Abstract

This is the story of a sailing odyssey, but also of an inward journey into deep truths about who we are and how we belong in the universal scheme. A meditation on sailing and life, it is a hugely enjoyable and thought-provoking book for landlubbers, sailors, philosophers and naturalists alike.

Mostly sailing alone, Peter Reason invites us to share in the minute-by-minute challenges of seamanship and navigation, on his journey in his yacht Coral from Plymouth across the Celtic Sea and back again.

Exploring far more than the seaways, the author successfully manages to tell the story of a journey with another dimension - that of investigating and reflecting on our human place in the ecology of the planet. Above all, this book shows us that Nature is not just a place to visit, but our home.

A profound and beautifully written meditation on our place in the world.
Neil Ansell, author of 'Deep Country: Five Years in the Welsh Hills'

Peter Reason is a long-time sailor and is Professor Emeritus at the University of Bath. Before he retired in 2009 he was a leading international figure in action research - exploring how direct experience and reflective learning can inform personal and organisational change. Post-retirement he has focused on writing for an ecology in crisis, drawing in particular on his experience of the sea through mindful sailing.

You can follow Peter's blog at onthewesternedge.wordpress.com

This is a beautifully presented book about a journey from Plymouth across the Celtic Sea and back again, partly a sailing story and partly a meditation on life and nature. The narrative is lyrical and thoughtful.
Rubery Book Awards 2014 (winner: non-fiction category)
Nature is alive, nature is writing the story too, as much as the boat and the author. Read the book and you too might be inspired to embark on a pilgrimage.
Positive News, December 2014
I enjoyed reading this book. There are some good characters with curious motivations and a rich seam of emotional engagement; I delighted in Peter's uncontrolled glee at seeing a tiny puffin amidst huge swells and even huger cliffs near Bolus Head. There is uncertainty and several moments of adventure, such as the dramatic confrontation with the towering Skellig Rocks and the hard return crossing from Kinsale to the Scillies bashing into the high seas.
Green Spirit Magazine, June 2014
The writing flows with all the ease that Coral does, through the water.
Classic Boat, November 2014
An enthralling sea journey which is thoughtful, courageous and unforgettably human. I was absorbed from the very first page.
Miriam Darlington, author of Otter Country, published by Granta
A truly great reading experience that drew me out of myself into the turning world of the oceans and into the depths of ecological awareness.
Stephan Harding, resident ecologist, Schumacher College
With Peter, in his marvellous book, we enter into the world as a great story, full of ineffable meaning, and at last find our true home.
Resurgence and Ecologist Magazine, September 2014
A wonderfully salty, sea-soaked voyage of discovery. Peter Reason shows us what it is to fall in love with the Earth all over again.
Sharon Blackie, Editor, EarthLines Magazine