Terrified of water and unable to swim, why would an upstate New York farm girl contemplate an ambitious trip on the high seas? But that is exactly what she did.

At the age of 55, in freezing winter over a shot (or two) of Aquavit, Carolyn and her Viking husband, Gert, hatch a plan to buy a sailboat and embark on a five-year circumnavigation of the globe.

But like so many dreams, this one does not go quite as planned.

Emotions whirl and eddy as Carolyn tackles tough challenges; a hurricane in Grenada, an ambush by Venezuelan kids brandishing assault rifles, and a brush with the Nicaraguan paramilitary. All while dealing with the daily tribulations of life onboard on a small pension. Driving her to question, “Why hadn’t I stayed on the farm?”

This frank and humorous tale will have you laughing and sympathising along the way as Carolyn juggles a paralysing fear of sailing with unfaltering love for both her husband and the freedom of travel as they explore the Caribbean, Central America, and the South Pacific.

PB 159 pages