Moderate Becoming Good Later – Sea Kayaking the Shipping Forecast by Toby & Katie Carr is an exhilarating and deeply moving story of one man’s attempt to sea kayak the areas of the Shipping Forecast, which has charmed millions of listeners and helped generations of seafarers for decades.
The book is full of so many emotions, including an intense sadness (more of that later) and proof of what can be achieved if one has the drive, determination and ambition to succeed against the odds; and the odds were certainly stacked against Toby, a trained architect!
He was no stranger to weathering his fair share of personal storms. Not only did he have to face the death of his brother before embarking on his incredible adventure, but he realised a rare life-limiting condition meant his time on Earth would be cut short.
Having grown up listening to the Shipping Forecast, it provided the perfect focus when the avid kayaker decided to set forth on an adventure of a lifetime. It was an adventure which took him to the harshest and most tranquil stretches of water during which he discovered the real people, places and stories behind the familiar names and imagined environments of the well-loved BBC broadcast.
Sadly, Toby succumbed to his illness in 2022 before he could achieve his goal of kayaking in every area of the Shipping Forecast, which is when Toby’s sister, Katie, stepped in. Using her brother’s extensive notes and recordings, she wrote this 336-page book – and what a volume it is, too.
Katie has captured the excitement, danger, sense of achievement and so many other emotions Toby must have felt as he courageously ticked off regions of the Shipping Forecast. Throughout the book, the reader realises that this is a race against time for Toby and, as such, you find yourself cheering him on.
Not only is this a gripping story of adventure and travel, it’s also a personal voyage of discovery which includes old friends, plenty of wildlife and the ever-present sea in all its various states.
I enjoyed this book and, at times, struggled to put it down so highly recommend it.
More information:
The book is published in paperback by Summersdale, price £9.99.
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