I just finished - to my regret it had to end - Dallas Murphy's Rounding the Horn: Being the Story of Williwaws and Windjammers, Drake, Darwin, Murdered Missionaries and Naked Natives — A Deck's-Eye View of Cape Horn.
I bumped into Murphy at a post-race party in Glen Cove, Long Island. When I described myself as a fan of the genre "men in bad weather" Murphy suggested his own Rounding the Horn. It's a great read.
Murphy spent some weeks aboard Pelagic - a Patagonia region sailing tour boat. He weaves together the tale of their own and historic explorations. Missionaries, traders, botanists, fools, and adventurers come alive in Murphy's hands. Together we tour the dramatic and challenging region - landing at Cape Horn, exploring fjords, and the site of massacres, triumphs, rescues, wisdom, and foolishness.
Below NPR's Neil Conan talks with Murphy.
