She documents her many adventures: piloting through whirlpools, run-ins with bears and cougars, climbing thousand-foot cliffs, and exploring abandoned First Nations villages. Her account is both inspiring and a reminder to slow down, appreciate the beauty of nature, and be present with those you love. Chichester’s journey set records, earned him a knighthood, and fueled the ambition of the next generation of sailors, to become the first to sail around the world non-stop in the 1968 Golden Globe Race. 6. Maiden Voyage – Tania Aebi with Bernadette Brennan Considered one of the greatest adventurers of our time, Tilman has sailed and climbed in some of the world’s most remote and environments. His sailing books are must-reads for those who dream of straying from the beaten path and sailing in high-latitudes. Raban sailsfrom Seattle to Juneau in a small boat, deftly describing the history of First Nations, Captain Vancouver, andlife at sea as he travels up the coast.

A staggering survival story written by Steven Callahan about 76 days spent in a life raft in the Atlantic Ocean. A real-life thriller, this book is likely to scare you out of ever leaving land, but it will also give you an appreciation of the sheer power of weather in the Atlantic Ocean. I really enjoy Patterson books although his collaborations with other authors not always so much. This one is perfect for a beach read or if you just want something that isn't challenging. The Dunnes are taking the family boat out for a trip together to try and reconnect & sort out their issues. Peter Carlyle is the step dad and staying behind in New York, his wife, her three kids and her brother in law from a previous marriage head off. Personal problems arise, a horrendous storm hits and then there is an explosion, certainly not the best start to a holiday. Stranded, hurt and presumed dead, the Dunnes need to do what they can to stay alive. Junger tells the story of the Perfect Storm, a record topping storm that hit the east coast of North America in the fall of 1991. It follows the accounts of the crews of the fishing boat, a sailboat, and the U.S. Coast Guard as they battle to survive the severe conditions. 12. Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea – Steven CallahanIf you’ve ever cursed your boat, you’ll sympathize with the exasperated (but ever hopeful) Mowat in “The Boat Who Wouldn’t Float”. Godforsaken Searecounts the running of the 1996-97 Vendée Globe. On 3 November 1996, sixteen sailors set out to race around the world single-handed. Only six completed the course. The book explores what compels a sailor to go to sea why the Vendée Globe racers were willing to risk everything. Sailing and cruising stories 14. The Curve of Time – M. Wylie Blanchet

Kon-Tiki was the first book about sailing that I ever read. And really it is more about adventuring than sailing. The sheer foolhardiness of building a balsa wood raft and sailing it 4000 miles from Peru to Tahiti is enough to pique the interest of any adventurous soul. I love James Patterson so much. I don't know if its even fair to say that since he always has co writers but this book was so good! Short chapters ✅ Fast moving plot ✅ Interesting Characters ✅ In many ways, Slocum was the first cruiser and the trouble he gets himself into, the people he meets, and the places he goes are things to which we can all relate. 3. A World of My Own – Robin Knox-Johnston

Sailing and cruising stories

Lin and Larry Pardey are living proof that you don’t need to be wealthy to see the world. They traveled for 26 years (covering the equivalent of 5 circumnavigations) in their home-built cutters, Seraffyn and Taleisin.

In Seraffyn’s European Adventure the young couple journey in their 24ft boat to the Baltic, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany. Without engine, electronics, or gadgetry these scrappy sailors accomplish remarkable things through sheer endurance and resourcefulness. This book had it all for me! This is about the Dunne family. The husband died sailing but the wife and 3 children (2 grown, 1 tween) kept the boat. This trip they decide to go sailing with the husband's brother, Jake. The wife is remarried and worth a lot of money so when weird things keep happening to the boat, theres a clear motive for murder. There may also be drugs involved in Jake's life, so theres motive. Someone is out to get them, will they make it out of the trip alive?! SO GOOD! The ending got to be a little much but I enjoyed it. This is exactly what I expect out of James Patterson. John McPhee, considered one of the pioneers of creative nonfiction, recounts a 42-day journey from Charleston down the Pacific coast of South America on one of the last American merchant ships, the S.S. Stella Lykes. 21. My Old Man and the Sea – David Hays, Daniel HaysIn August 1966, Francis Chichester set out from Plymouth on his 53-foot ketch “Gypsy Moth VI”. He would become the first person to make a one-stop round the world circumnavigation. Joshua Slocum’s Sailing Alone Around the Worldis a really interesting account of the first solo-circumnavigation. It would be an interesting account even if it were written today but is especially so due to the fact that the events he recounts take place prior to the 20th century. I'MMA KILLMYSELF! WE'RE SINKING! BOOM! HOMIGOD A SHARK! SNAAAAAAAKES! Oh and throw a ghost in for good measure." Your life can change in a minute so live each day to the fullest! This is what we often think or hear from others when we are faced with a change or a problem in our lives. But can we really be aware of how things can actually go wrong until we experience it first-hand? A 41-year-old, after sailing right into a terrible storm, woke up to find out her fiance was gone and the land was nowhere in sight. This is an incredible story of endurance and her physical and mental strength. Moreover, it is an authentic example of how a paradise can easily turn into a living hell. However, it also serves as a reminder to cherish every single moment and that our life is worth fighting for. Author: Tami Oldham Ashcraft 10. The Lonely Sea and the Sky