Reviews
Don Cochrane, UK
I just finished, for the second time, your book. This is a great story, very
well written with very few "typo's", so few in fact I didn't even bother to
write them down.
From researching, to buying to updating to outfitting to first cruise--a
fantastic overview of what it takes to live the dream.
The lessons learned along the way will be of great benefit to anyone thinking
of buying a trawler, or any serious cruising yacht. The first long cruise and
the horrible weather encountered proves once again the value of preplanning and
experience and that old adage that experience builds expertise with expertise
coming from bad experiences!!
The emotional "ups and downs" were well written with no punches pulled.
Nicholas has David very well trained!!
The continual reference to "Jenny" as a living creature made for some very
funny stories--seems Jenny "likes" military boats the best!!
The continuing refrigerator saga gives great insight into the trials and
tribulations of trouble shooting, after sales support and, if was me, how big a
splash the thing would make as I tossed it overboard!!
Buy the book, you won't be disappointed. This book is a great learning tool
on what to expect. Worth the effort
Don
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Jeff Merrill, Nordhavn
What is it about travelling by sea that speaks to so many of us? If you want
to know more detail about what happens after you buy the boat of your dreams
(both the good and the bad) then you need to pick up a copy of David Schramm’s
new book, “Jenny’s Journey – the reality of living the dream”. This is a great
read for trawler owners – past, present and future.
David let me know a few months ago that he was working on this book and I
offered to review it once it was done and what a treat! Written in a similar
format to Ken Williams’s two great Nordhavn adventure books this is a
chronological stream of emails and observations nicely weaved into a blow by
blow account of the travels of Jenny, Nordhavn 46 hull number 39. David and Mary
bought Jenny to enjoy the dream we all have – ship out to sea on the foam paved
ocean undulations that provide a path to anyplace in the world you can imagine…
This is a thick soft cover book (364 pages) with insights, details and
lessons learned along the way. David’s narrative classifies many of the aspects
involved in acclimating to and then living the cruising lifestyle. I have
included a few of my favorite quotes from the book, but they only hint at the
complete content which is really a fantastic overview of what you might expect
should you follow in Jenny’s wake and do something similar.
Buying the boat before retirement, getting her ready while wrapping up a
career and then cutting loose – it’s a voyage of discovery that has been played
out countless times before, but never laid out in such honest detail. In
addition to travel times, average speeds and GPS locations (you could plot
Jenny’s course as a navigational practice drill) we learn about things that
break and their costs to fix – including creative solutions to common problems.
The joys of completing trips and exploring new destinations – the people and
places along the way including fellow boaters in the cruising community and
locals to mingle with are all highlighted.
David correctly characterizes himself as Jenny’s “caregiver” and rejoices as
he uncovers her many secrets – a process that is only revealed through time and
experiences aboard – the light bulb flashes, the dot connects and a mystery is
un-shrouded. .
Jenny is the star, she flirts with other boats and in many ways is the
central character of the book. Propelled by “JD” her affectionately named Lugger
main engine “Her heart of steel is rock solid” we get to know a lot about the
Nordhavn 46. Jenny’s reliable performance in severe sea conditions take care of
David and Mary and Jenny’s apparent feature flaws are identified by David over
time as he ponder solutions and enacts improvements. David explains the
importance of SSB for weather and networking with other cruisers. He learns that
time takes on another dimension in his planning – “Weather and tides rule our
travel plans as opposed to the calendar. Life is already a bit different”. The
adventure is explained philosophically, “Life on board is constant set of
challenges coupled with exotic scenery, people and wild life”. David, a
physicist by training, figures out tricks like maximizing refrigeration and
stashing his portable electronics devices in the oven to protect them when
lightning fills the air. He longs for simple things we all take for granted,
like maple syrup which he finally restocks along the way. He cleverly uses
Google Earth and Weather Buoy to supplement his navigational resources.
David’s time aboard Jenny allows him to shift gears in his internal wiring
from the rat race to cruising mode. “It is nice not being on a schedule. I guess
if you get past the six month mark you can get into a different groove, a
different understanding of cruising. At this point Jenny has become a home
instead of a vehicle.”
Having a hookah to dive and inspect the hull gives him a new found freedom
underwater and boosts his confidence of self reliance. Basic fishing techniques
are developed to harvest free fresh meals from the sea. The joys of land falls
and beautiful sunsets go mostly unreported, we all know they are just part of
the deal – is suddenly interrupted one night when David catches a thief on board
who is trying to depart with valuable electronics. A reminder that in many ways
you can’t get away from civilization as long as there are humans. (David
provides smart suggestions on how he would handle (and prevent) any future
invasions).
David’s faithful dog Nicholas enjoys the entire adventure and is his
steadfast companion throughout – traveling with a dog (including air travel to
and from the boat and immigration issues provides good planning insights for
fellow cruisers who will also explore foreign countries with pets. Sailboats and
trawlers share special coves and there are also periods of glorious solitude and
heartbreaking loneliness. “No sign of other boats today. It is too nasty out. I
am so glad to be on Jenny instead of a sailboat. At least I have windows and
some view on the world”. David’s life conclusions are brutally honest and he has
clearly enriched his life with these experiences.
Jenny’s Journey covers the time frame from December 2003 to May 2009 and this
wonderful second hand Nordhavn 46 travels from British Columbia down the west
coast, through the Panama Canal and then across the Caribbean to Florida – a
distance of over 8,000 miles..
Don’t be surprised at the money spent to enjoy this lifestyle (David gives
some very real cost break downs of his boat breakdowns. The title is
appropriate, it is the reality of the dream that makes the story ring clear.
David’s writing is remarkably candid in not only disclosing what things cost,
but also what fixes he made. The bonds made and support shared with like minded
travelers, especially fellow Nordhavn 46 owners Larry and Sue Tomback remind us
all that even though you are on your own boat you are also “in the same boat” as
your fellow cruisers. If you would like a good book to help you better
understand what the life of a cruiser can be I strongly recommend you pick up a
copy and enjoy the ride.
Jeff
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Tim Morris
I just finished reading your book at long last. Took a few sessions amongst a
busy period.
I so appreciate having had the opportunity to read your story, and was floored
when the personal bits came into the equation.
Truthfully, I initially found the book really interesting, but then a bit
repetitive with the logs not telling much of great interest. I guess that can be
life on a boat sometimes. Your personal life added another dimension to the
'log' and it became far deeper than just a boat journey. I ended having really
enjoyed the first book I have read for decades. My nature got me frustrated with
the numerous errors in the 'typing'. So stupid, they don't change the nature of
the story.
The book has caused me to ask many questions of myself and my Dream to go
cruising. My 25yrs of boats pales into insignificance, and I wonder if I could
hack the reality of the challenges that you met full on.
I also suspect that my personal life may not stand the strain, and suspect that
my lady would ultimately not share my wishes. She's a pretty boat kinda girl !!
Anyway, now to my part of the deal. I tried to get on to Amazon uk where I have
bought and can review, but I have not bought from Amazon USA and the system
tells me I cannot make a review. I will put a positive note on the Dreamers
site, but it will not appear under my name. Callum chucked me off for personal
reasons which I have been unable to fathom.
I hope the book does well, as it should do. I also you wish you well in your
search for a new partner.
Regards
Tim Morris
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Posted by: "Ted" tdavey117@yahoo.co.uk tdavey117
Wed Nov 4, 2009 3:55 pm (PST)
I have just finshed reading David Schramm's book Jenny's Journey.
This is a blow by blow (literally) account of the Schramm's 5 years aboard
their N46 travelling more than 8000mls from San Francisco to the Caribbean
and back to the East Coast with a multitude of stops along the way.
It tells the highs and lows, and you can't help but get drawn into 'the life'.
It's a great read.
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Dan Streech
I finished reading JENNY’S JOURNEY last night. For me, it was a very heavy
duty and poignant book- but for different reasons than are being discussed so
far. As we know, the book is a compilation of David’s logs and e-mails (complete
with misspellings and grammar errors) and shows the evolution of his thoughts
and feelings over a 5 year time span.
David is obviously a very bright guy (Physicist I think?) and methodically
and brilliantly solves the riddles and problems that are embedded in an older
(sometimes new!) boat with gremlins and secrets. He also very competently learns
and conveys the skills and philosophy of cruising. His joy of finding a simple
lifestyle in this crazy complicated world comes thru loud and clear. The “life
is good” phrase repeats itself many times throughout the book and was usually
written in response to a lovely quiet anchorage, a successful passage, a great
meal, solitude or an encounter with good people. We can all relate to that
feeling but frankly don’t get to say it or feel it often enough.
I really liked the way that David gave human traits to his boat “Jenny” and
to his engine “JD”. That really struck home with me. Jenny was a bit capricious
(flirting and keeping secrets) but in the end was a faithful friend who loved
the open sea and protected David when the going was rough. JD, was his faithful
friend- never complaining and always ready; only asking for clean fuel.
I was also very touched by David’s affection for his dog Nicholas. Marcia and
I have a dog very similar to Nicholas and completely understand the
companionship that he provided.
However, not long into the book, I saw a secondary story emerging. About 50
pages before David wrote “Mary is not happy..” ,I was already picking up the
scent. Since the story of the boat and the places visited is somewhat old hat to
me and already well documented by others, I began to focus on this unfolding
human drama. As the pages were turned, I sadly watched the marriage crumble-
with Mary leaving the boat in Panama “and probably not coming back”.
Was Mary a cold hearted woman who sabotaged the effort, or was David a
brilliant high IQ guy who was clueless of his wife’s feelings and needs? (Mary
is not a cold hearted woman. DAS) We don’t really know because David isn’t
writing to that subject and there wasn’t any background or detail given. I was
fascinated as I watched David’s personal life unravel while his cruising skills
continued to evolve. David was completely candid (almost obliviously candid) as
he described his clumsy romantic encounters in Cartagena and his temporary
fascination with young 3rd world girls- who probably seemed uncomplicated and
easy to please compared to what he was used to.
With this book on my mind, I was especially mindful of several wonderful
“Nordhavn” ladies. At the FLIBS, I spent time with Mary Flanders and Debbie
Heiniger. Both are charming, lovely, competent and fully engaged partners in the
boating lifestyle. Also (chicken and egg?) they are both loved by and in love
with their husbands Scott and Rick. The same dynamics apply to Christi Grab and
husband Eric. I could name many other successes in the Nordhavn world and the
dynamics are similar.
Dan Streech
President, PAE Nordhavn
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Nordhavn Site Link
http://www.nordhavn.com/news/pressrelease/tell_it_like_it_is/
