Sailor Without a Boat

Book excerpt: Follow the sailing adventures of Robert Beriault, when at the age of 57, he joins a sailing club for lessons and soon becomes an instructor. He dreams of sailing around the world and adopts the strategy of going at it one ocean at a time. Part travelogue and part sailing primer, Sailor Without a Boat tells the true story of how Robert chases after his dream. Candid, humorous advice is interspersed with hilarious tales from the Atlantic to the Pacific, as he recounts the idiosyncrasies of his skippers and fellow sailors. Among his many adventures, Robert crews for a reckless captain who pushes boat and crew beyond safety limits during a 3600-kilometre offshore passage. Searching the Internet for a transatlantic crossing, he almost sets out to sea with a Captain Bligh before jumping ship. Enjoying such places as the Caribbean and Cuba's stunningly beautiful Gardens of the Queen, Robert is boarded by gun-toting pirates; almost experiences an exploding yacht at sea; is embroiled in steamy soap operas; is medevaced by horse from the Guatemalan jungle; and fights 30-foot seas when crossing the Atlantic with Canada's sailing legend Derek Hatfield. All this, without ever having bought a boat!"