Bob set to make a big splash signing copies of debut book
Bob set to make a big splash signing copies of debut book
Bob Sinclair is the last of the hard hat divers. Photograph: alastair watson
LINDEAN'S Bob Sinclair is currently enjoying the high life after spending much of his career under water, writes Kenny Paterson.
The 79-year-old will sign copies of his debut book Last of the Hard Hat Divers at W H Smith in Galashiels tomorrow at 1pm, capping a whirlwind few weeks.
Interest has arrived from national newspapers and TV shows since last month's release detailing Bob's adventures working on complex underwater engineering projects as a deep sea diver.
He said: "The response has been collosal. I am just an old guy and I can't believe the interest in the book.
"The book has been released in America, Australia and Canada among other countries, and Amazon have rated it as one of their top autobiographical books this year.
"I wasn't intending to produce a book when I first started, it was just going to be a collection of stories to tell the family of my experiences as a child during the Second World War.
"But when I told one of my diving stories to the family, Pamela (Bob's youngest daughter) said, ‘I have never heard that, you should include it in your book'.
"All the facts were checked by Pamela, so it proves I still have my memory!"
Bob added: "It is word for word my book - at one point the publishers tried to change it but I was adamant I did not want it altered."
Inspired by his seafaring father's desperate attempts to save 36 officers who died on the submarine Untamed during an exercise at Campbeltown in 1943, Bob was destined to a life in the deepest depths of the sea.
Among the book's tales is an incredible story of Bob spending 18 hours straight below water.
He recalls: "A couple of lads from Overseas Divers had made a mistake and I was below the whole time fixing it.
"I was in saturation with nitrogen (technique used to dive to great depths for a long period of time) so decided to finish the job myself rather than bring another man into saturation with me.
"It was the longest and most awkward job I ever did under water."
And Bob's love of the sea has affected his family in more ways than expected, according to the pensioner.
"Eighty five per cent of children fathered by divers are girls," said Bob, who moved to Lindean in 1983.
"I have been told it is something to do with the Y chromosome in a man who has been diving for a while, and as I have five daughters, it seems to be true."
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Weather for Selkirk
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South west
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Temperature: 3 C to 6 C
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