fish for Cod. He left a boy and returned a man….to say the least….he kept a diary and learned a hard life from hard people plus the experience of the last of the large 1890’s sailing ships.
 

Teranodon

Member III
Thanks for the recommendation. I hope more forum members tell us about books the like. I just ordered this one on interlibrary loan from my library. The title is "Hard on the Wind".
 

1911tex

Sustaining Member
Teranodon: I noted my "Hard On The Wind" title mixup too late to edit....too many thumbs...thank you for the correction! I have the paperback copy...it's for sure going on my Ericsons solon's bookshelf along with a couple of Christian's books and several past copies of "This Old Boat" and "Sail" magazines.
Thanks for the recommendation. I hope more forum members tell us about books the like. I just ordered this one on interlibrary loan from my library. The title is "Hard on the Wind".
 
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Teranodon

Member III
This is just to say that I obtained this book via interlibrary loan, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The author was 15 in 1937 when he shipped out on a 5-month cod-fishing voyage out of San Francisco to the Bering Sea in a wooden 4-masted schooner. His account is detailed and well-written. One man died, and another was badly wounded during the trip. The book was especially enjoyable for me, since I sailed on SF Bay for many years, and for months in the Arctic as well. After the unique experience he describes, Russ Hofvendahl fought in the war as a Marine, then became a successful lawyer in the Bay Area. I highly recommend this book. It's not Conrad or Villiers, but an authentic "slice of life" at sea.
 

tilwinter

Member III
This is just to say that I obtained this book via interlibrary loan, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The author was 15 in 1937 when he shipped out on a 5-month cod-fishing voyage out of San Francisco to the Bering Sea in a wooden 4-masted schooner. His account is detailed and well-written. One man died, and another was badly wounded during the trip. The book was especially enjoyable for me, since I sailed on SF Bay for many years, and for months in the Arctic as well. After the unique experience he describes, Russ Hofvendahl fought in the war as a Marine, then became a successful lawyer in the Bay Area. I highly recommend this book. It's not Conrad or Villiers, but an authentic "slice of life" at sea.
Read it years ago. Agree it is excellent!
 

1911tex

Sustaining Member
Anyone who read this book and/or interested in the history of "Windjammers", this video is very interesting:
 

Mike Brockman

Ericson 41
I will have to check out "Hard on the Wind" as I am just about through my current book.

One of my all time favorite sailing books is "Philosophy of Sailing" by Christian Williams (a fellow member on this site). I have raced from the West coast to Hawaii twice and have done lots of single handed deliveries up and down the West coast and he really captures all the reasons we take our boats offshore. Great read.
 

1911tex

Sustaining Member
I will have to check out "Hard on the Wind" as I am just about through my current book.

One of my all time favorite sailing books is "Philosophy of Sailing" by Christian Williams (a fellow member on this site). I have raced from the West coast to Hawaii twice and have done lots of single handed deliveries up and down the West coast and he really captures all the reasons we take our boats offshore. Great read.
Mike you will really enjoy Hard on the Wind..written by the man himself about his true adventure at age 15 back in the 30's. I also read "Philosophy of Sailing" and it is in my Ericson on-board library. Excellent and very highly recommended.
 

Teranodon

Member III
I know it's bad form to plug your own stuff, but I posted a list of great books about the last windjammers, back in June, 2018. The thread was started by Christian and it's called "Notable Little-Known Sailing Books".
 
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