Spirit of a Dream: A Sailor's Ultimate Journey Around the World Alone

by Dave Rearick

Overview

On October 2, 2013, Dave Rearick began an epic solo voyage around the world. Onboard his specifically built Class 40 racing sloop appropriately named "Bodacious Dream," Dave sailed from Newport, Rhode Island. He sailed the length of the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Town, South Africa, a distance of 8,000 miles. From Cape Town, Dave sailed to Wellington, New Zealand where "Bo" was originally built, and then onto the fabled Galapagos Islands, one of the earth's great nature preserves. On the final leg, Dave returned to Newport, Rhode Island by way of the Panama Canal. The full circumnavigation took 256 days to complete, leaving an indelible memory of the challenges and rewards of being at one with nature, the solitude of the open sea and the ever-changing landscape of life.

At the age of 12, Dave Rearick was introduced to sailing on a small boat. By the age of 14, he was captivated by the stories of legendary sailors who raced or sailed single-handed around the world. Forty years later, in 2011, now age 54, Dave finally began his quest to race on-board in the Singlehanded Global Ocean Race. When the race was canceled, Dave, undaunted, continued his quest and embarked on the long-dreamed adventure that became a challenging journey of learning and discovery.

Join Dave and Bodacious Dream as they navigate the oceans of the world alone and the personal challenges met along the way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781948494090
Publisher:	Seaworthy Publications, Inc.
Publication date:	10/01/2018
Pages:	250
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.53(d)

About the Author

Growing up on the southern shores of Lake Michigan, Dave Rearick learned to sail at age 12. From those first sails off the beach, his dream has taken him around the world. When he's on the ocean, he claims, "the world is my playground!"

His impassioned storytelling, sometimes humorous, other times poignant, belies an underlying calm emanating from a soul that finds peace on the water. He has written for many sailing publications and with his first book, Spirit of a Dream, takes you on a thrilling adventure around the world alone, privately sharing his deep, passionate feelings for the spirit and waters of the planet.


Over his 40-year sailing career, much of which he sailed singlehanded, Dave won many prestigious races, including the Chicago Race to Mackinac and The Atlantic Cup. He was presented the Mike Silverthorne award by the Great Lakes Singlehanded Society in 2003 and serves as an ambassador for 11th Hour Racing, a program of the prestigious Schmidt Family Foundation.

With all that behind him, Dave still claims his most significant accomplishment in life, other than wearing out hundreds of t-shirts, hats, and sailing shoes, is that of sharing sailing and the water with so many kids and adults over the years. He continues to live on the Southern Shore of Lake Michigan, a stone's throw from where he began his sailing and he'll be the first to tell you, with a wink, he never got very far in life.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

If by Rudyard Kipling

Sailing Singlehanded is Raw and Honest......................................1

Outward Bound.........................................................................6

Adjusting to Being Offshore......................................................10

Bermuda.................................................................................14

The Struggle for Momentum......................................................19

On the Fine Edge of Life..........................................................27

Inky Dark Nights, Similarly Deep Thoughts..............................34

Crossing the Equator.................................................................37

The Great Races......................................................................41

Endless Miles to the Turn.........................................................43

Destination Cape Town.............................................................47

Thanksgiving at Sea.................................................................51

Electronic Wizardry.................................................................55

Losing Otto.............................................................................59

Balancing Act..........................................................................64

Hard on the Nose to Cape Town................................................68

Cape Town Tourist...................................................................79

Breaking Free from Cape Town’s Seduction................................91

Eastward to the Southern Ocean.................................................98

Holiday Depression................................................................106

“A Cyclone is Headed Right at You”........................................118

iivv

Strange Lights in the Night.....................................................129

The Feather...........................................................................135

“Call Mom, She Needs to Hear Your Voice..............................138

Decisions...............................................................................159

New Zealand Tourist.............................................................162

Pushing off from Welly...........................................................175

Passing the Dateline and Passing Time...................................182

Galapagos in Sight.................................................................197

Touring the Galapagos............................................................201

Sailing for Panama................................................................210

Transiting the Canal...............................................................214

The Last Thousand Miles......................................................219

Epilogue................................................................................235

Bodacious Dream Deck Layout Drawing................................238

Bodacious Dream Interior Line Drawing.................................239

Bodacious Dream Sail Plan Line Drawing.............................240

About the Author...................................................................241