Overview

"Throwing off the dock lines in Hawaii and leaving everything familiar behind, three young inexperienced sailors headed out into the blue aboard ""Lille Dansker,"" a beautiful old wooden gaff-rigged ketch. Bound for an unknown destination ""South,"" somewhere/anywhere in the South Pacific, the sailors face challenging and life-changing encounters with the natural world. After landfall in Bora Bora, they voyage through French Polynesia, working and living with islanders. In the Tuamotu Archipelago the men experience life-threatening diving among the sharks. The returning sailors approach the future with a bright outlook and a new appreciation for teamwork and the natural world. Today's adventurers will recognize the wanderlust of Lille Dankser's crew but this was a time when navigation was ""by guess and by god"" and every human interaction was new, fresh and memorable. Clay Hutchinson has brought that world back to us through his writing, his photographs and art. Climb aboard ""Lille Dansker,"" a little ship headed for Somewhere South!"

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9781732547094

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"""Clay Hutchinson looks back 45 years to a South Pacific cruise we all dream about. With Hawaii the start and finish; Tahiti the destination; and the traditional, Danish-inspired 37' double-ended ketch LILLE DANSKER the boat, ""we became decent sailors and were able to help LILLE find her rhythm."" LILLE helped her four twenty-something crewmen find their rhythms as well.""--Maynard Bray, cofounder ""Offf Center Harbor"", maritime historian ""Off Center Harbor"" Clay Hutchinson captures the essence of long-distance voyaging in a small wooden boat and cruising through French Polynesia in this well told story of three young men on their adventure of a lifetime. Equally intriguing is his ability to capture on paper the essence of Tahiti in the 1970s, a people and culture forever changed now by the pressures of western civilization. Hutchinson makes the reader feel like they are right there with the crew throughout the epic voyage of the ""Lille Dansker.""--Bill ""Noodle"" Leary, Bill ""Noodle"" Leary review ""Author of ""Author of Noodle's Notes: 50 years of Voyaging in Hawaii and the Pacific"""" Clay Hutchinson's memoir of a voyage from Hawaii to French Polynesia in the 1970s is a fine addition to the trove of sailing yarns that come from well-tended logbooks. It's a tale of adventure, curiosity, ingenuity, and friendship in a world quite different from the one that would change so radically with the advent of GPS a few years later. Lille Dansker, a fine old Aage Nielsen gaff ketch, is as much a character in the tale as Hutchinson and his mates, and the story is peppered with observations that any sailor will enjoy, from the hydrodynamics of mahi to the effectiveness of a Polynesian star compass.--Doug Logan, Author of ""BoatSense"" among other titles In 1977, three young sailors launched out from Honolulu to quench an undeniable thirst for adventure on a ""Somewhere South"". Undeterred by wind and wave, or the lack thereof, they meet all challenges head on and arrived in French Polynesia aboard the capable 38-foot wooden ketch, ""Lille Dansker"". Their exploits, as captured and told through the eyes of author Clay Hutchinson, will make you laugh, hold your breath, and most assuredly have you cheering them on throughout. The included watercolor paintings and illustrations by artist Clemson Lam are particularly captivating. A must read for those looking to escape to an unspoiled island paradise.--Mark Logan, Ocean sailor, Col. US Army (Retired) In reading this captivating '70s memoir I felt like a welcome stowaway joining three wide-eyed, resourceful young men on their voyage of discovery in the South Pacific. Hutchinson's voice in recounting the friends' life aboard LILLE DANSKER, their interactions with islanders and local culture, respect for their boat and ocean environment, is honest and appealing--fun and a little goofy at times, but that goes perfectly with the mood, the era, and the delightful scrapbook photos of hunky sailor/surfer dudes exploring a South Seas paradise aboard a beautiful wooden boat.--Jane Crosen, Map maker and nautical editor"

Clay Hutchinson looks back 45 years to a South Pacific cruise we all dream about. With Hawaii the start and finish; Tahiti the destination; and the traditional, Danish-inspired 37' double-ended ketch LILLE DANSKER the boat, we became decent sailors and were able to help LILLE find her rhythm. LILLE helped her four twenty-something crewmen find their rhythms as well. --Maynard Bray, cofounder Offf Center Harbor , maritime historian Off Center Harbor Clay Hutchinson captures the essence of long-distance voyaging in a small wooden boat and cruising through French Polynesia in this well told story of three young men on their adventure of a lifetime. Equally intriguing is his ability to capture on paper the essence of Tahiti in the 1970s, a people and culture forever changed now by the pressures of western civilization. Hutchinson makes the reader feel like they are right there with the crew throughout the epic voyage of the Lille Dansker. --Bill Noodle Leary, Bill Noodle Leary review Author of Author of Noodle's Notes: 50 years of Voyaging in Hawaii and the Pacific Clay Hutchinson's memoir of a voyage from Hawaii to French Polynesia in the 1970s is a fine addition to the trove of sailing yarns that come from well-tended logbooks. It's a tale of adventure, curiosity, ingenuity, and friendship in a world quite different from the one that would change so radically with the advent of GPS a few years later. Lille Dansker, a fine old Aage Nielsen gaff ketch, is as much a character in the tale as Hutchinson and his mates, and the story is peppered with observations that any sailor will enjoy, from the hydrodynamics of mahi to the effectiveness of a Polynesian star compass.--Doug Logan, Author of BoatSense among other titles In 1977, three young sailors launched out from Honolulu to quench an undeniable thirst for adventure on a Somewhere South . Undeterred by wind and wave, or the lack thereof, they meet all challenges head on and arrived in French Polynesia aboard the capable 38-foot wooden ketch, Lille Dansker . Their exploits, as captured and told through the eyes of author Clay Hutchinson, will make you laugh, hold your breath, and most assuredly have you cheering them on throughout. The included watercolor paintings and illustrations by artist Clemson Lam are particularly captivating. A must read for those looking to escape to an unspoiled island paradise.--Mark Logan, Ocean sailor, Col. US Army (Retired) In reading this captivating '70s memoir I felt like a welcome stowaway joining three wide-eyed, resourceful young men on their voyage of discovery in the South Pacific. Hutchinson's voice in recounting the friends' life aboard LILLE DANSKER, their interactions with islanders and local culture, respect for their boat and ocean environment, is honest and appealing--fun and a little goofy at times, but that goes perfectly with the mood, the era, and the delightful scrapbook photos of hunky sailor/surfer dudes exploring a South Seas paradise aboard a beautiful wooden boat.--Jane Crosen, Map maker and nautical editor

Clay Hutchinson's memoir of a voyage from Hawaii to French Polynesia in the 1970s is a fine addition to the trove of sailing yarns that come from well-tended logbooks. It's a tale of adventure, curiosity, ingenuity, and friendship in a world quite different from the one that would change so radically with the advent of GPS a few years later. Lille Dansker, a fine old Aage Nielsen gaff ketch, is as much a character in the tale as Hutchinson and his mates, and the story is peppered with observations that any sailor will enjoy, from the hydrodynamics of mahi to the effectiveness of a Polynesian star compass.--Doug Logan, Author of BoatSense among other titles In reading this captivating '70s memoir I felt like a welcome stowaway joining three wide-eyed, resourceful young men on their voyage of discovery in the South Pacific. Hutchinson's voice in recounting the friends' life aboard LILLE DANSKER, their interactions with islanders and local culture, respect for their boat and ocean environment, is honest and appealing--fun and a little goofy at times, but that goes perfectly with the mood, the era, and the delightful scrapbook photos of hunky sailor/surfer dudes exploring a South Seas paradise aboard a beautiful wooden boat.--Jane Crosen, Map maker and nautical editor Clay Hutchinson looks back 45 years to a South Pacific cruise we all dream about. With Hawaii the start and finish; Tahiti the destination; and the traditional, Danish-inspired 37' double-ended ketch LILLE DANSKER the boat, we became decent sailors and were able to help LILLE find her rhythm. LILLE helped her four twenty-something crewmen find their rhythms as well.--Maynard Bray, cofounder Offf Center Harbor, maritime historian Off Center Harbor

Author Information

"After sailing ""somewhere south"", Clay Hutchinson returned to Hawaii and a career on and near the ocean, staying involved with ocean sailing. He and his family live there today."

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