Trevor David Clifton

Hello, my name is Trevor David Clifton. I was born in 1940 in Portsmouth, England.

I grew up near Langstone Harbour where I learned to swim and sail small boats.

School was a bit of a disaster, I played truant as often as I dared with the result that I was expelled. The British Army rescued me and took me on as an apprentice surveyor. After scraping through the qualifying exams and working for a couple of years, in the UK, Cyprus and The Oman, I asked a beautiful, young Dutch girl to marry me - she did. Suddenly I was a responsible citizen!

I served in the Royal Engineers, from Hong Kong to the West Indies and lots of places in between. At the age of fifty, I took an option to retire early.

After a few years teaching people to sail, examining Yachtmaster candidates and delivering (mostly sailing) boats here and there, I set off on my own in my own little boat to sail to Cape Horn.

My book, 'The Way To Cape Horn' tells the tale of 'Cracklin' Rosie' and me sailing eighteen thousand miles from Portsmouth, England around Cape Horn and back, and the adventures we had together.

Now back home I'm painting, sailing, watching our grandchildren grow up and writing a bit more. I joined The Southsea Storytellers and contributed to two of their anthologies. And I wrote my own book of short stories 'Ten Tales'.

It's all been a lot of fun - so far.