NF

This fantastic book has been languishing on my shelves for far too long. After I read Haven by Emma Donoghue about three monks venturing off the west coast of Ireland (7th century) to establish a retreat on the outer islands, I was intrigued with the notion of ocean travel in skin boats. There is a theory that the Irish monks traveled in skin boats to North America in the 500's A.D. so Tim Severin figured out how these boats would have been made from tanned skins, flax thread and sheep fat as a sealant and ventured in the 1970s in a replica boat built to make the same trip. The trip was a nail biter going north along the coast to the Hebrides, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, past Greenland and finally to Newfoundland with 4 sailors and with success. It managed severe gale force storms, ruined food, harsh elements of driving rain and plunging temperatures and frightening battles with sea ice that punctured their boat. What a great book! The book has a number of amazing photographs and drawings. Many years ago I saw Severin's boat, the curragh, at at the Craggaunowen open-air museum in County Clare, Ireland. ( )

Redeemed Reader Review https://redeemedreader.com/2020/05/the-brendan-voyage-by-tim-severin/

Un libro affascinante ... ( )

Tim Severin sets out to, as historical as possible, replica the voyages of the Irish monk Saint Brendan to the Promise Land to the west of Ireland, the new world. Saint Brendan made his voyages over a period of seven summers, approximately one thousand years ago. Severin made his aboard the Brendan in the summers of 1976 and 1977.

Following closely the information in the [Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis] the recorded history of the saint's voyage, an open curragh was made of forty-nine oxhides stitched together with a flax thread to forming a patchwork quilt and then stretched over an ash frame. The flexibility of the hide and the ash was extremely important in the sailing and survival of the craft. Two tarpaulins mid and aft provide shelter, covered storage, sleeping quarters for the five then four crew, as well as cooking and radio facilities. Saint Brendan traveled with a crew of twelve to fourteen.

Based on his interpretation of the Navigatio Severin believed the route was north to the Hebrides, then west to the Faroes, Iceland and then to Newfoundland, Canada. His account of the wild North Atlantic waters, the icebergs of Greenland, the people encountered on route would make for a wild seafaring yarn except this is nonfiction, a true life adventure!

Severin provides detailed information on his research and even the ebook contains some photos. What is missing are maps, for me a deduction of half
a star. Highly recommended Four ✨.
Reviewed ( )