Nova - The History of the Nova Espero
by Robin Somes
In 1949, two brothers from Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, Stanley and Colin Smith, built a 20-ft sloop, ‘Nova Espero’, in Canada, and sailed her from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia to Dartmouth, Devon, in 43 days. Arriving in England expecting a quiet welcome from a few friends and family, they found instead that they were national heroes. That, however, was just the beginning of the saga of Nova Espero.
Part history, part sourcebook, part biography, this book tells the story of the boat, and the extraordinary characters involved with her, from the craft her design was based upon, to her final fate, and the brothers’ audacious plans for peace colonies across the world.
Featuring news stories and published works from the time, and many previously-unpublished letters and photographs, the book provides a long-awaited explanation of precisely why the brothers chose to cross the Atlantic in an unfeasibly small boat, and a history of her other, equally remarkable, journeys.
ISBN: 978-1-8380136-3-9
Format: paperback book; 182 pages
More details on the book, the Smith family and Nova Espero's journeys here.
Also available in e-book format.
