Spirit Sail is about a special sailor’s vision, of seeing fundamental truths in much of what happens during his time afloat. The book’s premise is that, despite the contrast between the action-filled world of the sailor and the more sedate world ashore, they both have the same underlying values. Nelson Price explores these values in many of the sailing moments we take for granted.
His chapters on hospitality, friends, romance, and a variety of other subjects are the softer, subtler issues of sailing. Deeper significance as well as increased enjoyment are found in these aspects of boating life. The author has decades of experience in both faith-based programming and sailing that uniquely position him to write about this intersection of disciplines.
It is not an easy book to breeze through, by virtue of the subject matter. A sailor’s beliefs are quite often as fiercely defended as his or her lifestyle. Both are intensely personal matters. Overcoming this resistance takes a combination of willingness on the reader’s part and compelling precision on the writer’s.
If you are looking for a volume on sailing expertise or hardware, please look further. If, however, you hope to glimpse God’s awe on the water or the cause and effect of our relationships, there is insight here.
This light-hearted book is a readable joy-filled memoir finding meanings for us to consider, to ponder, and accept or reject as we may choose. Perhaps best of all, by the very exercise of choosing, each of us will have moved a bit more toward self-discovery.
For those who are open to examining the essence of our recreation, or perhaps have already sensed a link between the diversion of sailing and regeneration of spirit, consider the book Spirit Sail. Sailing, like life, can be enriched by discovering the currents beneath the surface.
The author seems a man without pretension; a passionate sailor sharing his great love of the world. I was left with the feeling that I’d like to spend an afternoon with him, to exchange theories, explore common ground. You might also.
Spirit Sail — A Memoir of Spirituality and Sailing by Nelson Price (iUniverse, 2008; 114 pages)
