Book Review: The Naked Sailor

Reviewed by Elizabeth Zender

A fast-paced and funny memoir through the South China Sea

Author and retiree Norman Coutts travels to Thailand to help one of his good friends relocate their yacht to the Philippines in The Naked Sailor. His long-time pal Rob is moving to be with his new partner, and he invites Norman along as part of the crew for the boat. Despite a lack of knowledge surrounding what it takes to be a first mate, Norman jumps at the chance to travel and spend time with his friends.

Coutts is in for a bit of a shock. He travels with another friend, John, to meet up with Rob, and the three of them embark on what turns out to be a journey of a lifetime. How can anyone pass up the chance to see more of the world with their friends? 

Norman, John, and Rob explore various countries and islands on their way to the Philippines, stopping to visit Malaysia, Singapore, and more. Coutts shares his views and changing mindset as he takes readers through the weeks of his trip. From dangerous weather and pirates to hilarious shipmates and new acquaintances, there is much to love in this lighthearted voyage.

Lovers of adventure will not be disappointed with this memoir. Coutts’s travels are fascinating, fun, and a little feral; the things he and his friends encounter along the way are unlike anything he has seen before. Through the previously unworldly eyes of the author, readers see new sights and challenge their own opinions on the way the world works outside of their own bubble of existence.

Again and again, I was struck by the complexity and detail in Coutts’s prose. Passages from the memoir share beautiful sights and intricate details of the cities the three men visit. Coutts paints a picture so vivid you can close your eyes and imagine standing on the streets alongside him. 

One of my favorite such passages is from their stop in Greece, in which he describes “lights in trees and lights on poles and a canopy of light that created a causeway of colour.” The way he shares the sights, the sounds, and, of course, the food would make anyone desperate to take a trip themselves.

If you are not one for travel yourself, explore the depths of new places through the imaginative and observant eyes of Norman Coutts. His story is one of family, friendship, and self-discovery. While Coutts mentions being maybe a bit older than the typical travelers, The Naked Sailor proves that you’re never too old to grow or to enjoy all the life has to offer. 

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