THE TOTORORE VOYAGE

In June 1999 at the age of 72 and still working passionately on seabird research, Gerry Clark and crewmate Roger Sale were wrecked and lost on the New Zealand sub-Antarctic Antipodes Island. This new edition of The T otorore Voyage’ pays tribute to Gerry, who in 1983 at the age of 56 set out from New Zealand in his 10 metre wooden yacht to circumnavigate Antarctica in a quest for new information about seabirds. In this graphic account of the ensuing 3 year 8 month voyage, he describes his adventures in some of the remotest, wildest and most spectacularly beautiful parts of the world.

Gerry and his crew members visited Robinson Crusoe Island, little known islands in the Chilean Archipelago, and the infamous Cape Horn, where they camped on the very peak to make important bird discoveries. They spent many months sailing around the Falklands and South Georgia, and narrowly escaped being trapped by pack ice on a trip to the Antarctic Peninsula. Sailing from South Georgia to Punta Arenas, Totorore was dismasted; and again between Cape Town and Marion Island. On this occasion Gerry had to cut the mast and rigging adrift. He continued alone under jury-rig, and Totorore rolled five times in two of the most terrifying storms yet encountered.

With the engine out of action and the jury-mast gone, the voyage became a desperate struggle for survival ending with Totorore limping into Fremantle two and a half months later.

In this remarkable adventure story of resilience and resourcefulness in the face of perils and disappointments, we share the author’s determination to survive and his exhilaration at each new discovery. It makes enthralling reading for anyone interested in the sea and the birdlife of the Southern Oceans.

For his voyage in Totorore, Gerry was awarded the M.B.E., the Northland Harbour Boards Blue Water Trophy, the Tilman Medal for Cruising in High Latitudes (by the Royal Cruising Club of Great Britain), the Royal Akarana Yacht Clubs Tequila Propeller Award, the Blue Water Medal of the Cruising Club of America, the Fred Norris Medal of the Devonport Yacht Club, the Stolberger Memorial Award of the New Zealand Yacht Club Navigators Society and was honoured to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Gerry Clark, seaman, ornithologist, conservationist and adventurer started his lifelong relationship with the sea aboard the school ship Worcester at the age of 14 and ended it aboard Totorore aged 72. His passion for seabirds and their conservation brought him high praise, many adventures and personal fulfilment.

In his forward to this edition, Sir Edmund Hillary writes, ‘Gerry Clark leaves behind the image of a remarkable man who, though fearful at times, never failed in his courage and proved himself a master sailor in the worst oceans of the world’

This book has been reprinted from the original with the inclusion of new photographs and a Biographical chapter on Gerry Clark and his work by Dr. Andrew O’Grady.