polar regions

This is the first sailing book that really beautifully combines adventure, travel-logue, family and humor all wrapped up in a simple, intelligent and creative narration. Dave Martin takes us truly on an epic journey, from Bermuda to Iceland, to Scotland and Norway, with countless stories of friendship and peril along the way. I laughed out loud probably 30 times reading this book, and felt tears welling up almost as many. I was a fan of Dave's ariticles in Cruising World while the Martins were circumnavigating, but this is much more mature. The book winds around and through your heart. I didn't want it to end. GREAT Book!!!!!

A truly great cruising/life/adventure story, well reviewed by the folks below. The Martins have long been a source of inspiration, cruising/life information, and humor.

But too bad the publishers didn't think to put a few pages of photos in their unique book about their unique trip to the beautiful far north. And why no real specs on their boat/rig, cruising gear they used, etc.? Cruising sailor-readers would like to know about such things. Was a bit disappointed to find neither of these --especially photos!

Being a sailor myself I bought this book with great expectation of entertainment in reading about an adventurous sailing journey. I was very disappointed. There was very little data given about the boat, its gear, and sailing tactics. The book was about what they did when they got there. The author would go on and on about people and places in Iceland and Scandanavia that you could not pronounce; yet, I still don't know what brand of Diesel engine the vessel had, its displacement or horse power. Sail plan, displacement, keel type, etc., are still a mystery. No pictures or data charts. Did a vessel really exist?
In fact, while reading this book I got the feeling that the author sat at his computer and downloaded information about these places and wrote the book with his imagination
So, after reading about 2/3, the book got tossed.
Richard Byrd