Salt in the Blood: Two philosophers go to sea

by Patrick Dixon, Sheila Dixon

“Everything creaks and bends in heavy seas – what will not bend will simply snap. So many times I wondered how much load we could carry in a powerful storm without breaking apart. If we flooded any faster I would drown in seconds.”Patrick Dixon spent years working as a doctor at University College Hospital, while his wife Sheila was a magistrate – high-pressure careers that demanded long hours away from their home, family and passion for sailing. It is a frustrating story many occasional sailors can relate to, but unlike most, Patrick and Sheila realised early enough that they could only bend so far before something snapped, they could only take on so much before they drowned.This is their story of how they made changes (some more challenging than others) that they knows other sailors could make too, regardless of where they are at the moment – how they changed their priorities but managed to sustain a new career that fitted in around life rather than the other way round.It is also the story of their personal journey, both physically (across the Atlantic and to little-visited corners of the Mediterranean) and metaphorically – how a doctor who treated cancer patients coped with a partner facing the same battle. Neither of them wanted to let that flood things either.Through their personal story, with plenty of mishaps that led to insights (both about sailing and life in general), and encounters that turned into opportunities, Patrick and Sheila explore the importance of prioritising the right things in life, and the simple benefits of travel. The book is packed with inspiring but practical advice for all those who have salt in the blood.

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 24, 2021

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intrepid, brave, determined couple (empty-nesters, still active in their professions, perhaps in their 50s? 60s?) decide to buy a sailboat. Sounds simple so far. And even though they're minimally experienced with sailing they decide to leave their large & lovely home in England, move onto their boat, and head for open waters to travel the world.

I particularly loved the part where they tried to explain to each of their 4 grown children & spouses what they had decided to do: "At first there was stunned silence and blank faces."

And I love how they took turns telling parts of the story, each chapter telling Lessons for Sailing and also Lessons for Life. I really love sailing stories that include philosophical ruminations.

For instance, here's the first sentence in the book: "All of life is a voyage to the future, carrying us beyond distant horizons, blown by the prevailing wind to which we set our sails." Yes!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a good read. It lost a star for me because I found the "lessons" at the end of each chapter unnecessary and annoying. We had just read about any mishaps and then had it reiterated at the end of the chapter. The book was really engaging & well written, that it just didn't need these bullet points.
I liked the change in font to identify who was writing, but my old eyes found the fonts too similar and, at times, couldn't work out who was writing.
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in sailing.