Eric Charles Hiscock (14 March 1908 – 15 September 1986) was a British

sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. While the term ''sailor'' ...

and author of books on small boat

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, Windsurfing, windsurfer, or Kitesurfing, kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (Land sa ...

and ocean cruising. Together with his wife and crew Susan Oakes Hiscock (née Sclater; 18 May 1913 – 12 May 1995), he authored numerous accounts of their short cruises and world circumnavigations, accomplished over several decades. His works also include several technical how-to books on sailing and ocean cruising and a film made on board ''Wanderer III'' entitled ''Beyond The West Horizon''.

Early life

Eric Hiscock chronicled his earliest sailing experiences, both solo and later with his wife Susan, in ''Wandering Under Sail'' (first published 1939, revised and enlarged 1948 and 1977). This book primarily contains accounts of his early sailing days on his sailing boats ''Wanderer'' and ''Wanderer II'' from

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

and

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, and on two other small sailing boats, ''Dyarchy'' and ''Tern II''. The 1977 edition includes the story of the Hiscocks' first ocean voyage, a prelude to their later and longer world cruises on subsequent

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

s, all named ''Wanderer''.

Cruises on ''Wanderer III'' and beyond

The account of the Hiscocks' first world circumnavigation (1952–1955) was told in ''Around the World in Wanderer III'' (originally published in 1956). ''Wanderer III'', a

Laurent Giles John Laurent Giles (1901–1969) was an English naval architect who was particularly famous for his sailing yachts. He and his company, Laurent Giles & Partners Ltd, have designed more than 1400 boats from cruisers and racing yachts to megayachts. ...

sloop, carried the couple around the world via the tropics at a time when few people were cruising the world for pleasure on small sailing boats. The voyage, the first of their three

circumnavigation Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical object, astronomical body (e.g. a planet or natural satellite, moon). This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth. The first circumnaviga ...

s, and book accorded them a degree of popular celebrity. The book was also the start of a series detailing their later voyages on their sailing boats ''Wanderer III'', ''Wanderer IV'' and ''Wanderer V''. The trips in ''Wanderer III'', together with previous voyages, provided much technical information for Eric Hiscock's technical how-to volumes on small-boat sailing and ocean cruising, ''Cruising Under Sail'' and ''Voyaging Under Sail'' (later combined and published as ''Cruising Under Sail'').

Honours and awards

Eric and Susan Hiscock were awarded the Bluewater Medal by the

Cruising Club of America The Cruising Club of America (CCA) is an international organization of cruisers whose objects are to promote cruising and racing by amateurs, to encourage the development of suitable types of cruising craft, to stimulate interest in seamanship, nav ...

in 1955 for a "Circumnavigation by Canal and Cape of Good Hope by owner and wife, July 24, 1952 – July 13, 1955 in 30-foot Giles-designed

cutter Cutter may refer to: Tools * Bolt cutter * Box cutter * Cigar cutter * Cookie cutter * Cutter (hydraulic rescue tool) * Glass cutter * Meat cutter * Milling cutter * Paper cutter * Pizza cutter * Side cutter People * Cutter (surname) * Cutt ...

." The Bluewater Medal recognizes "meritorious

seamanship Seamanship is the skill, art, competence (human resources), competence, and knowledge of operating a ship, boat or other craft on water. The'' Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford Dictionary'' states that seamanship is "The skill, techniques, o ...

and adventure upon the sea displayed by amateur sailors of all nationalities, that might otherwise go unrecognized". The Hiscocks were members or the Royal Cruising Club, of which Eric was Vice-Commodore from 1959 to 1963, and they received numerous awards. They jointly received the Sir Lennon Goldsmith Exploration Award in 1973, and the RCC Medal for services to cruising in 1975. Susan twice won the Ladies' Cup. The Hiscocks were both appointed

Members of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in the

1984 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1984 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countri ...

, for services to yachting.

Later life

Eric Hiscock died on board ''Wanderer V'' in

Whangārei Whangārei () is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the largest settlement of the Northland Region. It is part of the Whangarei District, created in 1989 from the former Whangarei City, Whangarei County and Hikurangi Town councils to admi ...

, New Zealand, in 1986. Susan Hiscock died in

Yarmouth, Isle of Wight Yarmouth is a town, port and civil parish in the west of the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England. The town is named for its location at the mouth of the small Western Yar river. The town grew near the river crossing, originally a fer ...

, in 1995.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hiscock, Eric and Susan British non-fiction writers 20th-century British sailors Married couples Members of the Order of the British Empire