The inspiring true tale of the first person to sail the Northwest Passage solo non-stop, a feat considered the ‘Everest of sailing’.
“Eighteen thousand miles I had sailed to get here, solo in my yacht, since setting out from
Auckland, New Zealand, almost on the opposite point of the globe. Now before me
lay one of the greatest enigmas of sea exploration - the Northwest Passage,filled with mystery and adventure, and probably more stories of loss and failure than triumph...This was a personal thing. A challenge, a dream, an adventure. This was what the trip was all about, and here I was at the entrance,” says Kiwi yachtsman Graeme Kendall in his soon-to-be-published book, To The Ice and Beyond, which traces this epic adventure.
WHEN Graeme Kendall pulled into Auckland Harbour accompanied by terns, petrels and a pod of
dolphins it seemed nature was giving him a pat on the back for his epic solo-circumnavigation of the world, a journey that saw him cast anchor in the history books.
dolphins it seemed nature was giving him a pat on the back for his epic solo-circumnavigation of the world, a journey that saw him cast anchor in the history books.
To the Ice and Beyond, is a two-fisted, highly-readable account, edited by Geoff Walker, of Kendall’s 193-day trip on board his purpose built yacht Astral Express, navigating some of the earth’s most terrifying seas; and an inspirational and invaluable toolkit for world adventure.
The Northwest Passage is defined as the route from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Arctic
Archipelago of northern Canada and along the northern coast of Alaska - a route
that has claimed the lives of hundreds who sailed before.
Advances in satellite technology helped make Kendall’s dream a possibility, but as he came to
discover, the data was not 100% accurate. The danger was constant and real, necessitating constant vigilance and sleep deprivation. Imagine the force of thousands of tonnes of ice against the hull of a boat, or getting iced in for a winter, not to mention polar bears attracted to the smell of your cooking.
A wonderful education in what it takes to be a truly successful sailor and how to achieve a goal with
passion and perseverance, To the Ice and Beyond is an absorbing read buoyed by Kendall’s infectious spirit of adventure and shrewd approach to life. In turns philosophical, instructional and inspirational, this book is a fantastic read for dreamers and doers alike.
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