Cap'n Billy: An Alabama Odyssey

by W.D. Smart

Neal Burgess, a semi-retired, middle-aged computer analyst from California, had just cashed in from a start-up company he helped bring to life. He bought the sailboat of his dreams and was enjoying his new live-a-board lifestyle in a small marina in southern Alabama intending to just kick back, relax, do some writing and focus on his zen practice. Life there was idyllic and blissfully uneventful until the day he met Cap'n Billy, a prototypical, downhome good ol' boy who operated a small shrimping trawler along the inland waterways that lined the Gulf. Before he knew it he was spending almost every night shrimping with Cap'n Billy, literally learning the ropes as he went, and enjoying the never-ending yarns Cap'n Billy spun as they trawled. However, all was not well in paradise. Cap'n Billy's boat was in sore need of some basic maintenance and major repairs, and his license was under threat from the marine police. On top of that the sleepy little marina where Neal lived on his boat suddenly rose up in arms to challenge the rejection of a seemingly trivial building permit which was denied on the grounds it threatened the mysterious Perdido Key Beach mouse with imminent extinction. Cap'n Billy is presented in a lively, colorful, first-person narrative which weaves seemingly disparate but curiously related threads from Southern culture, single-handed shrimping, predicative data analysis, zen practice and conservationism to create a rich and engaging tapestry depicting life on the southern U.S. Gulf coast. You may leave comments, ask questions or join in discussions about CAP'N BILLY at: Facebook: https: //www.facebook.com/novelcapnbilly Email: CapnBilly@BillSmart.com

179 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

W. D. Smart, 'Bill' to his friends, was born and raised in the United States Midwest and later lived in various cities on the West Coast and the deep South. He has six adult children and twelve grandchildren. His education includes undergraduate degrees in Liberal Arts, Computer Science and Engineering and a Master's in Business Administration. Bill's professional focus has been working as an information technology consultant designing data-based business solutions, and building descriptive and predictive analytic models for companies all over the world. His work has allowed him to travel broadly and spend significant time living and working in North and South America, Europe, Africa, India, Australia and Asia. Bill also holds a USCG Master Captain's License, has worked captaining oil rig supply boats in the Gulf of Mexico, sailed extensively and has studied and practiced zen for over forty years.

Bill is now semi-retired and lives in the mountains of Central Thailand where he writes, tends a small farm with his wife on which they grow tamarinds, mangoes, bananas, limes, tapioca and pepper; and manages their rice fields in a nearby valley.

Reviews

[W.D. Smart · Rating 5 out of 5]

All readers who appreciated Alan Persig's ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE will enjoy this book. It has a lot of information on sailing, boating, single-handed shrimping, evolutionary theory, conservationism and of course zen practice. Oh yes, and a really kick-ass Alabama Shrimp Boil recipe too!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book simply by its title and am glad I did! I've been to the areas where the story takes place. A gem of a book!