The adventures of Bernard Moitessier--French sailor, explorer and writer, in his own words. This memoir encompasses his childhood in Southeast Asia, his war experience fighting the Viet Minh, and his numerous sea exploits.
This fascinating memoir spans the time from Moitessier's magical childhood in Indochina to the months before his death in June 1994. Moitessier became famous for his daring sailing exploits, often done solo. He first went to sea on junks, criss-crossing the Gulf of Siam. After leaving Indochina, he led the life of a sea-gypsy, wandering the Indian Ocean, the South Atlantic, and the Caribbean. Then came the Golden Globe Race: during ten months alone at sea, something happen to Moitessier that made him turn his back on a small fortune and fame. He withdrew from the race, and explained it in his book, The Long Way. He spent the last eight years of his life writing Tamata.
