John and Susan take turn to steer the Goblin. Jim suggests they anchor off Shotley Pier and go ashore to call Mrs. Walker. After the Goblin is stopped, Jim tells the children that there are many shoals outside and it is easy to run aground. At night, the Goblin suddenly rolls violently. Jim tells them that it is because of the big ship that goes from England to Holland everyday.

A sentimental read, as I enjoyed this book 40 years ago. Still reads well; Ransome is a very concrete realist writer, so expect specific descriptions ("the charts were rolled up, above Roger's bunk" etc). Lots of eating spam from tins and drinking tea. A plethora of nautical terms, halyards, painters and so on, with no glossary. Quite boring until the mist rolls in, then very exciting indeed. After that, a fog comes. The children cannot see the end of the land and the sea is near by. After six hours, Jim has not returned. They become worried. Suddenly, the ship starts moving because the anchor has come off from the bottom of the sea. Commander Walker takes over to sail to Goblin. He steers the yacht because he knows John is tired. He is also not mad at the children for what happens. Jim is knowledgeable about the yacht and the sea. He shows the children how to steer the yacht. He tells them the shoal can be dangerous for them as they could run ashore. He also shows them the shoals using charts.In We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, the Walker children and their mother are waiting at Pin Mill for Daddy to arrive home when they meet a young sailor named Jim Brading. Jim promises to sail the kids around to a few of the nearby ports, giving Mrs. Walker his word that he will not take John, Susan, Titty, and Roger to sea. He doesn’t anticipate the fact that he will run out of petrol, or that a heavy fog will descend over his boat, The Goblin. Nor does he guess that the tide will turn and the Walkers will drift out to sea in his boat, heading for Holland with no captain and no idea how they will get home. When the Goblin is out at sea. Susan is worried. She is worried that Mother will think they did not keep their promise. The title is a bit of a giveaway, and the tale is of what happens when the Walker children, without Jim for reasons that only become apparent right at the end of the novel and against their wishes, cross the North Sea to Holland.

I read this book again this weekend for three reasons: 1) I needed some fiction, 2) I have been in some tough weather scrapes recently with my little boat and 3) I wanted to remember how John and his siblings handled their weather situations. Naturally, these books have mishaps, but never tragedy. Whew! It's hard not to feel good reading this adventure series. The next morning, they pass the Sunk Lightship and see the Beach End Buoy. The children are happy that they are near home. In this latest adventure, the Walker family goes to Harwich to wait for Commander Walker's return. As usual, the children can't stay away from boats, and this time they meet young Jim Brading, skipper of the well-found sloop Goblin. But fun turns to high drama when the anchor drags, and the four young sailors find themselves drifting out to sea - sweeping across to Holland in the midst of a full gale! Arthur Michell Ransome (January 18, 1884 – June 3, 1967) was an English author and journalist. He was educated in Windermere and Rugby.John Walker and his other siblings Susan, Titty, and Roger are rowing a rowboat when they meet Jim Brading. John helps Jim to tie the rope of his yacht to the buoy. This is one of the stories in which we get a sense of John growing up as he takes charge, makes decisions and, in the end, has them all validated by those much more experienced than he. We also see the wisdom of his father when Commander Ted appears on the scene and gently takes charge of some aspects (primarily provisions) and leaves Skipper John to sail and run Goblin as he sees fit.