Adventure on the High Sea!: A Family's Sailing Voyage Across the Atlantic.

By Susan Barry Blair

"Adventure on the High Sea! A Familys Sailing voyage Across the Atlantic" is a true story for young readers ages 8 to 13 but should also appeal to a parents sense of adventure. A young girl and her family set out for the adventure opportunity of a lifetime. Its an exciting story about a familys life onboard a 38-foot sailboat and their many experiences along the way. They embark on a year-long voyage beginning in England with proposed stops in Spain, the Canary Islands, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Nothing ever goes as planned and their journey detours to Africa and later to America where they eventually settled. susanbarryblair.com

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 13, 2006
• ISBN: 9781465316592

Susan Barry Blair

Susan Barry Blair grew up in England and developed a love for writing at an early age. She was introduced to sailing by her father and mother who serve as the inspiration for this book. Susan says: I wanted my children to know how my life had been so different than most because of my familys sense of adventure and I wanted them to discover that same love of adventure throughout their lives. Susan lives with her husband, Grant and their boys, Ryan and Regan in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and spends time on their own sailboat, Ceili. The family tradition continues www.susanbarryblair.com

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Copyright © 2006 by Susan Barry Blair.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in

any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission

in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

32019

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CHAPTER ONE

Land Ho!

CHAPTER TWO

The Big News!

CHAPTER 3

New Home, Sweet Home

CHAPTER FOUR

Big Waves, Small Stomach

CHAPTER FIVE

Tastes like Rubber

CHAPTER SIX

Canary Islands

CHAPTER SEVEN

Hurricane Force Winds!

CHAPTER EIGHT

How to Cook Using a Volcano

CHAPTER NINE

Light Winds to Africa

CHAPTER TEN

The Feather Game

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Life in Gambia

CHAPTER TWELVE

Water, Water Everywhere

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Tobago

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Castara Bay

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Island Hopping

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Tall Ships Set Sail

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Take a Left, Not a Right!

AFTERWARD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my Mom, Dot Barry, who lost her fight with

Alzheimer’s Disease in 2003.

The bravest woman I have ever known.

Welcome to the United States, said the customs agent. What a day for you to arrive! Today is the Fourth of July, Bicentennial Day, America’s 200th birthday!

He told us that there would be a huge fireworks display, music and other festivities all in celebration of this event. How exciting it would be after days of nothing but wind, waves and gray skies!

Dad said we had sailed a total of 7,442 miles since leaving home many months ago and this was our most northerly point.

We sat on deck looking out at this new land. It would eventually become our home. I was thinking about how far we had traveled, all the people we had met and the many things we had experienced.

As I gazed towards this new shoreline I felt a familiar rush of apprehension mixed with excitement which I had experienced when arriving at previous destinations. I wanted to get going, to hear how the children talked and see how the food tasted.

Would I meet new friends? Would I fit in?

From bustling Spanish ports to a volcanic island, from the far shores of a river in Africa to an island paradise and all the way to the rocky coast of New England, we had done so much in a short span of time. In a way our voyage seemed like a dream, full of adventure and excitement.

Mine was not the life of a typical English schoolgirl but rather a journey outside the classroom which few children would ever take.

My thoughts returned to a time long ago…

It seemed like only yesterday when my Mom and Dad sat us down in the living room of our house in England and told us that our lives were going to be a little different from most . . .

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author gratefully acknowledges friends and family without whose help, this book would not exist. Special thanks go to Dad and Vivian for their love, support and enthusiasm. I am eternally grateful to Clayton and Carolyn Pratt for proposing the idea that I write this book as well as their knowledge and expertise throughout the process. Thanks to Michael Powers for the gift of his time and expertise in designing the fantastic cover for this book. To my husband Grant, who selflessly shared countless hours with me being my sounding board for ideas and direction, I love you. Finally, thank you Ryan and Regan, for understanding why dinner was late for so many nights.

Adventure on the High Sea!

A Family’s Sailing Voyage

Across the Atlantic.

1_Map%20of%20Xlendi%27s%20Voyage.jpg

CHAPTER ONE

Land Ho!

From the front of the sailboat, I peered into the dense fog hoping to be the first to see land.

My brother Stuart and I had a competition to see who would be the first to shout land ho! We pretended we were pirates on a sailing ship returning from some exciting adventure on distant islands.

I wanted to be first to see a new land but the fog was so thick I couldn’t even see Mom or Dad watching us from the pilothouse at the back of the boat. When fog was as thick as this we had to go slowly. Things like buoys, docks and other boats could appear out of nowhere which could cause great damage to the boat.

It was quiet except for the low throb of the engine and the slapping of the waves against the side of the hull.

Suddenly a bird called out, breaking the silence. There’s an old sailor’s tale that birds are a sign that land may be nearby.

I listened for more sounds.

Out of the cold gray air, the booming sound of a foghorn vibrated across the calm water. It was from a lighthouse on the coast of the United States of America.

Land Ho! I cried pointing to the faint outline of the rocky shore that was appearing before us. Land Ho!

Magically, the fog began to lift.