6. Be Inspired, Be Warned:

This site details the adventures of Brian "BJ" Caldwell, the youngest circumnavigator to complete the task solo. He tells some interesting stories and has some good pictures as well. Mostly he just offers an interesting perspective on really living the life you want to live NOW, not someday off in the distant future once you've all grown up and settled down. He's very articulate and also very well sponsored and covered in the media. Last updated in May 2000.

Inspired by the harrowing solo journey of Captain Josh Slocum, this site is dedicated to recording all solo circumventors and to continue spreading the legendary story of the first solo circumnavigator. It also aims to promote the activities of the Joshua Slocum international society. It appears to be largely under construction, but is worth keeping an eye on so that you can join one day once you've gone and completed your own solo circumnavigation.

So, now women have sailed solo around the globe. Teenagers have also done it. This site documents the solo sailing and community fundraising adventures of disabled circumnavigator, Vinnie, as he travels around the world and arrives safely home in Australia. The site is very well-constructed and laid out. He has major sponsors and uses his trips to raise money and awareness about the abilities of the differently-abled around the world. His site is still very active. He last updated it on September 14th, 2001 in response to the events of September 11th here in the U.S.

Pat Henry's site dedicated to her solo trip around the world. This site initially reads like a press release, but once you click to the section on the details of her trips, it gets much more interesting. She details highlights and adventures solo sailing from 1989 to as recently as 1997.

I recommend this little site mainly because the narrative is so good. This guy started sailing solo in 1988 and now "lives" in the Puget Sound when he's not off having solo sailing adventures on the coast of Polynesia. His stories are well-written and simple, and the accompanying photos are breath-taking. His attitude as captured in the stories woven throughout this site capture the best of the independent spiritedness of solo sailors. Oh, and by the way, he's also advertising his book.

This site is a gateway to many other sites that focus on solo sailing and racing all over the globe. A good place to start when you're ready to learn about racing on your own.

from the website: "Act One. The Family That Flees Together, Trees Together. A family of eight goes on the run from the law -- for seven years. They live on a boat, in a tree house in a swamp. They escape capture time after time. And how do the kids turn out, living a life outside of society, as fugitives? Surprisingly great. (22 minutes)"

"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is a lyrical fantasy ballad from the late medieval period. Basically, the poem details the killing of an albatross, a giant bird that supposedly represents good luck. When the narrator of the poem gets anxious and kills the bird, he's left to deal with the guilt and gravity of his actions. The first site listed above gives the entire text of the poem complete with explanatory comments in the margins. The second site gives a detailed commentary on the symbolism and meaning in the poem. I think of this poem as a warning. No one is ever too alone to wrestle with their own conscience.

Tania Aebi was an eighteen-year-old dropout and barfly going nowhere until her father offered her a challenge. He would offer her either a college education or a twenty-six-foot sloop in which she had to sail around the world alone. She chose the boat and for two years it was her home, as she navigated through typhoons, illness, fear, pirates, starvation, and ultimately, embarked upon a spiritual quest that brought her home to herself. Two and a half years and 27,000 miles later she returned home a woman and a hero.

In 1956 Miles Smeeton, his wife, and one other crewman sailed from Australia into the South Sea. Six weeks later and several hundred miles west of Cape Horn, in the middle of night in a violent storm, they were somersaulted by a freak wave and nearly destroyed. The boat righted itself, but it was half-full of water and close to sinking. Somehow the crew saved the boat, survived the storm, and four weeks later reached Chile under jury rig. They attempted Cape Horn again less than a year later and once again were capsized, dismasted, and nearly sunk. This true story of fear and determination captivated the sailing world when first published in 1959. Miles Smeeton's spare, eloquent descriptions of life at sea add to the value of this well-told and true story. Includes illustrations.

He's the original circumnavigator. Read this surprisingly funny and often inspiring account of this, the FIRST successful solo trip around the globe. In 1895 Captain Joshua Slocum set sail alone from Boston aboard the thirty-six foot wooden sloop Spray. He we went on to join the ranks of the world's great circumnavigators--Magellan, Drake, and Cook. By circling the globe without a crew, Slocum would outdo them all: his three-year solo voyage of more than 46,000 miles remains unmatched in maritime history for courage, skill, and determination. This book recounts Slocum's wonderful adventures: real-life encounters with pirates off Gibraltar and threatening natives in Tierra del Forego, raging storms and treacherous coral reefs, flying fish for breakfast in the pacific, and a hilarious visit with Henry ("dr. living stone, I presume?") Stanley in South Africa. It's claimed to be one of the most remarkable travel adventures of all time. Originally published in 1900. Includes maps and illustrations. A classic.

Families have also been known to take to the seven seas for adventure. This account reads like an action film as the family has to survive after their 43-foot schooner was sunk by a pod of killer whales! The six members of the Robertson family spent 37 days adrift in the pacific with no maps, compass, or navigational instruments, and rations for only three days. They used every survival technique they could as they battled 20-foot waves, marauding sharks, thirst, starvation, and exhaustion. This book has some thoughts on what equipment you should put in your boating survival kit. A great story of both physical endurance and emotional fortitude.

As with many books by women about sailing along, this book is currently out of print, but can be found at the Seattle Public Library. Francis has written several books (fiction and non-fiction) about traveling at sea.