Racundra's First Cruise

By Arthur Ransome

Book Overview

"Racundra's First Cruise" is a definitive masterpiece of maritime travel literature, chronicling Arthur Ransome's adventurous maiden voyage through the eastern Baltic Sea. Aboard the custom-built ketch "Racundra", Ransome explores the intricate coastlines of Latvia and Estonia, documenting a journey filled with navigational challenges, sudden storms, and the serene beauty of remote islands. The narrative provides an immersive look at life under sail, blending technical nautical expertise with a deep appreciation for the natural world and the cultural landscape of the interwar Baltic region.

Renowned for its evocative prose and infectious enthusiasm for the sea, the work captures the essence of independent cruising. Ransome's detailed observations of coastal life and his philosophical reflections on the freedom of the sailor make this more than a mere travelogue; it is a celebration of the spirit of discovery and the bond between a mariner and his craft. "Racundra's First Cruise" stands as a foundational text for sailing enthusiasts and armchair travelers alike, offering a timeless window into a world of wind, water, and boundless exploration.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1025939093
• ISBN13: 9781025939094
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 246 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.2" x 0.5" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Nostalgia, saltwater, the towns of the Baltic coast in the 1920's

I have a Penguin edition of 1956 without all the additional material of this new edition. But the basic story is the same. This is a charming narrative of a cruise in a well-built little sailboat, in waters of the Baltic countries, to places the author clearly knows and loves. Arthur Ransome later wrote a series of children's books focused on sailing. He would certainly have agreed with Kenneth Grahame's "Ratty" that ""There is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." One might qualify that, noting that in Ransome's books, the sailing is rather more directed and purposeful - but he always communicates the sheer joy of being on the water in a craft that responds to the elements, at your direction (He was not a fan of engines of any kind - a sometimes necessary evil. Sailing was the thing.) "Racundra's First Cruise" was published in 1923. He had commissioned the building of Racundra, a thirty-foot ketch built for seaworthiness and comfort inside. With the "Ancient Mariner" - an old veteran of the days of sail in clipper ships - and "Cook" - probably the companion who was to become his second wife, but only identified by her unending task - he takes us through many sometimes tricky passages along the Baltic coast, visiting old cobblestoned towns and remote peasant villages.It is delightful to sink back into a time when the sea was still full of trading vessels under sail, though of course large and small steamers also abounded. Mentions of "during the war" refer of course to the Great War. Relics of older conflicts abound - Russian, Swedish, Latvian, Finnish, Estonian - and Ransome provides many interesting footnotes to their stories. My favorite encounter is that with the enigmatic man who lives alone, building a ship, in the forest. The ship is at first seen as "a golden hull in the shadows among those tall trees" then we see that "the upper planking was new, certainly, ruddy gold where the sun caught it, but lower down her hull was weathered"...."The keel, laid on great stones, was joined to them by moss. There was lichen upon it, and on the foot of the stern-post was a large, bright cluster of scarlet toadstools." Enjoy.

cruising

Great little book - takes you back to a different, simpler, world. You don't have to be a sailor to enjoy this.

A book that has all the ingredients for a marvellous movie

I wonder why Hollywood has not yet discovered this book: it has all the ingredients for a box-office hit - sailing in the Baltics, scenic sea- and landscapes, a romantic love affair of a British writer and the private secretary of Leon Trotsky. And the background - the Russian revolution, Estonia's struggle for independence. Rare photos illustrate the book. A must for the romantic sailor!