Seaworthy

In an attempt to feel less adrift in the world, Wyl Menmuir buys and restores a neglected wooden boat with a plan to restore and sail it from his home in Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly, across thirty miles of open ocean.

It''s a quest – a foolhardy one, some say. Though a keen sailor, Wyl has no experience restoring boats, nor of oceanic crossings, let alone in a sixteen-foot dinghy that has seen better days. And the quest itself is far broader than making the vessel seaworthy again and reaching Scilly – he hopes to bring himself back onto an even keel too, able to function once again at a time of uncertainty.

Full of warmth, honesty and jeopardy, Seaworthy is in part a book about the ways in which we try to fix ourselves when we are mentally unmoored, and in part about the value of using our hands and involving ourselves more fully in the world of things. It is a thoughtful adventure into good mental health and a timely reminder about the value of creativity to help us work out our place in a changing world.