The First Voyage of the Joshua

Moitessier is a marvelous story teller, and his seamanship is unquestionably excellent. The story of their voyage is absolutely a gem, and should be required reading for those who wish to cruise, or at least love sailing. Sadly, in some ways the book is a sort of time capsule, and scenes like his turtle-hunting in the Galapagos Islands are not as joyful as perhaps they once were, as the species in that area are now considered threatened or endangered. Of course, people were only later to become more conscious of the environment and the fragilities of ecosystems to outside forces, but these days, I can see some sailors cringing at certain paragraphs. I very highly recommend this book, I really do, but be prepared for some jarring moments.

This is one of those books that ough to be in every sailor library. It might seem outdated for these days, and the Moitessier's style might seem too "poetic" even surreal, but we are talking of a real pioneer of the sea