When former teacher turned author Elvin Carter published a book about old sailing ships lasts year little did he realise that he would soon be doing another.
Lightning certainly has struck twice for Elvin, who lives in Devoran. Having been presented with a box full of memorabilia, including original rough logs and a typed copy of them, plus an album full of photographs about a sailor on board huge sailing ships, he has put together a second book, The Last Voyage of the Olivebank, about the days of sail and of vessels similar to those that used to call in at Falmouth for orders.
“What a great find and what is more it is about the complete “Last Great Grain Race of 1938-39,” said Elvin. “Exactly the same race as Eric Newby wrote about in his famous book when he was on the Moshulu as an 18 year old, only this man, Len Townend, was on the Olivebank. It was his first trip in sail too and he met Eric in Port Victoria.”
Len was a Yorkshireman and was a friend of Geoff Robertshaw, a relative of Elvin and the subject of his first book that won high acclaim in Cornwall, not least in Falmouth when it was published last year.
Len Townend's account of his voyage on the sailing vessel "Olivebank" in the last great grain race of 1938-39 is a poignant true story told with verve, humour, honesty and sensitivity. It is also an account of the last voyage of this fine ship, a four masted barque built in Glasgow in 1892 by Messers Mackie and Thomson.
Elvin’s first book was made available last year when the Tall Ships Festival was held in Falmouth. This year the Tall Ships race will be from Hartlepool in August and Elvin will be present with his new book.
Huge sailing ships were engaged in trade right up to the outbreak of world war two and in the last race 13 ships were involved the winner being the Moshulu which took 91 days to cover the 12,000 miles the Olivebank taking 118 days.
Elvin’s book The Last Voyage of the Olivebank, is now on sale in Falmouth, priced £9.99.
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