“Captivating Narrative” by Mark Seabook (Bay of Islands Marina Manager)
Venturing out to sea in an eight-metre wooden yacht might sound adventurous enough, but add in sextant and chart navigation, no self-steering, an unreliable engine, and minimal experience—the key ingredient? Chasing a dream—Tricia’s partner Brett’s dream to return to his homeland, South Africa, in his own sailboat.
Scott’s account begins in the Bay of Islands in the late seventies, where she (21) and Brett (25) spent months saving, upskilling, preparing, provisioning, and planning. The book’s title, “Brave?”, perfectly captures the spirit needed to face the relentless challenges of their voyage. Twelve-hour watches, with the tiller perhaps tied off only in the calmest seas, meant constant vigilance and hands-on sailing. This demanding routine paints a vivid picture of the endurance required to navigate the vast ocean in their small, much-loved vessel. What stands out is how different things were in the pre-digital age. The lack of outside communication seems almost unimaginable now. Their only connection to friends and family was through letters and postcards sent from the next port of call. If something happened, no one would know—they were truly on their own. Add to that, the bare minimum of creature comforts: no hot water, fridge, freezer, or electric lights.
Scott’s captivating narrative effortlessly draws you into their adventure, painting a vivid picture of life at sea in the eighties. Through stunning photographs and engaging prose, she transports the reader to the heart of their journey, showcasing the beauty and vastness of the sea, the unique ports they visited, and the resilience required to pursue such a dream.
“A Gripping Maritime Adventure” by Veryan Young
Reading this book, I wanted to join Tricia on her adventure! The attention to detail and matter of fact descriptions of extraordinary places and events had me gripped throughout the book.
I also loved the beautiful original pictures in the book that showed many parts of the world with which I am not familiar. I wonder how much it has changed since the 1980s?
Bravo Tricia, can’t wait to read the next one!
“Brave Indeed! ” by Ariel & Lisa
I really enjoyed reading Brave? You had a fascinating adventure. I was reading your book with Google maps open. The distances you were sailing plus some of the conditions you sailed, brave indeed!
The challenges you faced and how you overcame them whether it was raising money for your travels getting jobs as a cardiopulmonary technologist or a pregnancy scare or finding a body made this a really great read. And the thoughts of taking up sailing danced in my head – honestly likely not going to happen, but I would at least like to try sailing. By the way did you ever sail to the South Island or the sound in Fjorfland?
I recall you noted the camera brand I was using when I took your photo with Lisa. Now I understand why you would know Leica given your interest in photography. A Nikonos? Very cool. You took great photos in a time without a autofocus never mind the ability to look at your exposures on the back of a screen.
Looking forward to the sequel.
Tricia Scott 