Marlin Bree

A voyageur's tale of sailing solo, occasionally in dark seas, on Lake Superior. A lovingly written story.
--Baltimore Sun

How does a 20-foot centerboard sloop take on Superior, the largest Great Lake, the deepest, coldest and deadliest? Like a fly in a roomful of swatters...Marlin Bree is often whumped back inside the infrequent breakwaters by almost daily thunderstorms. Fascinating.
--Sail Magazine

Bree and his Persistence dared greatly, struggled greatly and had a worthy run, told with touching candor. Bree is at his best when the lake was at its worst.
-- Wilmington Evening Journal

Captures the feel and wild spirit of one of the most beautiful but treacherous bodies of water in the world.
-Star-Tribune, Minneapolis
Reviewed by Ken Wisneski

His evocative narrative is both an adventure --
he encountered several fierce storms -- and an anecdotal history of the lake, with tidbits on Indians, voyageurs, miners, sea captains and colorful local inhabitants, as well as tales of wind, weather, icy (and sometimes frozen) water, and shipwrekcs. An enjoyable ramble for yachting enthusiasts.
--Publisher's Weekly

This great sea story is more than just a fine adventure. Bree packs the book with the legends that have created such a special aura around the lake, from famous shipwrecks, lost gold mines and great storms to the almost unbelievablew story of the world's richest silver mine. Not to be missed.
Flint (MI) Journal

The turbulent, wind-whipped, wave-washed story of a solo ship voyage on Lake Superior. Along the way we hear many fine and gruesome shipwreck tales and fascinating lore of the deep water. Rugged, tough..a crackling good book.
---Neshoba Democrat
Philadelphia, MS

An electrifying story...certainly the most gripping, passionate account of a voyage since Men Against the Sea. The text crackles with tension.
--Brian Richard Boylan
Author of Final Trace

Marlin Bree's writings are a delightful combination of adventure, history, and lake lore. He plies the big water in a twenty foot wooden sailboat he built in his back yard."
--Minnesota Historical Society
Reviewed by Pat Coleman

The home site of award-winning sailing author and boating journalist Marlin Bree, with news about his books, his noble boat, the Persistence, and his voyages on Lake Superior. Click on the headers above to see color photos of his sailboat--or click right to read excerpts from his sailing books.

Magazine Stuff: Look for Marlin Bree magazine articles:

..Across the top of the world. Take a gander at the humongous Bering Sea waves in Marlin Bree's story in Cruising World about how a Minnesota sailor pushed his boat and crew across the top of the world -- to become the first American sailboat to cross the infamous Northwest Passage. Yes, that Passage, whose fame has spread over the centuries for its storms, shipwrecks, high seas, fog -- and an ever-present danger of ice packs. Read Marlin's article about Cloud Nine and its magnificent crew in the March 2008 Cruising World's upfront Shoreline section. Don't miss the waves.

Classic Craft gets a face-lift: Marlin's article with color photography about building and fitting his own Persistence's new stern is in the March/April 2008 issue of The Ensign magazine. (Go to magazines above to get a link to the article). Gorgeous photography!

Cockpit comfort ahead! In the March/April 2008 issue of DIY Boat Owners Magazine, there's a Marlin Bree article with illustration on Armchair Comfort for your Cockpit. The do-it-yourself article came about as a result of the author's own heart-felt search for a better way to spend long hours sitting in the cockpit, soloing in Persistence. Now his tail is told!

Small Craft Advisor features The Way of the Tiller in February 2008. In the article, the author argues the best sailing is done with tiller, not wheel steering -- and why. Featured are the author's innovations in fitting out a tiller on Persistence.

Look for more Marlin Bree articles in DIY throughout 2008. Coming up sometime early in 2008 will be the incredible true story of survival of a sailor in ice-filled waters in Ensign. For other Marlin Bree magazine articles, check out Marlin's Magazines (top shelf, above) such as the PDF downloadable on The Old Man & the Inland Sea that won the 2007 First Place writing award; Keeping Outboards Running, Maybe Forever, with weblink,Northern Breezes magazine) and, Small Craft: Big Challenges: Lessons and Statistic Crunches from Successful Minicruisers at Small Craft Advisor. You'll find some downloadable PDF's and other good reading matter.All free.

WHAT YOU CAN FIND IN THIS ISSUE

MEET THE THE BOAT IN PERSON (Well, sort of) For close-up color photography of the author's hand-built sloop, Persistence, click on Das Boot (above). The devil, as they say, is in the details. You'll see some devilishly interesting wooden boatbuilding here.

READ SEAFARING STORIES! You can browse excerpts from the author's seafaring stories in his books, including the new Broken Seas: True Tales of Extraordinary Seafaring Adventures. Just click the title on the right.

FREE ADDED ATTRACTIONS: Browse through various magazine articles, more boat pictures and diagrams, news items, boating tips, and some choice book excerpts, which get added to from time to time. The author in particular likes these.

FIND OUT ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Click on the BIO (above) and you will get more information about Marlin Bree than you probably will want. The Bio started out short, but grew over the years, and the author apologizes about that.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

"Super read In its November issue, The Ensign magazine says of Broken Seas: "Author Marlin Bree makes true sailing adventures live again...With each story, we feel the excitement of the cruise and the terror of the final moment when all might be lost. Broken Seas is a super read for those of us who dream of adventure on the sometimes cruel sea." The Ensign review was written by Stf/C Don Dunlap Jr., SN

"Mucho Adventure," writes Small Craft Advisor editor Joshua Colvin about the author's new book, Broken Seas. "..some of the true tales in his latest volume had me sitting up wide-eyed, well past my dreamland deadline. In 216 pages, Bree manages to take the reader aboard all kinds of vessels, often in the worst conditions imaginable. Whether he's writing about Gerry Spiess' 10-footer Yankee Girl knocked flat in in the middle of the Pacific, or the storm driven destruction of the 729-foot Edmund Fitzgerald, Bree rarely lets his reader up for breath. If you enjoy this sort of thing--and who doesn't--you'll want to add Bree's new book to your library. Just don't plan to catch up on any sleep."

"A keeper" says Cruising World (Aug. 2005) about Broken Seas: "Sea-story fans will find in these pages six varied accounts ranging from a passage across the Pacific in a 10-foot sloop to the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald during a Lake Superior storm. Readers who enjoy adventure narratives won't be disappointed."

How to find your way
around these pages

This web site will let you look over some of the books you've been hearing about by author Marlin Bree. To get a quick overview, click on Books (above) or on the book titles listed in blue on the right. Each title has sample excepts for you to enjoy -- the author has not been stingy.

There are six categories in the blue banner above. Click on them to see more about the author, his books, his boat and voyages, magazine articles or boating tips. For example, to see more pictures of Persistence, click on Das Boot.

To get in touch with the author, click on the e-mail quick link on the right. A box inside tells you how to get the author's books from a variety of sources. To order directly from the publisher, call 1-800-669-4908.