bookshelf
I enjoy reading about the sailing adventures of others a lot. These adventures go far beyond what we do with our boat. And even that is considered crazy enough in the eyes of most people we know.
Here is a selection of books telling about daunting adventures that have impressed me most. These are stories of intrepid young people, men, women and families alike, who are drawn to sailing and setting out to sea, some of which have in the beginning of their journeys only limited experience.
Donald Crowhurst
This is the story of Donald Crowhurst who set sail from England to participate in the first single-handed nonstop around-the-world-race. This is a gripping reconstruction of his ill-fated voyage.
Tania Aebi
Tamia Aebi is an eighteen-year-old dropout, who does not have a plan for life. When her father offers her either a college education or a twenty-six-foot sailboat she choses the boat to sail around the world alone.
Naomi James
A remarkable story of a young women, who by mere coincidence gets acquainted with sailing and sets her mind on sailing around the world on her own. She survives severe mishaps, bitter disappointments and palpable fear and demonstrates an extraordinary physical and inner strength.
Hans Habeck and family
Sailing around the world on a 22-feet-boat is crazy enough... but doing this as a family with a three-year-old toddler...!! I still don't know how, but they did it in three years, they conquered the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean and in the end the Red Sea. A report to be read with amazement, written in a cheerful but also self-critical manner.
Sailing Conductors
Two young men combine their passion for sailing and music by sailing a boat from the Salomon-Islands back home to Germany on what they call a "Music Expedition". On their journey they make and record music with local musicians from 35 countries, with awesome results available on CD. Their anecdotes are exiting and funny and very entertaining to read.
Clare Francis
A brave young women with a lot of inner strength is solo-sailing across the Atlantic. She experiences heavy weather, hardships and failure. The story about a great achievement is told deliberately light, very British.
Laura Dekker
The story of a girl fighting with the Dutch authorizes for her right to solo-sail around the world has been sufficiently reported in the press. Nonetheless it is a mind opening story of willpower, determination and strength with a girl so young in age.
Heike Dorsch
Stories do not always end well. A German couple is living their dream of circumnavigating the world by crossing the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean on a sailboat. This is a gripping report of a fairytale gone bad...
Libby Purves
In 1988 Libby Purves, her husband and their children age five and three set sail to circumnavigate Great Britain. This is a lovely book, which was for me quite inspirational, as it gives a great account of the British coastline, scenery and of the people encountered on their journey.