On Wits and Wind - Paperback

by William Ward Vickers (Author)

When they set sail from Long Beach, CA in 1949 on a 65 foot barkentine to sail around the world, they forgot their navigation maps, unknowingly skewed the boat's compass, had too little money ($500), and insufficient sailing experience. All six of the crew had no idea of the life-threatening challenges they would face. Five years later the crew will have proven their mettle as they successfully and ceremoniously returned to Long Beach harbor having survived encounters with cannibals, a venomous snake in a sleeping bag, malaria in Panama, worm holes in the hull of their boat, passage through an unpublicized revolution in Indonesia, sand storms in the Red Sea, blown out sails, loss of an engine, cabin fever, spies, smugglers, and the departure and arrival of new crew members. Through it all, they persevered by writing about their adventures and selling them to magazines such as Reader's Digest so there would be a check waiting for them in the next port to pay for paint, engine parts, sails, or some other repair. By the time they returned to a rousing welcome, TV stations were broadcasting how this crew survived their circumnavigation exclusively on their wits and wind.