Riding the Waves of Reality: Tales of Turmoil and Triumph in Blue Water Sailing

A must-read for adventurers, dreamers, and anybody looking for a story that reaffirms the indestructible character of the human spirit.  Regular Noonsite contributor Alison Gieschen has written a book that does not sugar coat the life of a live-aboard cruiser.  In this easy-to-read book about her and partner Dan’s decision to take to a life on the high-seas, Alison writes openly and candidly about the highs and lows and the trials and tribulations they experienced in the first five years of a planned 10-year circumnavigation.

While Dan came from a sailing family and got his sea legs sailing in and around the Chesapeake Bay on the USA’s east coast, Alison grew up on a hundred acre farm in upstate New York.  Despite wanting to sail as a young child, it wasn’t until many years later that Alison fulfilled that desire as an adult.  As fate would have it, the two future cruisers where thrown together on a sailing regatta in 1985 and have been together ever since.  Sailing however, took a back burner while they focussed on building their home and family.  Then in 2014, with the family grown and self-sufficient, they resurrected their dream of circumnavigating the globe by sail.

They spent hours perusing boat listings for blue water sailing boats, flew to boat shows around the USA and did an offshore sailing/training programme with John Kretschmer in the Caribbean.  After five years of searching, they found their “dreamboat” a 43ft Taswell built in 1988 and set about preparing for their odyssey.  But as Alison, says in her book ” the time, money and effort you will need to get that used boat ready for blue water sailing will be twice what you anticipated”.

The book covers their first disastrous attempts at sailing to the Caribbean, then dealing with an Atlantic crossing, Alison’s despair and wonder at whether they were ever going to get where they wanted to go, elation as they triumph over seemingly insurmountable problems and joy at the fulfillment of a dream. Throw into the story a global pandemic, lockdown in a marina in Ireland, dealing with various breakages and you have a “warts and all” tale that finds Alison and Dan still pursuing their dream after 12,000 miles.

By: Alison Gieschen

Publisher:‎ Independently published (November 1, 2023)

ISBN-13:‎ 979-8862920055

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Read Alison’s articles on Noonsite:

• A Blueprint for Bluewater Sailing Relationships
• Starlink and Bluewater Cruising
• The Best Foods for Bluewater Sailing
• Encountering Nudity when Cruising.
• Five Blue Water Cruising Essentials for Sailing Comfort.
• Six Boat Items that Make Life Easier.
• Why Sailing Makes you Healthier.

Read more about their voyages:

• Sailmates.org

Watch their videos:

Sailing Equus YouTube Channel.

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