The Long Way Paperback – January 1, 1995

Moitessier has received some less than positive reviews of this classic of sailing literature. A non sailor may ask what can be so absorbing about sitting for months in a boat rocking around to wind and sea.Bernard Moitessier conveys in a poetic manner just what that essence is of being at sea for months and the moment by moment intensity that can be experienced in a world that could seem rather dull and uninteresting to the uninitiated.Indeed it is his full immersion in the moment that comes across, his absorption in the complete world both superficial and at much greater depths.His heightened perception of life is drawn out through his experience and this is a journey into which we are drawn ourselves as we travel the long way.As a sometimes sailor myself i can perhaps appreciate all the more the little things that help us see the bigger picture and give us those moments of rapture and revelation.To the non-sailor who can let his/her imagination flow with the journey, comes the reward of insight into the beauty and majesty of the ocean world and the internal trials and joys of the lone sailor.For Moitessier, the feeling of connection to the spirit of nature leads him to forgo the more worldly pursuits which are represented for him by the machinations of the European world, and leads him towards the Pacific Islands, giving him more time to experience this connection and take him to a world less troubled by the ingress of modern civilization.Sadly he finds that the concrete is rapidly replacing the greenery in Tahiti too.Some may scoff at what may appear as naive ranting and green fanaticism, calling it dated and over simplistic, however the message is as valid today as it was in the 1960's, probably more so as environmental destruction continues at a pace unheard of before.His dream that a simple life can lead to greater happiness and fulfillment for all are just as apparent and important now.Moitessiers' books are still a great source of reference, inspiration education and enjoyment to the sailing community the world over and takes us into the magic and beauty that is the world when seen through the lens of a purified mind.The down side of this paperback edition is that it omits the great photographs to be found in the hard back edition, i would have paid more had i known, and bought a better copy.

The copy I got came covered in some kind of oil giving the second half of the book a wet feel but it didn’t really get in the way, seemed fitting for a book on sailing.

This is simply the best sailing book ever, and very dangerous for anyone who has a settled life, but wonders if there might not be more. Resist this, if you can:"My real log is written in the sea and sky; the sails talking with the rain and the stars amid the sounds of the sea, the silences full of secret things between my boat & me, like the times I spent as a child listening to the forest talk."It is also a story about a competitive man who had the prize in his hands (winning a non-stop, solo around the world race), thought about all the cameras, newsmen, Brigitte Bardot in attendance et al, and decided to just keep on sailing.Oh yes, and the book is chock-full of extremely good advice about blue-water sailing. I wish I had a below-decks steering station with a plexiglass dome to look through...

If you are looking for a story of epic storms, exotic locales, or heroic landfalls, this book is not for you. Moitessier writes about his inner life as worked out on the open ocean. As he sails alone across the vastness, he reveals his deepening sense of peace and purpose. The writing is beautiful, lyrical. If you love sailing or the sea, you'll like this book. Read it, and you'll experience the salt air and the sounds of water along the hull. But, you will also wrap yourself in the story of Moitessier's search for himself, and how he found himself.

I truly enjoy those books where a solitary person takes on the unknown and writes as they find it day by day. This is a classic example of a man that entered a world race and then enjoyed being alone on his boat with the ocean and nature so much he gave up a race to the finish where he could have won and carried on to go round again! Reading this you can feel how he became part of the oceanic world he sailed and knew its foibles and sudden changes but merely accepted that as part of the trip. Mesmerising stuff and so rare today. It was not written seeking fame or glory it was written as almost a personal log of a journey. This was a journey that changed the man and his life was never the same again.

Um clássico da literatura náutica. Leitura ágil e divertida para quem gosta do mar e de veleiros.

A wonderful book about being true to yourself and an amazing sailing voyage.

Un libro genial y muy muy entretenido.Es una aventura que no te deja indiferente.

Hier wird sein Seele dargestellt. Er beschreibt sein Fahrt aus der Seele, aber dabei gibt er viele Tipps um als blauwasser Segler technisch durch zukommen.

Fantastic sailing story. Where most sailing stories focus on the many difficulties of weather and gear failure, Moitessier allocates those experiences to their proper place of everyday happenings.I met this man in Huahine, French Polynesia while crewing on a family yacht in 1976. I liked his easy manner and quiet confidence. I wasn’t aware of his great renown at the time, so wasn’t awed when meeting him.What impressed me most about this book was his interaction with the sea and the birds he encountered in the deep ocean. Another man won this race, and made his life work from that experience. Moitessier was the better man for leaving the race and going his own way.If you want someone to emulate for truly experiencing a life on water, you can’t get anyone better than Bernard.