Sailing Uphill. An Unconventional Life on the Water
by McKinney, Sam
pub by Horsdal and Shubart Publishers Ltd., Victoria, BC Canada -       - isbn 0-920663-70-2 - - Canadian CCN 00-910801-7 - - 163 pages.

This book is largely autobiographical.
Section 1 - Boats and Ships - a River and the Sea
      A Boy and a Rowboat Youthful adventure, well managed
      Village of my Twelfth Summer - serious commercial fishing, the old way
      Deckboy on the Last Sternwheeler
      Away to Sea - becoming an AB - able-bodied seaman - and sailing on Liberty ships
      My Last Ship - very strange voyage on a -steam schooner- along the Pacific coast of USAS
      Almost to Tahiti - crewed and boat repaired on a yacht, but the voyage never happened
      Shipwrecked in Mexico - working on 82 ft ketch Maggie which slipped its mooring, hit rock, sank.
      Northwest Waters - built a dory. explored Barkley Sound, Nootka Island
      Islands - explored the islands between Vancouver Island and the Canadian mainland from a sailing and outboard powered dory.
      Schooner Called Heritage - Bought unfinished schooner hull. Worked on it. Sold it unfinished.
                        Built Gander I 16 ft outboard dory to adventure across USA W to E.

Section 2 - Voyage Across North America
      Up the Columbia River and Snake River, then down the Missouri, Up the Mississippi to the Chicago River (and canal) to Lake Michigan.
      Then by truck to Lake Huron (Lake Michigan too stormy) then via various canals, including Trent/Severn, across southern Canada.
      Back south via the Richelieu River and the length of Lake Champlain stoping at Burlington, Vermont,
      Then connecting to the Hudson River at Albany, NY and on to New York City, the end of the voyage.
      This took the Summers of 4 years, and involved 3 different boats each named Gander.

Section 3 - Wooden Boats - Western Waters
      Reach of the Tide - The Columbia River as far as the tide mixes the salt of the Pacific Ocean with the fresh coming down the river.
      Rowing to Astoria - At age 70 built a boat and rowed from 100 miles upstream on the Columbia to Astoria.
      A Yawl Called Spray. Where Sam buys a replica of the boat Joshua Slocum sailed around the world,
                but this one the Northern Spray has a Chinese Lug mainsail.
      Requium for my heroes - Wes Bush, Joe of Barkley Sound, Michael Jeneid,
                Joshua Slocum, Harry Pidgeon, Vito Dumas, Bernard Moitessier, H.W. Tilman, and others
      Postscript - conversation with an older guy whose grandfather had met J. Slocum.

All in all, a fun read. By a man who lived an interesting life.
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~2020-07-20 ~

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