Under Wide and Starry Skies – the book

For extracts please see below.

Cast off the lines and discover 50 of the most fabulous off-the-beaten-track sailing destinations on our planet.

If you own a sailing boat, chances are that you’ve wondered what it would be like to throw in your job, cast off and sail over the horizon.

Here are 50 out-of-the way destinations to encourage you to sell up and go (or enjoy a temporary escape) with practical tips including formalities, the prevailing weather and GPS positions. The selection of locations is based on over 70,000 miles of sailing. Some (St Helena, Cocos Keeling) are classic yet remote destinations that have been favoured by circumnavigators ever since the days of Joshua Slocum. Others (in Japan, Patagonia or the Pacific Northwest) have been chosen as perfect examples of the attractions of those regions. Common denominators are protection from the weather, scenic beauty and historic and/or human interest. And the fact that, while solitude is not guaranteed, you won’t be troubled by the arrival of a cruising flotilla or by a novice dragging anchor onto you.

Each anchorage is introduced with a lively account describing the place, its history and people (if any) as well as the author and his crew’s adventures. Each account is followed by a beautifully hand-drawn sketch of the anchorage and an information box.

Here are the destinations covered in the Pacific:

And here are the Atlantic/Indian Ocean destinations:

Under Wide and Starry Skies is published in softcover and electronic formats.

Both electronic and softcover are now (January 2025) available in the UK and Europe. The electronic version is available in North America, softcover to follow in May 2025. It can be ordered at most outlets, including Amazon.

Extracts

Adlard Coles / Bloomsbury – January 2025