The Totorore Voyage

by Gerry Clark

"In 1983, 56-year-old Gerry Clark set off from New Zealand in a 10-metre wooden yacht to circumnavigate Antarctica in a quest for new information about seabirds. In this graphic account of the ensuing three-year voyage, he describes his adventures in some of the remotest, wildest and most spectacularly beautiful parts of the world." Numerous sketches and maps; color photography section.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

357 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Daren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book much more than I had thought I would, and I am really not sure why! It is written in diary form, and is quite repetitive - and lets face it - it is a bird survey on a yacht in sub-Antarctic waters.
However it really did hold my attention. It is very cleverly written to avoid needless repetition - so often these diarised books are ruined by endlessly describing ad nauseam routine, and meals etc. I freely admit much of the technical sailing description and almost all of the bird information is lost on me, but with so many crew changes, so many minor (and a few major) catastrophes to deal with, and such fascinating descriptions of the geography and landscapes this book was well worth the read.
What an amazing man Gerry Clark is, to have achieved to much.

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are into ornithology and especially pelagic birds then this book is for you. If you are interested in the geography and landscapes of Southern Chile, Falklands, South Georgia and/or are planning a sailing trip around those places then I recommend you flip through for a good idea of where to find the amazing hidden spots and where to avoid altogether. However if you are after a boat adventure story then you're better off finding something else.

[Crafty Cristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I this true account of a man who built a sailing ship and sailed around the Antarctic for 2 and 1/2 years in a sanctioned ornithological study, there is much to be admired.

I can say categorically that I would not have wanted to do this trip. It was nice to read about his sailing adventures, his struggles with the boat, his enthusiasm for birds, his optimism. I enjoyed seeing how he got crew members and was interested that his wife was supportive of the whole expedition.

However, I felt the book was overly long and that is why I rated it 3 stars.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for a sailing book but this was a birding book. Probably fine if that's what you're looking for.