The Cruise of the Dazzler

Joe Bronson is a restless San Francisco schoolboy who finds his lessons dull and his home life stifling, so he runs off to the waterfront and signs on with the sloop Dazzler. Out on the bay he learns that her captain, French Pete, and a rough sailor called the Frisco Kid make their living by theft, and Joe has to decide what kind of man he wants to become. Jack London wrote this early juvenile adventure from his own knowledge of the Oakland estuary and the small boats that worked it, and the sailing detail rings true throughout. A brisk moral tale about work, loyalty, and finding your footing. Free to read here as a PDF and EPUB edition.