In this book Alice describes the many adventures of sailing across the Pacific Ocean with her husband, Dan. Before leaving they spent seventeen summers sailing and coastal cruising in a succession of sailboats ranging in size from 10 to 30 feet. In 1981 they purchased Shaula, a sturdy 28 foot cruising sailboat. Their first ocean passage from Seattle to Hawaii nearly ended their dreams of ocean sailing. Three years later they took a wonderful two-year Pacific cruise, and became converts to the cruising lifestyle. They retired in their mid-fifties, sold their car and most of their belongings, and sailed to the South Pacific on an extended cruise. They visited Mexico, French Polynesia, Rarotonga, Niue, Tonga, New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and finally Australia. The book tells of delightful weeks of trade wind sailing, including spectacular sunsets and star-filled skies. During their passages they enjoyed delicious meals of fresh tuna, wahoo, and mahi mahi caught on a line trailing behind the boat. Alice describes fabulous times with fellow cruisers, celebrating landfalls, sharing potlucks and meals on board, and exploring ashore. They had fascinating visits with friendly Pacific Islanders, learning about their culture and enjoying wonderful feasts on shore. Their favorite cruising grounds were the Banks Islands of Vanuatu, which they visited several times over a seven-year period. They were entranced by the gentle, friendly people on these small islands. During their cruise they dealt with cockroaches and rats on board, and going aground on sandbanks in the shallow waters of Australia. They experienced engine trouble, gear failure, gale force winds, huge seas, and a rogue wave. Their marriage survived through fifteen years of living and cruising on a small boat. After returning home to Seattle they continue to sail every summer in Shaula to their favorite cruising grounds of Desolation Sound.
About the Author: Alice Wiersema was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. She obtained her B.S. and M.S. in chemistry at the University of Illinois and the University of California, Berkeley. Living in Berkeley gave her the opportunity to learn to sail, and she soon became an avid sailor. After working as a chemist in Chicago and California she enrolled in graduate school at the University of Oregon to study biology. She married Dan Dews in Eugene, Oregon and they settled in Seattle, where Alice worked as a research technician and Dan taught high school science. While working they spent their summers sailing locally in small boats. After lifetimes in science and education, Alice and Dan took early retirement and spent the next fifteen years cruising across the Pacific in their twenty-eight foot sailboat, Shaula. Since returning to Seattle Alice has resumed her musical interests in violin and singing. She and Dan continue to sail every summer in Shaula in the protected waters of Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, and British Columbia.