Dominoes or climbing the Alps? Beers at the pub or a transatlantic sail? For local adventurer and author Jean Braure there is no choice. The adrenaline always wins.
In "The Sailor Who Climbs Mountains"—Braure’s third book and first in English—the writing is much like Braure’s life: one adventure (or misadventure) after another.
Instead of chapters, Braure, now 75, calls the short and true stories “Adventures” – like the one where he rescues a hiking companion from a crevasse, explaining that at an altitude of 12,000 feet, the effort includes extremely thin air and muscle cramps—and giving the rescue credit to your guide (if you’re successful and as gracious as Braure).
“Every time I had a problem, climbing or at sea, I wrote about it,” Braure said. “I started to count the record, and then there were so many problems I decided to write a book.”
His wife of 51 years, Marie-Claire, or "Choupette," as everybody calls her, says it is not a how-to book.
“Oh, please, NO!” she declares, in her French-accented English.
The book’s dedication bears out the reason for Choupette’s exclamation: “To my wife and daughter, who only stop praying when I return.”
Braure’s stories let those happy at lower climes get a glimpse into what draws others upwards, into the snow and rare air.
But Braure can also come down to earth—or at least sea level —to set sail for a host of offshore adventures.
All sailors have stories of crazy boat yard antics, but few would dare to change their rigging solo. However, Braure did exactly that. In "The Sailor Who Climbs Mountains," Braure recalls the misadventure, which must have resembled a modern-day crucifixion: harnessed to the mast, holding a disconnected backstay in one hand and the forestay in the other.
However, the episode nearly turned tragic when the mast toppled over into the water, submerging Braure with it. With no time to lose, Braure stripped his clothes underwater to detach himself from the mast and swam to the surface, extremely humbled and totally naked.
In this and most of the stories, there is a lesson, a laugh at his mistake and a tale to entertain everyone.
The adventures are offered with amazing wit and even more a remarkable humility from a person who has the rugged individualism of Teddy Roosevelt or Steve Fossett.
Braure is not afraid to admit mistakes that he’s made along his way, but it’s clear that the rush of learning from them and being able to tell the story is an immense source of joy for him.
Though born in Paris, Braure proudly calls himself an American by choice and a Virgin Islander by profession, and he’s been here since 1963 with Choupette.
Braure will sign his new book at a reception at Herve’s Restaurant Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Herve’s at 777-9703.
