women write about cruising

Amazon description

Under the Tuscan Sun meets the wide-open sea . . . An Embarrassment of Mangoes is a delicious chronicle of leaving the type-A lifestyle behind -- and discovering the seductive secrets of life in the Caribbean.

Who hasn't fantasized about chucking the job, saying goodbye to the rat race, and escaping to some exotic destination in search of sun, sand, and a different way of life? Canadians Ann Vanderhoof and her husband, Steve did just that.

In the mid 1990s, they were driven, forty-something professionals who were desperate for a break from their deadline-dominated, career-defined lives. So they quit their jobs, rented out their house, moved onto a 42-foot sailboat called Receta (“recipe,” in Spanish), and set sail for the Caribbean on a two-year voyage of culinary and cultural discovery.

In lavish detail that will have you packing your swimsuit and dashing for the airport, Vanderhoof describes the sun-drenched landscapes, enchanting characters and mouthwatering tastes that season their new lifestyle. Come along for the ride and be seduced by Caribbean rhythms as she and Steve sip rum with their island neighbors, hike lush rain forests, pull their supper out of the sea, and adapt to life on “island time.”

Exchanging business clothes for bare feet, they drop anchor in 16 countries -- 47 individual islands -- where they explore secluded beaches and shop lively local markets. Along the way, Ann records the delectable dishes they encounter -- from cracked conch in the Bahamas to curried lobster in Grenada, from Dominican papaya salsa to classic West Indian rum punch -- and incorporates these enticing recipes into the text so that readers can participate in the adventure.

Almost as good as making the journey itself, An Embarrassment of Mangoes is an intimate account that conjures all the irresistible beauty and bounty from the Bahamas to Trinidad -- and just may compel you to make a rash decision that will land you in paradise

Women and Cruising comments

This is the lovely account of a Canadian couple’s decision to take a break from high pressure jobs and Toronto’s urban cold and sail south to the warmth of the Caribbean for a few years. Like most couples the idea comes easily, but the realities of preparing to go and actually getting underway nearly overwhelm the endeavor.

As they persevere, the book blooms with wonderful descriptions of the Caribbean and, as Mary of I WANDA points out, “yummy recipes for using that readily-available but Strange-to-a-North-American produce that we all encounter down island.”

Amazon description

While sailing around the Caribbean Ann Vanderhoof and her husband Steve track wild oregano-eating goats in the cactus-covered hills of the Dominican Republic, gather nutmegs on an old estate in Grenada, make searing-hot pepper sauce in a Trinidadian kitchen, cram for a chocolate-tasting test at the University of the West Indies, and sip moonshine straight out of hidden back-country stills.

Along the way, they befriend a collection of unforgettable island characters: Dwight, the skin-diving fisherman who always brings them something from his catch and critiques her efforts to cook it; Greta, who harvests seamoss on St. Lucia and turns it into potent Island-Viagra; sweet-hand Pat, who dispenses hugs and impromptu dance lessons along with cooking tips in her Port of Spain kitchen.
Back in her galley, Ann practices making curry like a Trini, dog sauce like a Martiniquais, and coo-coo like a Carriacouan. And for those who want to take these adventures into their own kitchens, she pulls 71 delicious recipes from the stories she tells, which she places at the end of the relevant chapters.

The Spice Necklace is a wonderful escape into a life filled with sunshine (and hurricanes), delicious food, irreplaceable company, and island traditions.

Amazon description

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL OUTDOOR BOOK AWARD FOR LITERATURE

Sail to the ends of the earth and back again without leaving your favorite reading chair

When Beth Leonard and her partner, Evans Starzinger, returned from a three-year, 35,000 mile circumnavigation, they thought they were done with offshore voyaging. But neither realized how irrevocably they had been changed by their experience, nor how irresistible the siren song of the sea would prove. In comparison, life ashore seemed dull and monochrome, and within months, Beth knew she had to go back to sea in order to remain true to the person she had become.

Four years later they set out on their 47-foot aluminum sloop Hawk for a journey that lasted six years and took them more than 50,000 miles. They voyaged to Newfoundland, Iceland, Norway, the Caribbean, Ireland, Scotland, Cape Horn, New Zealand, the South Pacific, British Columbia--to the ends of the earth and back.

Blue Horizons is Beth Leonard's record of that journey. Compiled from her popular columns in Blue Water Sailing magazine, which she wrote along the way, Blue Horizons is more than an adventure saga, more than the log of an extended passage. As in all great travel writing, it’s the product of an insatiable hunger to explore the world, and in so doing to explore one’s own soul. It is, says Beth, "about pulling your dreams over the horizon to you, one sail change, one course correction at a time."

But this is no dreamer's tale. Beth Leonard is both sailor and writer, well qualified to deal with and describe blue water voyaging. Written with the vivid precision and practical eye for detail that made her first book, The Voyager's Handbook, such a success, Blue Horizons is a collection of compelling vignettes that encapsulate life at sea with all its dangers and epiphanies, its disillusions and delights. Her observations are as sharp as salt air and her prose as informed as it is insightful and entertaining.

Beth also brings to Blue Horizons a uniquely feminine perspective, a combination of empathy, charm, and lyric grace. Her pages are suffused with emotion and a strong sense of immediacy. You're with Beth and Evans as Hawk pokes into a lonely and deserted outport on Newfoundland's barren northeast coast, and as they await hurricane Lenny in Antigua. And you sympathize as she burrows deep into her tilting berth, seeking that one, elusive interval of comfort that will bring sleep on a pounding windward passage, only to be dashed awake by the cold shock of a rogue wave spilling into her bunk. Blue Horizons is a rare journey, one to be savored by sailors and armchair adventurers alike.

Praise for Blue Horizons:

“In her new, wonderful book, Beth Leonard shows us a world in which ‘perfection’ is not bland, easy, escapist comfort in a crowded tropical harbor but a more insecure yet more rewarding existence of constant challenge--cold waters, rocky coves, old fishing villages, demanding seamanship, and the evolution of two sailors trying to manage a boat and also their own relationship.” --John Rousmaniere, author of Fastnet, Force 10, After the Storm, and The Annapolis Book of Seamanship

“Let Beth Leonard inspire you to sail around the world, explore the high latitudes, or discover your own capacity for adventure. Each nugget in this ‘dream becomes reality’ series of revelations is worth a thousand pictures.” --Gary Jobson, ESPN sailing commentator, America’s Cup Hall of Famer, and author of Gary Jobson’s Championship Sailing

“Blue Horizons chronicles a remarkable adventure through some of the globe’s most inhospitable waters. . . . Every account in this collection provides a taste and sometimes a feast. It is wise, perceptive, wonderful. If you have ever wondered what it might be like to exchange conventional comforts for an adventure not packaged with round-trip airfare, Beth Leonard has written these dispatches to you.” --Don Casey, author of This Old Boat and Don Casey’s Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual

Amazon description

The great American sailor Joshua Slocum may have had little else to do when he began rebuilding the small sloop Spray. He could, however, look back at a lifetime on the ocean as preparation for his remarkable circumnavigation. Beth Leonard attended college and collected a master's degree in business. She could point to a successful international management consulting career, but there was no blue-water sailing on her resume. Like so many of us, Beth felt an itch of discontent inside the corporate suit she put on every day. Unlike most us, though, Beth couldn't resist scratching that itch. Following Seas recounts the story of Beth's transformation from business analyst to expert in the sea, the wind, the sky, the stars and Silk, the boat on which she learns to depend for her life. Over the course of three years, Beth grows into someone to whom Joshua Slocum could tip his hat in sailing fellowship. The dramatic shake-down cruise recounted in the prologue of Following Seas became the first leg of a sometimes tumultuous and sometimes serene circumnavigation. Sailing west-abound, Beth and companion Evans Starzinger pilot silk from the Azores, through the Panama Canal, and into the South Pacific, where the peoples of remote islands play a vital part in the story. How does one decide to leave a career and adopt a new way of life? What will you discover about the new places you see, the people you meet? Most important, what might you discover about yourself? Following Seas tells the story of Beth Leonard's journey of discovery. Why not weigh anchor, sail west-around, and share this journey of exploration yourself?

Amazon description

“Belongs in the bookshelf of every cruising vessel.”—Blue Water Sailing

“If you are serious about that extended voyage, read The Voyager’s Handbook.”—Sailing

“Every now and then a new voice emerges in the world of sailing literature that stands out, a voice that is both clear and of lasting quality. The appearance of such a new voice is something of an event, and that’s what we’d call the publication of The Voyager’s Handbook.”—Blue Water Sailing

This inspirational and comprehensive manual leads you step by step through every aspect of choosing, planning, and following the voyager’s life. Using three example boats representing three cruising lifestyles—Simplicity, Moderation, and Highlife—Beth Leonard helps make your bluewater dreams come true, whether you’re sailing on a shoestring or a CEO’s pension. Starting with the things you can’t do without—an enthusiastic crew, a seaworthy boat, and, of course, money—Leonard offers sage advice on how to select crewmembers who are truly committed to the voyage, how to choose the right boat for you, and how to find just the right approach to financing your voyage and making the most of every dollar spent.

Managing life from a floating home and keeping that home livable, seaworthy, and safe requires you to become, among other things, the ship’s purser, engineer, doctor, cook, and cruise director. You’ll discover how to prepare for these new roles and put necessary equipment and arrangements in place before you untie your docklines. This exquisitely detailed guide also helps you master the skills you’ll need to handle a boat at sea with a small crew, including

• Weather forecasting
• Passage planning
• Watchkeeping
• Heavy-weather sailing
• Emergency management
• Midocean repairs

Complete with dozens of easy-to-use graphs and tables for quick reference, along with the hard-won wisdom of experienced cruisers, The Voyager’s Handbook is the ultimate resource for anyone who is planning, preparing for, or just dreaming about a great adventure on the high seas.

Women and Cruising comments

This comprehensive manual, by Beth Leonard, leads you step by step through every aspect of choosing, planning, and following the voyager’s life.

"For the newbie I was, it gave a good base to build my own reference material and to think about all the things I needed to prepare myself for. This is where I picked up my home canning. Well worth it, and fun, too!” Jane of Lionheart.

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"[A] well-researched, gracious and truthful account." --Georgian Bay Today

When her husband proposed living on a boat full-time, Debra Cantrell wondered what other women in her position had done and began a five-year study to find out what choices they had made and how it had all worked out. The result is Changing Course, a guidebook for navigating this odyssey. No matter what the outcome, each woman was strengthened by the experience.

In an era when "downshifting" is common and people are considering the benefits of simplified living, Changing Course is both timely and practical.

Women and Cruising comments

Cantrell's book is the result of a five-year study interviewing over 100 cruising women in an effort to understand the process through which woman adjust to following their partners to sea!

Amazon description

“A great starting point for the woman who wants to live the cruising life.”--SAIL

The cruising life offers adventure, exotic destinations, and expansive opportunities for personal growth. But considering such a life leads to vexing questions: What do I need to learn? What do I do if my partner falls overboard? How will our relationship be tested at sea? Let longtime cruiser and circumnavigator Diana Jessie start you on the journey of a lifetime with her advice on short-term cruising or long-term voyaging. She addresses the concerns of women cruisers, including:

• Cruising roles and relationships
• What life at sea is really like
• Children on board
• How to make the boat your home as well as his
• Identifying the dangers and putting them into perspective . . . and more

Plan for smooth cruising with advice from Sally Bee Brown, a contributing editor to PassageMaker magazine; Carol Cuddyer, cofounder of Sea Sense, a sailing and powerboating school for women; Dawn Riley, noted America’s Cup and Whitbread sailor; Patience Wales, two-time circumnavigator and editor emeritus of SAIL; and thirty other cruisers. This updated edition also contains information on powerboating (including choosing between power and sail), cruising with pets, and satellite communication.

“A little gem . . . packed with useful information.”--Sailing

“Every woman who intends to step on board for more than a day sail should read Jessie’s book.”--The Log

Women and Cruising comments

Jessie’s “Advisor”, much like the Admiral’s Angle, consults with over thirty contemporaries for perspectives on topics of interest to cruising women,

Women and Cruising comments

“A woman's perspective of cruising with a family and maintaining her self-esteem.”

Amazon description

Over two northeastern summers, Gillian Outerbridge, Tucker, and their 20-foot vessel Dart explored and adventured together. Up and down rivers, waterways, and canals, through locks and marine railways, the trio traveled. Thus the tale was spun, and these pages tell the story. Join these travelers as they navigate thousands of miles of waterways, experience new places, and make many new friends. Discover with them both the serenity and challenges of a new way of life. You'll experience through Gill's words how compelling it is to move leisurely through the water and take in all the inspiring colors and sounds of new places. And you'll share in her excitement as she meets and conquers new challenges along the way.

Women and Cruising comments

After a traumatic experience, Outerbridge, at 60, finally undertakes her dream of a solo voyage, one she makes over the course of two years through the waterways and canals of New York State and Canada in her 20’ Flicka. Dreams don’t have to be global.

Amazon description

Choosing a mate is like picking house paint from one of those tiny color squares: You never know how it will look across a large expanse, or how it will change in different light.
Meet Janna and Graeme. After a decade-long tango (together, apart, together, apart), they're back in love -- but the stress of nine-to-five is seriously hampering their happiness. So they quit their jobs, tie the knot, and untie the lines on a beat-up old sailboat for a most unusual honeymoon: a two-year voyage across the Pacific. But passage from first date to first mate is anything but smooth sailing. From the rugged Pacific Northwest coast to the blue lagoons of Polynesia to bustling Asian ports, Janna and Graeme find themselves at the mercy of poachers, under the spell of crossdressers, and under the gun of a less-than-sober tattooist. And they encounter do-or-die moments that threaten their safety, their sanity, and their marriage.

Join Janna and Graeme's 17,000-mile journey and their quest to resolve the uncertainties so many couples face: How do you know if you've really found the One? How do you balance duty to others while preserving space for yourself? And, when the waters get rough, do you jump ship, or do you learn to navigate the world...together?

Women and Cruising comments

Janna Cawrse Esarey does a wonderful job of capturing this knack for angst of which we females are capable (to distract ourselves from other anxieties?) in her recent Motion of the Ocean, 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers and a Woman's Search for the Meaning of Wife. On their ambitious honeymoon – a two year cruise across the Pacific in the 35' Dragonfly – Janna (who joins us now as an Admiral) finds the “passage from first date to first mate anything but smooth.” I really loved her irreverent look at emotions we all feel in some measure!

Women and Cruising comments

Karyn of MAGIC CARPET recommends The Reluctant Mariner by Joanna Hackett, “a humorous and insightful account” of a woman on a circumnavigation carried “well outside her comfort zone.”

Women and Cruising comments

Karyn of MAGIC CARPET recommends First Lady, an account by Australian Kay Cottee of her record-breaking non-stop circumnavigation in 1988

Amazon description

An A-Z of cruising information for both beginners and experts CRUISING FOR COWARDS covers every facet of the cruising lifestyle.
* How to choose the right boat for you and how to handle the purchase
* Fitting out your boat for cruising. Equipment that works!
* The joys and hazards of the cruising lifestyle
* Safety, Medical, Financial and Communications information
* Cruising with kids, with pets, guests and casual crew
* Budgeting and Provisioning
* How to live with your partner 24 hours a day!

Amazon description

On a one-year sabbatical in their sailboat Bagheera, the Copelands visit eleven countries around North and Central America. A comfortable route with no oceans crossed, their voyage gives a fascinating insight into the wide cultural diversity, stunning physical and historical sights, abundant underwater and wild life, as well as the impressive variety of cruising grounds this region offers.

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One gloomy Fall day, tired of the rat race, Liza and Andy Copeland decided to pack up their three small sons and set sail for distant horizons. What began as a two-year expedition turned into a six-year adventure to 82 countries and a circumnavigation of the world.
JUST CRUISING tells of the family's unique experiences from England to Australia as they sailed through the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Galapagos Islands and South Pacific, and of arriving in Australia to represent Canada in the Tall Ships events during the Australian Bicentenary celebrations.

JUST CRUISING gives valuable information on cruising and traveling, and shows the realities of taking a young family along. It includes a 'How-to' section and glossary. A Canadian bestseller it is an inspiration for sailors, travellers, families and dreamers.

Amazon description

The Copelands did what many of us can only dream of - one gloomy Canadian Winter they decided to pack up, rent out their home, buy a boat and go traveling. Liza, her husband Andy and their young children left their regular lifestyle to go sailing on their 40' boat 'Bagheera' for two years. They found their new life so exhilarating they stayed away for six years, completing a circumnavigation of the world and visiting 82 countries. STILL CRUISING is the sequel to the bestselling JUST CRUISING. Here their journey continues from Australia to Indonesia, Singapore, Malyasia, Thailand, The Andaman Islands, Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives, Chagos, the Seychelles, down the East African coast to Madagascar, around the Cape of Good Hope, then back through the Caribbean and Cuba to Florida.

Often sailing to remote and little known destinations, STILL CRUISING recounts some of the Copeland's richest, most exotic cruising and traveling adventures, including their greatest challenges at sea. It also includes a 'How-to' section and glossary.

Amazon description

This is an autobiography of a girl from the prairies who started boating as a non-swimming, reluctant adult. Slowly her confidence grew and she began to enjoy sailing. While cruising on both the east and west coast of North America she and her husband, Charles began the "Charlie's Charts" cruising guide series. When her husband passed away she began to sail as a singlehander and continues to cruise each summer on the BC coast and publish Charlie's Charts. cutter. Below the surface is a story of inner disc

Women and Cruising comments

“Imagine my amazement when I found this book on board after my husband died,” says Debbie Leisure. “The fact that she kept her boat and kept cruising after her husband died told me that I COULD continue on if I wanted to badly enough.” (Read "Debbie Leisure learns to sail her boat single-handed", on the Women and Cruising blog)

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"Henry's captivating account fills readers with admiration for her courage and stamina."

--Booklist

"A wonderful voyage of self-discovery."

--Indianapolis Star

"A powerful and compelling personal account of [Henry's] battle with the elements--plus inner and outer demons--while struggling to complete her solo journey around the world. What a book and what a woman!"

--Willard Manus, author, This Way to Paradise

Women and Cruising comments

The author struggles to get on her feet personally and financially after betrayal and bankruptcy by sailing alone around the world. The going gets heavy at times, but her salvation comes through her painting which grows from the seed of architectural sketches into an art that supports her through ups and downs right round the world.

Amazon description

On 9/11, USN Commander Suzanne Giesemann was aboard the military aircraft Speckled Trout as it flew over the just-demolished Twin Towers. As aide to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, she strode beside him through the still-smoldering Pentagon. All those lives gone in an instant, robbed of the chance to live their dreams: would she and her Naval captain husband get to live their own dream?
Come along as Suzanne and Ty leave it all behind, seeking and then sailing Liberty to remote fjords as they adapt to the cruising life, meet the challenges of rough weather and a medical emergency at sea--and ultimately question whether this dream could--or should--last a lifetime.

Women and Cruising comments

Suzanne, a former aide to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (on 9/11!) juggles her mixed feelings about the cruising dream with her husband versus the call of a high-powered career.

Amazon description

Commander Suzanne Giesemann draws on her twenty years in the Navy as a commanding officer and leadership instructor to write this empowering guide for women boaters. Power or sail, if you’re just going along for the ride, you are limiting your enjoyment on the water. Suzanne encourages women to take a bigger role on board by addressing common fears and self-limiting attitudes. She shares the nautical knowledge necessary to become a safer, more competent, and more confident boater.

Women and Cruising comments

A manual specifically designed to “help women embrace the idea of being as knowledgeable as the captain.”

Amazon description

The remarkable true adventure of the 18-year-old girl who left on a 27,000-mile, two-and-a-half-year solo sail around the globe, braving typhoons, pirates, and starvation to return home a woman, and a hero.

Women and Cruising comments

Tania Aebi’s now classic Maiden Voyage – her story of circumnavigating as a teenager with relatively little knowledge – as early inspiration in the “if-she-could-do-it-then-I-can” department.