Novels
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The first novel is based on my first four years on the water, learning to sail and to survive in the boating world. It was the 60's and the world was full of change with new music, new philosophies and the promise of free sex (whatever that was!). 

A Slight Mist on the Horizon is a romp through four years of waterborne adolescent experiences for school two mates in the late 60’s. During this time they ricochet up and down the river Thames in a succession of rotting, crumbling and grossly unsafe tubs in an attempt to learn the ‘art’ of boating. They have one big ambition in mind – to sail the Atlantic Ocean and find palm fringed beaches, hopefully decorated with a few dusky maidens!

Having come together in early senior school and realized that they both have a similar dream, these two characters buy up several boats, starting with a dinghy in which they learn the rudiments of sailing and finishing with a rotten old motorboat which ends its life burnt on the slipway.

In between, they use, explore and work on craft in most states of decrepitude and at the same time meet a series of riverside characters who, apart from adding to their knowledge of all things nautical, add to their knowledge of the world – often in a very dubious manner! Their acquisition of knowledge in the sex and girls department is at best haphazard and at worst, totally confusing, leading to some hilarious but also hazardous adventures with those engaged in what comes naturally!

The characters they meet along the way include Ol’ Lizzie a (semi) retired prostitute who helps them answer some of the big questions about life and tells them stories of her former partner, ‘arry the ‘ole’ and of her life afloat; Dangerous Dave who tries everyway possible to kill himself (and those around him) in a string of disastrous waterborne experiments and Bummer, a school master of questionable personal habits and low morals. Their interest in boating becomes a vehicle to learning about life – the disappointments and hurt, as well as the fun and excitement of new discoveries, experiences and knowledge.

The story starts with the two lads sitting in a boat on the Thames reading through a library book on how to sail whilst their boat does it’s best to deposit them into the river and ends 9 chapters later with them saying goodbye to their adolescence, again on the Thames, a bit wiser and more mature, but no closer to the Atlantic or to that first longed for sexual experience. Having survived early life, they are ready for the next great step and further adventures on life’s long river, in the next book.

At present Towards the Atlantic is looking for an agent/publisher so hopefully it will be available for all to read - if this does not happen, l will publish it on the web, so if you like what you ahve read so far, keep an eye on this page.
A second novel taking the adventures of these two characters into adulthood is under way.

Click on the Cartoon above to go to the excerpt pages.