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This is the book that started it all. After this
Maurice became the editor of 'Yacht Sales and Charters', a magazine that was
the fore runner of Yachting Monthly really. I was lucky enough not
only to find first Editions of this book that M.G. signed, but also many
copies of the 'Yacht Sales and Charters' too, as with all my other M.G.
books, all signed by the gentleman himself. October 2004. One of our number, Andrew Wallace, has just found 'Swan' the little barge yacht that M.G. owned and that features in the chapter, 'The silent Creeks'. She is at Leigh on Sea and has just been sold, see the news page. We hope to get updates on this. |
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This is the inside cover of the first copy of M.G.s first book. It has a very touching inscription to his mother, signed by M.G. It reads,' To my Mother, ( Who has been thro' 'heavy weather' with me, both afloat and ashore.)' As you can imagine I was extremely pleased to have this book offered to me. (I also have found another similar book, the first copy of another of the rarities, similarly inscribed for his mother. I will scan that too.) |
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Written by Maurice Griffiths in 1981, this book explains the role of mines during the war. Maurice served as a Lieutenant Commander in the RNVR and was involved in rendering mines safe. This is a fascinating read and reveals many unknown facts about what went on round our coasts during the war. Rumour has it that M.G. was also responsible for a wartime 'ship recognition' book. | ||
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Written by Dick Durham in 1994, this is a superb account of the life of Maurice Griffiths (3 years before he died) It is an insight into the life of this extraordinary man and how he became a yacht designer. It covers his entire life and give a rare insight into why his designs are so popular. ( To the astute observer, yes it is 'Fiddler's Green'! We were very proud to be used on the cover!) | ||
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Written by Michael Verney in 1948 (foreword by Maurice Griffiths) this book is a little gem. It covers the techniques used to construct most of your boats. Last reprinted in 1952 it will be hard to find - but well the effort. None of your modern epoxy in this one. | ||
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Though this copy is not one of my first editions of this work, it does have a nicer cover! This is the first of all those little story collections, that M. G. loved to write. He had a cunning knack of being able to leave out just enough to make the story re-tellable in a later edition! First published in 1931 and still in print. This book has been translated into all sorts of languages, M.G. presented me with a copy in Polish once, 'for a little light bedtime reading!', with that sparkle in his eye! I have been sent a copy of this in Dutch, from our friends Chris and Ria in the Netherlands. | ||
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'Ten Small Yachts' Had a canny knack here too. He would buy a boat at the beginning of a season, all fitted out, then sell at the end, in 'end of season condition'!! That way he went for years without all the hassle of wintering and fitting out! There are a couple of cruises too. 'Lone Gull' and 'Storm' also feature in here. The preface was written on board one of his boats, 'Nightfall', on that little portable typewriter that lives now in my office, and on which he also tapped out 'The Magic'! | ||
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This is another of the Novels, Set off the coast of Germany prior to the outbreak of WWII, our heroes are in the 'Riddle' mould of a previous generation. I wonder where he got the idea??? Again a rare tome. The other novel is a railway based book, M.G.s other love. I have not seen a copy of this, it is the only one of M.G.s writings that I could never find! Did you know he also wrote a children's boat book? | ||
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In this book Maurice aims squarely at youngsters. He starts with rush canoes, in Africa, working up through Greek galleys and Viking ships, detailing construction as well as use. He includes the first yachts, works through sail to steam and then the steam turbine. 'Turbina' gets a mention of course. There are pages of warships, from the first Dreadnoughts to the sub of the same name! Published in 1973, it seems far older. This copy was given to Lt-Cdr Peter Kemp OBE RN Ret. for his help to the author, signed of course. Inside the from cover are copies of letters between them in the preparation of the book, fascinating reading. | ||
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One of a whole range of books based on 'a small income' including cookery and dressmaking! Some useful hints and tips, on all subjects, ending with a navigation lesson about the East Coast Rivers and the problems they present! | ||
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Maurice presented me (John Williams) with this book some years ago, after I obtained a copy of 'No Southern Gentlemen, which he had never seen as he thought they were all pulped for the war effort. Not to be out done he produced this copy of the 'Magic', in Polish! He said it had been translated into a few languages, but this was perhaps one of the more obscure! He bet I didn't have a copy, so gave me this one! (He did have another). Though this is a soft back, the Dutch version was in hardback, or so he recalled. Apparently it was also published in German and French, anyone seen a copy? I had been looking for the Dutch version for years. 'De Magie Van de Kreken'. see below. | ||
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Now I bet you have not seen many copies of this book about. M.G. believed they were all pulped for the war effort in 1939. He was amazed when I asked him to sign this one! It is a novel. One of just three he wrote. It uses his knowledge of boating and sailing well, set in the days of the Civil War in America, it starts with a shipwreck and an encounter with a slaver, ending with sternwheelers on the Southern Deltas! With a little romantic interest thrown in for good measure! | ||
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This is the inside cover of 'No Southern Gentleman'. It again is the first book from the publishers and a gift for Maurice's Mother. The simple inscription is dated July 4th 1939. The interesting thing about this copy is that Maurice has glued many newspaper cutting in to the book, most with a note in his hand. The dates of the cuttings, go up to the end of August. We all know what happened in September, and as a result most copies were pulped! ( I now have three, any one else got a copy?) | ||
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Dream ships. This
is a scan of the tatty dust cover of my second edition of this book.
the first Edition sadly has no cover. Both signed by the author of course.
'It is the story of every yachtsman's 'Dream ship' from the four tonner that
the man with the modes income can afford, to the fishing boat or specially
designed ocean racer!' thus says the inside of the dust cover. Interestingly it covers the 'Swin' class, one of which appears elsewhere on this site, owned by Andrew Wallace. First published in 1949, second edition 1952. |
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We are indebted to Mr. H. Koel from the Netherlands for supplying the following information. The Correct spelling of the Dutch version of "The Magic of the Swatchways" is 'De Magie Van de Kreken' other titles in Dutch are Bij het begin van het tij, and kreken en kleine schepen This copy was given me as a gift by my good friends from the Netherlands, Chris and Ria, Christmas 2003! Many thanks, another treasure! |
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My good friends Chris and Ria in the Netherlands have just sent me this book.. Many thanks! I had been searching in vain for years for a copy after M.G. told me it existed! This copy spent a little time with H.M. Customs. They must have wondered who was sending me a large slice of cake from Holland. I hope they enjoyed the read! I must brush up on my Dutch... not a chance. | ||
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Today 27.1.2004 a copy of the 'Arrow book of Sailing' dropped through my letterbox, courtesy of Mike Hoban. Mike thank you so much. This book had evaded me for many years. There is a great picture in it of an early Eventide being 'Stability Tested'. It has a number of Dutchmen hanging on to a mast to try and keep the boat horizontal! I will scan it onto the site! Look on the photo gallery, on the Eventide page! I think the boat is a steel built Eventide, a 'Kesteloo',27ft long. Now I am only missing the railway novel, one day.... Maybe. A good place to find these books is abebooks click here to go to their site. John Williams
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I have just found this
brand new copy of 'The First of the Tide' written in Dutch! It came
via information from Chris in Holland, thank's Chris.
John Williams |
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Nothing to do with Eventides, but a cracking good read on boat building. Difficult find in the UK but is available from www.amazon.com, also from www.amazon.co.uk. You could try www.abebooks.co.uk too.
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'Sixty Years a Yacht
Designer' published in 1988, lists Maurice's favourite boats.
Interestingly not all are listed, the Eventide and WW get a little mention,
but others like the Atlantic clipper and the Barbican are missed altogether.
I often wondered if this was because he did not always approve of what
others did to his hull designs.? In the case of the Atlantic clipper
it was that stern cabin, in the case of the Barbican it was the removal of
his type of centreboard, in preference to one that took up much less cabin
space, but was a pain they say! He also notes that of his earlier designs,
he did not get distressed when they were lost by enemy action!
The Book can sometimes still be found on the shelves, and often is available
in Abebooks or Amazon's S/H listings. The boats are described in
detail, with some line drawings and sail plans too. Enough to scale
from to work out how tall the rig should be in some cases!
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| Jan
05. Have just heard from Stella Books that the have a copy of
an old MG book for sale for just £9.00 Interested? Click on here www.stellabooks.com Feb 05. Simon Bishop has just informed us that there are auctions of some MG books on E-Bay under Nautical Books. I have just searched and there were 4 for sale, I just lost one of them! Seems to be lots about. John |
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'The Lone Gull files' by
Stephen Pickard (one of our members), makes a very interesting read. We
had actually figured out some time ago that 'Lone Gull' the boat MG designed
for himself just pre-war, was lying in Tunisia. Stephen also found it
there, on his travels in a Buchanan designed boat..... But he went a
lot further... his searches at the CA and other library's turned up a
host of snippets and stories about 'Lone Gull', including of course MG's
cruises in her and his comments about her. Add to that the reprints of
the wartime stories MG wrote, using the name 'Lone Gull' and then the saga
of the difficult extraction of the vessel from what must be a very difficult
country to deal in, Tunisia.. All make for a good read.
This book is published by Bosun Press at the cover price of £14.99 in soft back. October 2007 www.bosunpress.com EOG members who go to their website and enter 'eog' when ordering will get it post free and 10% off for buying on line! How's that for a nice offer! ISBN number 978-0-9554243-3-5 |
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Cevamp, Mike and Me: tales of romance and adventure in the Irish Sea by Jackie Williamson A blend of romance and adventure, this light-hearted but passionate sailing narrative tells the true story of a home-built Eventide yacht (Cevamp), a police inspector (Mike) and a journalist (Jackie). Through its pages we visit the harbours, meet the people, watch the wild life and learn the lessons – some tough, some funny, all memorable. We travel with Jackie as she develops her skills as a sailor and captures a husband into the bargain. The book opens with Cevamp sailing off the gale-lashed Welsh coast. Jackie is struggling with the helm and the chapter closes with Mike’s life in the balance as enormous waves sweep over the sides and the mast dips perilously towards the sea. Subsequent chapters tell the story of the yacht’s thirteen year gestation, the three-way love story between the couple and the yacht, and their seaborne adventures. The reader is swept along by the drama of storms, being rescued by a lifeboat, a fire in the engine, a disappearing jetty and an exhausting night-time passage with a broken compass. But sailing isn’t all about disaster and the couple also enjoy such diverse delights as a Jacuzzi bath in the home of an eccentric fisherman, a magical day’s sailing in the company of dolphins, and dazzling evenings under the stars as their romance turns to love and thoughts of marriage. Accounts of sailing trips to Ireland, Scotland, Anglesey and the Isle of Man are peppered with practical insights into life on board, sparing no blushes, raising a few smiles and revealing the stark fear that sometimes goes hand in hand with the challenge of being two individuals at one with the sea. At sea as on land, life has its peaks and troughs. An ill-tempered cruise round the notorious Fastnet Rock has Jackie wondering if her marriage to Mike was a big mistake, the yacht develops a plethora of problems and our couple finally decide something has to give. just £8.99 + £2.50 p&p!
To reserve your copy, email wordaid@gmail.com, or call the author on 01348 831862 ********************************************************************************************** |
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June 05, this book by Tom
Edwards, charts the log of his voyage to Australia and beyond from the UK,
in a wooden G.H. 'Fifinella'. The trip took place in 1978.
I am reading it at the moment. It is a story of another age,
when you could just go off and do this sort of thing. There are
triumphs and tragedies, but above all the will to explore and keep the boat
going, no matter what. You can contact Tom to buy copies ...24 pounds see below. If anyone is interested in purchasing one I have checked with the PO and the cheapest I can do is 24 pound, (airmail) incl. P&P. At that price I just break even - I never had any intention of making anything out of the book as I realised that the price was going to be excessive. However if you want to offer it on the net by all means do so. You have my email tomhampshire at bigpond.com.au Tom Edwards, 3 Dobell Drive Wangi Wangi, NSW 2267. Ph; 2 49754585. I would have to ask for a cheque, or similar. *************************************************************************************
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This was sent in in March 2006. An American publisher copying out of print and copyright books! See the link to their home page below.
I like to think Maurice and I, Marjorie and Darian, were friends, we spent many hours over lunches at West Mersea and coffee in their little bungalow just along the road. This is just a selection from my library of M.G. books. I have at least one copy, mostly first editions, of each book he wrote now, bar one. I have several copies of some and most5 are signed, including all his 'Yacht Charters' magazines and early Y.M.s There are some fascinating articles in those. Add to that the typewriter from his desk, plus the little portable he wrote the 'magic' on and other items gifted to me , I feel very privileged to have known them so well. J.W.
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Newsflash Sailing Home not only avoids those deadly asterisks (rocks), but manages to become a coast-to-coast bestsellerGary Geddes's Sailing Home: A Journey Through Time, Place & Memory (HarperCollins), has hit besteller lists in Victoria (#5 on Times-Colonist), Vancouver (#7 on The Sun), Calgary (#1 on the Herald), Toronto (#6 at Maclean's), and Halifax (#10 at the Herald). Here are some comments from writers, critics and reviewers: "Geddes' prose is magnificent, building from a basis in the pedestrian—memory of biology or history—to a rhapsody of ideas and images that vividly evokes the richness of the West Coast. . . . he is a masterful writer." Robert Wiersma, Quill & Quire "Sailing Home is, if you’ll forgive the word, inspiring. Twenty pages into the book, you’ll find yourself selling your car, making a down payment on a boat, and setting out to live the life you’ve always thought you’d like to live. Gary Geddes took the gamble. He’s a little the worse for wear, but he offers us this perfect account of the dreamed voyage." Robert Kroetsch, Winnipeg "Gary Geddes sailed in a sea of ghosts . . . [and] proves a provocative and erudite host. After landing an 18-pound spring, he finds he can't bring himself to kill the salmon, all of whose flesh he won't be able to eat before it spoils. "My own vulnerability on this journey, my tentative status above the water, had made me reluctant to kill anything. I'd had enough sport." Tom Hawthorn, The Vancouver Sun " Finally, here is a book to wedge between William Least Heat Moon's Blue Highways and Ondaatje's Running in the Family. Sailing Home is a lyrical adventure, deeply moving, and chockfull of moon-driven sailors, familial lore, floating bakeries, and the wonders of self-reckoning. With this traveller's tale, Gary Geddes transcends and delights." Peter Oliva, Calgary Sailing Home [is] "eloquent," "engaging," gentle," "contemplative," "elegant," "tough-minded," "funny," and "has a richness and maturity that ought to catch many readers." Candace Fertile, The Edmonton Journal Sailing Home is a book of "poignant honesty. . . comic misadventures. . . and subtle but dramatic prose. . . . With his handful of facts and a powerful poetic imagination, Geddes has wrestled a kind of order from his past, and crafted a moving and at times beautiful narrative." Brian Bethune, Maclean's Sailing Home "is more lyrical memoir than
armchair adventure. . . . it pits one man against his past; the voyage that
is the heart of this book is Geddes' search for his roots—both his personal
history and what he calls the 'tribal past,' the cultural, social and
economic heritage of the West Coast. Geddes is an award-winning poet, and he
blends past and present in evocative descriptions as he returns to the
islands and inlets of his early years." "Geddes' childhood on the water becomes the most compelling image in this book because of the way the sad little towns that he finds are reflected, skilfully, against the brighter ones in his imagination, compounding the sadness of these places. His drowned grandfather joins us, and his mother as well, dead too young from cancer when he was still a boy. . . . There is a lovely riff on the idea of work and redemption which echoes off his depiction of his 1950s childhood. . . . [B.C.] is preposterously beautiful, a little daft and full of ghosts. Geddes's book is, in turns, these things as well, in a synthesis that lingers in the mind the same way that Texada Island does, years after first seeing its high, swaybacked ridge poking through the horizon from Porlier Pass whiled headed across the Strait of Georgia." Kevin Patterson, The Globe & Mail 'Achingly beautiful scenes are peppered throughout this book, casting the dramatis personae in vivid relief.. . . . Sailing Home is a lyrical and transporting book that reveals my home in a brave new light." Jim Boothroyd, The Gazette (Montreal) "Like most good books on sailing, Gary Geddes's recently published Sailing Home: A Journey Through Time, Place & Memory says very little about sailing. . . . The result is an absorbing blend of observation, recollection, contemplation and adventure. . . .an underlying sadness and loneliness often pierce the surface of this wry and eloquent book. . . but [Geddes] navigates memorably in these vastly deeper waters." Silver Donald Cameron, Halifax Herald "There are speech writers and ghost writers and hack writers and mystery writers and paperback writers. But a floating writer is what Gary Geddes wants to be. . . . His own family history is lapped with seaside sorrow and adventure. Geddes' father was a deep sea diver who had been part of the rescue team after the collapse of the Second Narrows Bridge. His boatbuilder grandfather drowned while fishing near Point Atkinson Light. . Geddes [in Sailing Home] is a poetic tour guide who isn't afraid to poke fun at himself. Before starting his solo cruise, he horrifies sailing buddy and Vancouver Sun Columnist Stephen Hume by asking what the asterisks on the charts were. 'Rocks!' cried Hume. . . . 'Words are mercurial like the sea,' Geddes says, 'never the same from one day to the next.' As a writer for hire, Geddes will go wherever he can moor his boat on a coast that has seen floating missionaries, floating doctors, and floating police officers." Susan Down, "Poet Afloat," Victoria Times-Colonist The above has been sent to me by Gary Geddes, he is a prolific author and this book, 'Sailing home', is a story regarding his voyage in his GH Groais. I am trying to get a pic from Gary, but so far all attempts have failed, something to do with the pics being in an old format.
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