E. G. Martin (1881–1945)

This is the best account of a circumnavigation of the world since the immortal Slocum's. ... Ever since Mr Robinson sailed his little vessel (the Svaap, a ketch, 27½ feet on the water-line) in a race to Bermuda, and on arriving announced that he hardly felt like turning back just yet, people who take an interest in that kind of sailing have been wondering what sort of saga would one day be to tell about the Svaap's further voyaging. Now they know. ... He voyaged 'for to see' but not always 'for to admire', but never for the sake of mere motion. He made sure of seeing much more of the world than can be seen by any other kind of voyager, and looked at things always as if no one had seen them before. The result is an extraordinarily engaging, original, humane story which deserves a very much larger public than the small one of amateur sailors.

[Arthur Ransome in The Manchester Guardian, 2817 April 1936; reproduced in Christina Hardyment, Ransome on blue water sailing, p. 74].… (mehr)

This is that rare thing, a beautiful and lasting book. ... Its author, Mr E G Martin, an experienced amateur mariner, spent a fortunate winter, not as an amateur, but as a working mate of a famous barge, the Vigilant, loading wheat, and shingle, and barley, and voyaging between London, Mistley, Woodbridge and Ipswich. In no other way could he have gained the intimate knowledge that has gone into the making of this book. ... He has known what questions to ask and how to answer them, and, in his book, the barge Vigilant will live for all men to see and know, long after every barge afloat to-day has become bare bone, rotted by the rain, or fuel for a longshoreman's fire.

[Arthur Ransome in The Observer, 24 June 1934; reproduced in Christina Hardyment, Ransome on blue water sailing, pp. 69-70].… (mehr)