I spent more than 10 years and 25,000 nautical miles voyaging as the captain of my sailboat, Swell. My desires for life did not fit the common mold and context of where I grew up in Southern California– I sailed away wanting to understand the meaning of life, live simply and closer to nature, experience and learn from other cultures, be in solitude and ask life’s bigger questions. I chased my big, unlikely ocean dream and succeeded, but not without radical challenges, learning, and growth.
In this intimate memoir, Captain Liz invites us on her dream journey–to sail and surf the world as the captain of her own 40-foot sailboat. At just 22 years old, a mentor comes into Liz’s life who helps her acquire a sailboat and wants to live vicariously through her voyaging adventures.
Over ten years and 25,000 nautical miles, she shares her experiences of wild waves, constant challenges, living at the whim of the sea, relationships sweet and sour, of solitude and surprises, of finding connection to both the Earth and the great mysteries of the universe. Liz is determined to live in harmony with our planet, and also with herself. This book will remind you that anything is possible with enough love and determination.
I absolutely love the way that Bernard writes about the ocean. The way he describes how it feels, his relationship to the sea, his boat, time and space out there. It’s almost like a meditation. I felt so many similar feelings on my own voyage.
I loved how he disregarded social norms to follow his heart and do what made him happy. He helped validate my need to live on my own terms and explore the purpose of life through my own ocean adventures.
The Long Way is Bernard Moitessier's own incredible story of his participation in the first Golden Globe Race, a solo, non-stop circumnavigation rounding the three great Capes of Good Hope, Leeuwin, and the Horn. For seven months, the veteran seafarer battled storms, doldrums, gear-failures, knock-downs, as well as overwhelming fatigue and loneliness. Then, nearing the finish, Moitessier pulled out of the race and sailed on for another three months before ending his 37,455-mile journey in Tahiti. Not once had he touched land.
I love how candidly Audrey brings us along on her incredible adventures swimming and paddling the coast of Molokai. It felt like I had acquired a new best friend after reading this book. It’s rare to read stories by women whose desire to experience solitude in nature and “get away from it all” outweighs the fear of all the unknowns that the ocean and nature can present.
I loved her life principles, both as a mother and a human being, and coming along with her on these summertime adventures was pure joy with every page.
In 1958, while flying from one island to another, Audrey Sutherland sees the remote and roadless northeast side of Molokai, with its spectacular sea cliffs and waterfalls. Always an adventurer, she decides that she must find a way to explore this then inaccessible area. After much study, she determines that the best way for her to navigate these treacherous sea walls is to swim while towing an inflatable kayak. This is the story of fulfilling her dream, of planning then implementing, of launching and advancing, of retreating and reconnoitering, of challenge and success. This…
I love love loved learning the story of the resurrection of traditional Polynesian navigation in this book.
Sam Low does such an incredible job bringing together all the elements of the story, and made me feel like I was right there experiencing every challenge, every victory toward more understanding, every gust of wind, every windfall.
I loved how he developed each character involved, and I felt especially close to Nainoa Thompson through the journey and was moved by his dedication to uncovering this nearly lost art of navigating by the sun, stars, and signs from the sea.
Attuned to a world of natural signs-the stars, the winds, the curl of ocean swells-Polynesian explorers navigated for thousands of miles without charts or instruments. They sailed against prevailing winds and currents aboard powerful double canoes to settle the vast Pacific Ocean. And they did this when Greek mariners still hugged the coast of an inland sea, and Europe was populated by stone-age farmers. Yet by the turn of the twentieth century, this story had been lost and Polynesians had become an oppressed minority in their own land. Then, in 1975, a replica of an ancient Hawaiian canoe-Hokule'a-was launched to…
Steven Callahan not only survived this harrowing sea adventure but also wrote about it in such a powerful way. His unique descriptions constantly made me smile. I love how he was able to capture his evolving relationship with the ocean, his spirituality, himself, and the creatures he encounters during the 76-day saga of being adrift in a life raft on the Atlantic after his sailboat sunk.
I didn’t want to put this book down, he was just so courageous not to give up. It was fascinating to be in his head through this radical journey, especially as he questions the meaning of life while fighting to hang on to his own.
Before The Perfect Storm, before In the Heart of the Sea, Steven Callahan’s dramatic tale of survival at sea was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than thirty-six weeks. In some ways the model for the new wave of adventure books, Adrift is an undeniable seafaring classic, a riveting firsthand account by the only man known to have survived more than a month alone at sea, fighting for his life in an inflatable raft after his small sloop capsized only six days out. “Utterly absorbing” (Newsweek), Adrift is a must-have for any adventure library.
This is the book that sparked my desire to see the world by sailboat and made me believe that I could chase my big ocean adventure dreams.
I love the authenticity of Robin’s storytelling and his courage to brave the ocean despite being so young and inexperienced. I related to his curiosity for the world, his desire for true love, and his voyage as a rite of passage in the modern age. I definitely had a crush on him by the end of the book, and I sure wished his companion Patty had written a book too!
2
authors picked
Dove
as one of their favorite books, and they share
why you should read it.
This book is for kids age
12,
13,
14, and
15.
What is this book about?
In 1965, 16-year-old Robin Lee Graham began a solo around-the-world voyage from San Pedro, California, in a 24-foot sloop. Five years and 33,000 miles later, he returned to home port with a wife and daughter and enough extraordinary experiences to fill this bestselling book, Dove.
The Pact is a contemporary fiction novel about Australian sisters, Samantha and Annie, who are doubles tennis champions. This story amplifies the usual sibling issues and explores their professional partnership and personal relationships – similarities, differences, motivation, competition, abandonment, and grief – and how they each respond to the stress of constantly being under the media spotlight.
What happens when, at the pinnacle of fame, it all falls apart?
With dreams shattered and egos destroyed, how do they cope?
I have an older sister and although our rapport isn’t as dramatic, or as close, for that matter, I was able…
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