Linda Greenlaw

Seaworthy

A Swordboat Captain Returns to the Sea

Viking, July 2010

Linda Greenlaw hadn’t been bluewater fishing for ten years — not since the events chronicled in the brooks The Perfect Storm and The Hungry Ocean — but when her lobster traps aren’t paying off, her truck is on its last gasp, and the bills are piling up, she decides to take a friend up on his offer and captain a boat for a season of swordfishing. A decade older, and with family responsibilities, she’s a different person heading out to sea, but any reluctance is quickly tempered by the magnetic lure of adventure. And the rusty and ancient, and even with a crew of four Greenlaw is faced with technical challenges. There are the expected complexities of longline fishing and the nuances of reading the weather. Her greatest challenge, however, comes when the boat’s lines inadvertently drift into Canadian waters and Greenlaw is thrown in jail.

Capturing the moment-by-moment details of her journey, Greenlaw tells a story about human nature and the nature around us, about learning what can be controlled and when to let fate step in. Seaworthy is a compelling narrative about a person setting her own terms and finding her true self between land and water.

 

“It’s a pleasure to be out once more on the water with Greenlaw, like hooking up again with a favorite fishing guide.Greenlaw speaks with unquestionable authority when fashioning the salty atmosphere of swordfishing life. A vanishing slice of life caught with ardor and freshness.”

– Kirkus (starred)