SKIPPER

About the Book

‘Skipper’ is the story of a small ship manned by part time reserve navy sailors on a voyage from Singapore to Brisbane, Australia. During the trip the crew, from the Captain on his first ocean voyage to the most junior sailor, is tested by inexperience, a pirate attack, a cyclone and the tragic death of one of their own. Confined to the limits of a one hundred and twenty foot steel box, the crew react in a variety of ways to their new surrounds. Several do not cope and are dismissed. Others learn from the sea and the experienced seamen to overcome doubt and fear to emerge as proud and laudable sailors with skills that will assist them in every walk of life. The sailors that complete the voyage of the Gunnedah, are better for the experience. They will acknowledge the benefits in family relationships, civilian employment and personal achievement. Above all they will return to the sea and introduce others to the lessons learned.

About the Author

Dick Lee was born in Fredericton, the capital city of New Brunswick, Canada in 1944. He attended secondary school in the Province of Quebec and in 1966 completed a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree with a major in Biology at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, USA. Immigrating to Australia in 1970 he completed post graduate qualifications in marine science, a teaching diploma and a number of training certificates. As a consultant in marine and fishing he has developed and managed commercial fishing and seafood operations in the Pacific Islands, Papua New Guinea and Australia. As a lecturer, teacher, instructor, and mentor he has learned and taught the skills of handling small and large vessels, both sail and powered. For over thirty years he has contributed on a regular basis to the trade magazines in marine shipping, commercial fishing and seafood. As a Watchkeeping Deck Officer and Ships Diving Officer in the Royal Canadian Navy, Dick experienced the Atlantic and Caribbean waters and worked with the navies of NATO. As the Commanding Officer of several Australian Naval Reserve ships, including patrol boats and landing craft, he has participated in voyages and activities in the Great Barrier Reef and Pacific Islands. With a life spent on and in the water, Dick Lee has developed and maintains a deep respect for the marine and freshwater environments and their power and authority as an instructor in the life values important to us all.