Alone at sea for 310 days on his 37-foot cutter EGREGIOUS, he covered 38,000 miles in five difficult passages. He became the first American to round Cape Horn alone, complete one of the longest solo passages of all time, and make the fastest solo circumnavigation ever in a monohull.He writes at the outset: 'I will know defeat, despair, fear, beauty, serenity and peace. I will be tested far beyond anything I have ever imagined.' And tested he was--by storms, three capsizes, hurricane force winds, cyclones, week-long calms, sleet, snow, frostbite. He endured to experience exhilaration and accomplishment in solitude , and the peace of being in supreme harmony with the sea-world around him."STORM PASSAGE is about the first of legendary writer/sailor Webb Chiles' now five circumnavigations, all made without sponsorship, shore teams, PR agents, or any means of calling for help. Many talk loosely about living on the edge. Webb Chiles has for decades.

    Working as yacht delivery crew. Near shipwreck on Spain's 'Costa da Morte'- the Coast Of Death. Fire onboard in the Atlantic. Engine failure in the Mediterranean. Then he decides to sail his own tiny boat across the Bay of Biscay.It doesn't go well.This is a book not just about sailing but about life. It's about what happens at the very limits of physical, emotional, and mental capacity.Ultimately it's about how personal tragedy led to a life-changing discovery - The realisation that hidden deep inside of us all is the perseverance and passion needed for achieving long-term goals.It's a book that might just start you on your own Foolish Voyage.WHAT READERS ARE SAYING"I really enjoyed this book. I started reading it for the "sailing adventure" aspect....but ended up getting so much more out of it." B.RICH"First book I've read in years that I literally couldn't put down - great story." AMAZON CUSTOMER"Simple honesty of the best and rarest kind. If this book were a bell it would ring loud and sweetly and our hearts would resonate just as sweetly, just as poignantly. This book is the story we need to hear. A story of hope, of failure and the truths that only failure brings, and of hope regained and triumph on one's own terms." KEN STEPHENS"I read it in one sitting, and if there's an ounce of longing for freedom and adventure left in your heart, so will you." BORDER CORSAIR"I have a feeling reading Neil's book will be a life changer for me. He is right, there is more to life than this." R.N.SCOTT

    With little money and even even less nautical experience they leave their small-town home in Arkansas to embark on an adventure they hope will last for a year or two but which evolves into a quarter-century voyage of discovery spanning half the world. Come along with Randy and Cheryl as they cruise their small boat to intriguing destinations that you won’t find in any tourist brochure. Along the way they discover the best and worst the sailing life has to offer as they visit twenty-nine countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America and the South Pacific. Their adventures and misadventures include encounters with hurricanes, thieves, drug smugglers and a disastrous tsunami as well as lasting new friendships formed with local people and fellow sailors all along their route. Cruising under sail is a lifestyle like no other and though there are sometimes hardships, those who take the plunge will be rewarded with a life of adventure and freedom that may be impossible to find any other way in the modern world.

    Mark Nicholas has combined his experience of life aboard with the advice of other liveaboards, marina owners, technicians, boat manufacturers, and advocates in order to detail the challenges and offer real advice for success. This lifestyle, typically thought to be out of reach or for other people, is now available to all who dream. Essentials explains, among other things, how to: Figure out your needs Choose the right boat Buy your boat Choose the right marina Forecast your costs Prepare for the lifestyle Accommodate partners, children and pets Outfit your boat Plan for all climates Address safety and sanitation issues And more!

     Join Glen and Julie as they continue around the world through less traveled, dangerous areas on the far side of the world. Turmoil in the Mideast convinces Glen and Julie to linger in the South Pacific visiting primitive villages on remote islands. But hang on tight, because to finish their voyage they must leave friendly shores and navigate through trouble in the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea before arriving in Europe.Full of dry wit and compelling descriptions, Julie takes the reader along for the ride of a lifetime in this sequel (book 2 of the Escape Series) to her previous bestseller, Escape from the Ordinary. GREAT PEOPLE, PLACES AND PROSE From natives in penis sheaths on tropical islands to tribesmen on camels in the desert, this gripping story satisfies hardcore sailors and armchair adventurers alike. You will want an atlas by your side as you travel from one epic adventure to the next as the intrepid couple immerse themselves and you, the reader, in places such as:  -Vanuatu-New Caledonia-New Zealand-Lord Howe Island-Australia-Bali-Borneo-Indonesia-Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand-Maldives Islands-Djibouti-Eritrea-Sudan-Egypt-Turkey-Malta

    

    Why do this? The goal, in his words, was “to become something I am not.”The “something” Damato chose to become was an ocean sailing skipper. Overweight and without boating experience of any kind, he decided to achieve his lifelong dream of sailing around the world on his own vessel.Reckless? Dangerous? Idiotic? Call it what you will, Damato was determined to make the voyage a reality despite the obstacles.Suddenly without the comforts and security of his previous life, Damato was forced to conquer his anxieties while at the same time surviving the hazards and challenges of offshore sailing. As his experience and confidence mounts, he discovers he has indeed undergone a personal transformation – one quite different than he originally hoped, and in some ways worthier than he imagined.Breaking Seas is a tale of ocean voyaging, but it’s not just about sailing: the all-encompassing themes are rejection and disappointment – and our common human quest to get the most out of life despite being born into an imperfect universe.Part sailing adventure, part philosophical pilgrimage, Breaking Seas is for everyone who’s ever wanted to embark on an enterprise of some kind despite not meeting society’s expected “qualifications.”“This is a story about our desire to be elsewhere, reborn and enhanced, because here and now are not enough. But don’t expect a sugar-coated fairy tale with just what you want to hear,” warns Damato. “I promise an honest story truthfully told.”

    ‘Quest and Crew’ is the first book of a four book series. It begins twenty-four hours before a Category 5 hurricane devastates the south shore of Grenada. It’s a story about the many twists and turns that life can take. The sailboat Quest begins her new life with a full retrofit in North Carolina, followed by Quest’s launch in North Florida two years later. The job of becoming real sailors begins in North Palm Beach. On a clear starry night, we left South Florida on a hope enveloped by a dream. Finding ourselves only at the beginning of a new adventure, we set sail and anchored one island at a time through the Bahamas. The Caribbean is a few books away. Here is a glimpse into the powerful attraction of sailboats and sapphire water. ‘Quest and Crew’ is all about the joy of success as well as what it takes to overcome the occasional disaster. From beginning to end, the book is about transforming a rookie crew and beautiful old boat into a sailing adventure. Come for the hurricane, stay for the story.

    This book lets you hop aboard a little sailboat and join the author on a three-year-long voyage across French Polynesia, where you will discover some of the most interesting places, people and wildlife of the South Pacific. From the world-famous island of Bora Bora to the remotest atolls of the Tuamotus, experience the challenges and rewards of the seafaring life as you dive with dolphins and sharks, sail under the stars, drink from fresh coconuts in the company of heavily-tattooed men, brave heavy storms and violent currents, play with stingrays, drift down coral rivers and meet fellow sailors from across the world. Beautifully illustrated with dozens of stunning photos, this book is the perfect companion for anyone curious about a different kind of life. Readers have said: Reading the book, I was surrounded by unfamiliar colours and overwhelmed by the scent of flowers I had never touched. I could feel the soft sand beneath my feet and slipped beneath the water to swim in the deep silence of the ocean. Returning to the surface, I encountered the smiles of people who were content in the here and now, embodying the freedom and softness of their lives, their lively hips moving in its rhythm. We should all go there once to bathe in the endless sunshine, the grace of carelessness and faith in life, even if only by reading this book… Translated from Slovene by Kaja Šeruga Edited by Mitja Tretjak Design by Ivica Jandrijevic

    Suddenly within a new culture, with a new husband, and no friends, she was living in the obscure world of cruising with zero knowledge of boats. Crashing within the first twenty-four hours, Jackie realised life would never be the same again; a floating home with no fridge or hot water, and with a dinghy instead of a car. Suffering self doubts, she became fearful of her new world. The first off-shore voyage took Jackie into a ferocious storm, which battered her physically and mentally. Amid the raging seas, Jackie shed the fear she’d been harbouring. Soon she was blissfully voyaging around the world, but she still carried the mixed emotions of losing one man, while falling head over heels in love with another. Not only did Jackie deal successfully with the challenges of her new existence, she also battled with the testosterone fuelled nautical world to become both a professional captain and a qualified maritime teacher. Most importantly, Jackie found herself.

    French ladies slender and chic, French men wearing berets and riding bicycles with baguettes clamped under their arms when they are not flirting outrageously, and all the while the sun shines down benevolently upon uniform rows of ripening vegetables. Dreams are strange and unpredictable, and sometime so is la vie en rose. A pick from some of the best bits of the popular travel author's blog diaries reveal the minutiae of expat day to day life in rural France. A must-read for Susie Kelly fans and anybody thinking of, or dreaming of, moving to France.

    A time she never forgot. As a child there, in the 1950s, she contracted a rare muscular disease which led to her being confined in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Not deterred by her disability, she went on to lead a normal life. She married Ken and had a daughter, Evelyn. Her spirits were not affected. In Green Are My Mountains, bestselling author Christine Marion Fraser continues the uplifting and inspiring story which began in Blue Above the Chimneys and Roses Round the Door. With her characteristic warmth and good humour, she conveys the joy of finding this little house. A home she and her family could live in with the surrounding beauty of the landscape. But it was a home that was full of problems, structurally. The leaky roof was a contention for them … the lack of a tank for water was another. There were mice … a constant presence. Tania, her beloved dog was her main companion during the day. Despite the problems that came with the cottage, Christine was determined to see her book, Rhanna, published. Her success as an author meant travelling and speaking, something she wasn’t all together prepared for, but Ken was her rock. As they settled into their new home, Christine’s self-discipline and hard work prevailed. She went on to write the sequel to Rhanna… not an easy feat when bound to a wheelchair in a problematic house. Christine shares the ups and downs she encountered during this time in her life. Her strength, her love of animals and her compassion took her through another tragic event that unfolded following their move to the new house. Praise for Christine Marion Fraser ‘Christine Marion Fraser writes characters so real they almost leap out of the pages… you would swear she must have grown up with them.’ — The Sun ‘Christine Marion Fraser weaves an intriguing story in which the characters are alive against a spellbinding background'— Yorkshire Herald Fraser writes with a great depth of feeling and has the knack of making her characters come alive. She paints beautiful pictures of the countryside and their changing seasons — Aberdeen Express Full-blooded romance, a strong, authentic setting — The Scotsman Christine Marion Fraser (1938-2002) was one of Scotland's best-selling authors. She was the author of the much-loved Rhanna series, a Scottish saga set on the Hebridean island of Rhanna. She also wrote the acclaimed King’s Croft series as well as the Noble series. Christine’s formative years were spent in the post-war Govan district of Glasgow and she spent her later life in Argyll with her husband.

    And that is the overarching theme of this chronicle of a sailing life. Often amusing, sometimes poignant, occasionally terrifying but always inspiring, his deeply personal account is a welcome reminder of the good life waiting at sea. With hundreds of thousands of nautical miles under his keel, John's adventures have taken him several times around the world, with challenging crossings of the Atlantic and the Pacific, a narrow escape from a coup in Yemen, an unlikely deliverance from a coral reef off Belize as well as more serene, introspective passages where trade winds are blowing and stories are flowing. His crew has included CEOs, actors, writers, teachers, kids – in essence, everyone. John's narrative is interwoven with practical tips and advice in seamanship, but also, and just as importantly, his hard-won insights about making the most of our lives. He truly believes we find out who we really are, and what we are capable of, far from the shackles of land, when we find a place where time changes shape – days may merge into one another, but minutes are memorable. To live adventurously is to live more fully, and that is the life John Kretschmer continues to live. In this book he shares his simple profundities that will inspire those who live to sail, and those seeking something more rewarding from life.

    For some it remains just that—a conversation. But for Pat and Ali the simple question— posed over too many pitchers of beer at their favorite downtown Chicago pizza place—had an answer that demanded action.“What do you think about sailing around the world for four years?” Pat asked Ali. “Sure, why not?” came the non-chalant, slightly inebriated response. And thus concluded what would become a life changing moment for the two.Why not? Well, for starters, they had never stepped foot on a sailboat before. For another, they were on the fast track to beating out all of the Joneses. They were young, and by any measure successful, but they were bored and getting a little soft around the middle. Their comfortable existence wasn't doing it for them, and the idea of moving to the suburbs from the city to become more comfortable made them queasy.Within months they'd bought a 35' catamaran (after just eight hours of searching), and had set out across the Gulf Stream for the Bahamas. For months they fine tuned their decidedly amateur sailing routine, and then...they were off.For the next four years they sailed around the world, had adventures, met new people, faced down dangers, discovered new and amazing things like winches have two speeds and a sailboat's windex is not it's blue glass cleaner. They also learned that people are good the world over—that every stranger was not out to get them, that even the scariest looking among them—the pirates of our minds eye—are deep down no different from you and I. In fact, they've had that conversation too—What am I going to do with my life?

    Their globe-spanning travels and side-splitting adventures are recounted in Blown Away, a sort of Swiss Family Robinson by way of the Marx Brothers.