In this sixth book of the Series, Anne and Martin follow the wake of Captain Bligh through the Great Barrier Reef, one of their toughest passages in their eight years of cruising. In South East Asia, they face the threats of crocodiles, deadly jellyfish and blood thirsty Komodo dragons, piracy and unpredictable fishing boats, electrolysis and petty thefts. The modern day explorers sail to the famed Spice Islands, bypass unsafe Timor and cruise southern Indonesia with its live volcanoes and mountain villages renowned for their ikat weavers, colourful markets and traditional dances. In Bali, they learn about rituals, rites and reality and attend an outdoor Hindu cremation. Near disaster strikes when they go hard aground and almost lose "Nor Siglar" and transit the heavily trafficked and infamous Strait of Malacca. After touring Malaysia and Thailand by land, they spend Christmas in picturesque Phang Nga Bay and explore a "hong" by dinghy, while thieves break into "Nor Siglar". More trouble looms on the horizon as they encounter thunder and lightning squalls on their way across the Indian Ocean to the remote Maldives - the last paradise on earth. At the peak of their careers, Anne Brevig and Martin Vennesland made the decision of their lives: they chose freedom and a highly uncertain future on the high seas instead of secure jobs and the safety and comfort of life ashore. In order to finance their dream, they sold their house and most of their belongings and moved onboard their 40-foot sailboat, "Nor Siglar". She became their one and only home for 15 years. Neither imagined that they were going to spend 9 years on the 7 seas and sail more than 56,000 nautical miles around the world! Anne and Martin's bluewater adventure was not about breaking any records. Its main focus was meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures - encounters that take on entirely different dimensions when sailing off the beaten track far away from the traditional tourist routes. Their 9-years on the 7 Seas circumnavigation onboard "Nor Siglar", which is truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure packed with drama and excitement, has been documented in books and magazine articles and is now available in the "Seven Seas Adventures Series". The books in the Seven Seas Adventures Series are not just any old travelogues for adventurers. Rather, it is a collection of highlights from encounters with "ordinary" people from different cultures and backgrounds who live a life much different from what most of us are used to. Anne and Martin certainly learned that what we take for granted is an elusive dream for others. The books "answer" a multitude of questions posed by travellers in general as well as prospective offshore sailors.
About the Author: Anne E. Brevig grew up in Halden, Norway as a country girl on a farm. She always dreamt of seeing the world and began her adventures with life as an au pair, studying languages in Switzerland, Germany and the USA. In New York, she embarked on a career in international shipping and later became comptroller of a large Norwegian shipping company's Vancouver offices. When Anne met Martin at the age of 38, she was completely new to sailboats. Having grown up inland, she didn't learn to swim until she was 16, was afraid of the water and became seasick easily. Anne never thought in her wildest imagination that one day she would exchange her comfortable life ashore with the often extreme challenges of life at sea - a decision she has never regretted! Martin Vennesland was born with salt water in his blood. He grew up by the tang of the sea in the small village of Sagesund on the south coast of Norway and has sailed all his life. The dream of travelling to exotic and distant shores on his own keel took shape at an early age. As a young man he emigrated to Canada to become a professional forester. When taking early retirement to venture offshore, Martin was head of one of Canada's largest forestry consultingfirms. An avid outdoors person, he is happiest in the mountains, at his woodlot tending his cedars and Douglas firs or sailing on the high seas.