Rating: 
Summary: A good sailing or break-up book
Review: Peter Nichols book interweaves two stories quite well- his emotions as his marriage declines, and the story of trying to get a wooden boat across the Atlantic. Both stories are told in a very honest manner, reminding the reader that even the best sailors and partners can hit troubled waters. The sailing lore is impressive, and will give a day-sailor a new respect for long distance sailing.
Rating:
Summary: A good sailing or break-up book
Review: Peter Nichols book interweaves two stories quite well- his emotions as his marriage declines, and the story of trying to get a wooden boat across the Atlantic. Both stories are told in a very honest manner, reminding the reader that even the best sailors and partners can hit troubled waters. The sailing lore is impressive, and will give a day-sailor a new respect for long distance sailing.
Rating: 
Summary: Easy-to-read honest slice of life
Review: Reading this book, I could easily envisage the events that were described. This is no account of survival at sea, far from the land. The last journey of Toad is a journey of reflection.What differentiates Peter from the hundreds of other sailors bumming their way round the cruising world is his ability to open his heart and, it seems, openly display his emotions. I felt uncomfortable in some ways that he read his ex-wife's diaries through his last solo voyage, but then it was only then that he could discover part of himself I suppose. He travelled unprepared and I think that he also travelled a little foolishly, but I also didn't get the impression that he was relying on others to save him. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to those who enjoy reading a range of books on ocean voyaging in small boats.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely, introspective, and melancholy in a studied way
Review: This book is about one man's thoughts in the aftermath of a failed marriage. It is also about sailing alone, wherein the solitude becomes a kind of cleansing isolation. More comparable to the prairie meditations of Kathleen Norris (*Dakota*) than the recent spate of adventure-at-sea works, this true story will sweetly haunt your dreams.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT an adventure! Rather, a sad personal account.
Review: Undermining my original excitement to read this book, I found that "Sea Change" offered little in the class of Caldwell's "Desperate Voyage", Junger's "Perfect Storm", or arctic analogies like Cherry-Garrard's "Worst Jounrey in the World". Certainly Nichols is no Shackleton. Rather, Sea Change is a shuffling of Nichols personal difficulties and colorful yet sad reflections on his failed marrage, and some recounts of his sea voyages of mixed interest. There is indeed some interesting information in regard to solo sailing across the oceans and the management of collision avoidance. Yet beyond this the read is dismaying instead of heartening in terms of human survival and energy of the sole. I'd skip this book and move on to truly dramatic accounts. Alternatively, try Jaynes' "Come Hell on High Water", which is at least amusing.
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