“A Gigantic Whinge on the Celtic Fringe”
is the story of a circumnavigation of
From
the Firth of Forth I went through the Caledonian Canal and round Ireland
anti-clockwise, which many people consider to be the ’wrong way
round’. Most, but by no means all of the journey, was sailed solo.
On the way I skirted a lot of the bits of what is sometimes called the
‘Celtic Fringe’. If you are used to travelling in
Cruising
at four or five knots you can appreciate this ‘fringe’ from the
point of view of the people who lived around and travelled across these waters
in the past. From this perspective the Celtic lands are at the centre of a
watery motorway network. The land of the Angles, to the east and south, is an
uninviting ‘fringe’ of flat, featureless swamp and undergrowth.
This is not, as I’m sure is apparent, the gripping story of one
man’s struggle for survival on a cruel and savage ocean. Neither does it
aim to be a pilot book or a set of sailing directions. It’s just the
story of a wimp’s summer holiday.
I like to think that sailing solo hones the senses and heightens critical
awareness. Others have agreed that yes, it does make me moan a lot about
things. The world is a fantastically annoying place and I haven’t tried
to resist the temptation to rant about it.
Many
people have remarked that this account ought to be used for kindling. Taking
their kind words to heart a version of the tale is now available on Amazon for
the Kindle. Click on the cover image
below to go to that bit of amazon.co.uk.
If
you are struggling with the grainy black and white photos on Kindle, all the
images in ‘A Gigantic Whinge on the Celtic Fringe’ are available on
PDF here.
Or
go to the UK Martin Edge Author Page at Amazon or http://www.amazon.com/author/edge
Zoominandoutable Map of Zophiel’s
Circumnavigation of