THE BOAT WHO WOULDN'T FLOAT

by Farley Mowat ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 12, 1970

The recalcitrant vessel in question, misnamed the ""Happy Adventure"" for the flagship of an infamous pirate, does, in fact, keep some part of itself above water most of the time, and a pleasant account results from its imbued willfulness and Mowat's own spirited insistence upon running the ""Happy Adventure"" adrift, aground and around the treacherous south coast of Newfoundland. Especially enjoyable is the rechristening of the boat into the flagship (and sole representative) of the Basque Mercantile Marine, resurrecting the three-hundred-year-old tradition of St. Pierre's Basque descendants. This maiden voyage at an end, capsuled histories follow of the seven successive sailings, the most memorable being the excursion to Expo '67 in Montreal. ""Itchy,"" as she is now known, continues to take on water, but just as Mowat is about to surrender her to the depths, she becomes miraculously dry, leaving him to conclude with the reader, that, as long as leaks fail to, hope springs eternal and more will float to the surface.

Pub Date: March 12, 1970

ISBN: 055327788X

Page Count: -

Publisher: Little, Brown--A.M.P.

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1970

Categories: NONFICTION