THE NAKED SAILOR

An introspective Canadian writer embarks on a three-month journey on the South China Sea in this travel memoir.

Coutts’ book opens with a playful exploration of the term naked, exploring literal and metaphorical definitions which are later woven throughout the narrative. The most prevalent definition is “with no qualification or concealment: the naked facts,” as the author admits his inexperience in sailing and travel when he embarked on his journey in 2009. Despite his trepidation, he agreed to go on a three-month sailing trip in the South China Sea from Thailand to the Philippines with two compatriots, Rob and John, on a small yacht named Bob-the-boat. (The author notes that some names in the book have been changed.) Rob, Coutts’ childhood friend, owned the boat, and the author portrays him as a carefree, adventurous foil to his own wariness, introspection, and inexperience, and to John’s overbearing meticulousness. The crew’s journey began in Bangkok, where the author witnessed the area’s historical and cultural vibrance, but also, he says, the dark realities of the red-light district in the Patpong region. The crew later travels to Phuket to set sail, and the sea proves to be as unpredictable as the turbulent weather; they also face threats of piracy, and the men’s personalities clash in the boat’s confined space. By the end of the narrative, the author reflects on his personal growth, often attributed to his navigation of cultural disparities, global inequality, and difficult sea travel. Coutts’ tone throughout the book is often incredulous (“What about pirates, sharks, tropical diseases, typhoons and tsunamis? Isn’t it unbearably hot? And what did I know about motoring yachts?”), but his sweeping, dramatic descriptions of Southeast Asia make for a diverting read. Similarly, the author’s ruminations on his experiences and how they affected his sense of self are compelling. However, readers seeking a fresh take on the travel memoir may be a bit disappointed, particularly by its familiar interpretations of cultural differences between Southeast Asia and North America.

An often engagingfish-out-of-water story that follows a well-trod path to self-discovery.