Ancient Mariner By J. R. Grey

Captain J.R. Grey RNR was born in 1890 in Port Chalmers Otago, where his father was nautical advisor to the NZ Government. Salt water became his sons natural element , & he developed a lifelong passion for sailing, oceangoing yachts, & exploring. In 1911 he worked his way to Europe via the Horn, returning to NZ via the Mediterranean. He then acquired his first yacht & sailed out of Wellington to explore the Marlborough Sounds. He spent WW1 in the RNR mainly in small ships on anti-submarine patrols based in Northern Ireland, Where he commandeered one of the “Q” or “mystery” ships that were used to trap unsuspecting U-Boats on the surface. After WW1 he sailed the South Pacific, bought a plantation on Moorea, sold it at a profit, enjoyed an extended sailing holiday in Italian & Greek waters, & then spent several years on the North-West Australian coast. Here he explored those then virtually unknown waters for an industrial firm, becoming a Fellow if the Royal Geographical Society. Later he returned to plantation life in Tahiti & Fiji.

In WW11 Captain Grey served with the RAN as requisition officer, based in Cairns, after which he returned to NZ & continued to devote his time to sailing, first around the Hauraki Gulf & in more recent years in the Marlborough Sounds. For the last 80 years ,& more he has been a mariner accumulating a stock of experiences & stories- some hair-raising, some hilarious, some both- & he tells them with the verve & humour of a born raconteur.

Ancient Mariner will delight & entertain general readers who enjoy books of travel & adventure. Sailing enthusiasts will recognise it as a little classic of maritime literature.

185 pages b/w photos softcover Published by:Cape Catley Ltd Queen Charlotte Sound (1981) 215mm x 150mm

ex-library book-usual stamps ,stickers very good condition