“A true life story that reads with all the drama of a deftly crafted novel, “Sea Trials: Around the World with Duct Tape and Bailing Wire” by Wendy Hinman is an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover and will prove to be of special appeal to readers with an interest in real life adventure stories of the sea.” Midwest Book Review
I’m very pleased to announce that the January 2023 issue of our online book review magazine “Small Press Bookwatch” features a review of “Sea Trials”.
Here is the review:
Small Press Bookwatch: January 2023
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575
https://midwestbookreview.com/sbw/jan_23.htm#travel
The Travel Shelf
Sea Trials
Wendy Hinman
Salsa Press
http://wendyhinman.com/salsa-press
9780984835034, $20.00, PB, 442pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Trials-Around-World-Bailing/dp/0984835032
Synopsis: A shipwreck might end a dream of circumnavigating the globe. In 1973, the Wilcox family sets off to sail around the world aboard the 40-foot sailboat, Vela. Thirteen months later, they are shipwrecked on a coral reef, with surf tearing a huge hole into the side of their boat.
With years invested in saving money, preparing the boat, and learning to navigate by the stars, parents Chuck and Dawn refuse to give up. Fourteen-year-old Garth is determined to continue, while eleven-year-old Linda never wanted to go in the first place. Can they overcome the emotional, physical and financial challenges to transform from castaways into circumnavigators?
To triumph, they must rebuild their boat on a remote Pacific island. Damage sustained on the reef and a lack of resources haunt them the rest of the way around the world as they face daunting obstacles, including wild weather, pirates, gun boats, mines and thieves, plus pesky bureaucrats and cockroaches as stubborn as the family. Without a working engine and no way to communicate with the outside world, they struggle to reach home before their broken rig comes crashing down and they run out of food in a trial that tests them to their limits.
Critique: A true life story that reads with all the drama of a deftly crafted novel, “Sea Trials: Around the World with Duct Tape and Bailing Wire” by Wendy Hinman is an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover and will prove to be of special appeal to readers with an interest in real life adventure stories of the sea. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library travelogue collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that “Sea Trials: Around the World with Duct Tape and Bailing Wire” is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Wendy Hinman (www.wendyhinman.com) is an adventurer, speaker and the author of “Tightwads on the Loose” — a popular travel adventure book about the 7-year, 34,000-mile voyage she took with her husband aboard a small violently rocking sailboat during which she alternated between feats worthy of Wonder Woman and Suzy Homemaker. Full of humor and armchair thrills, “Tightwads on the Loose” was selected for the literature program for Western Washington University, won the Journey Award for best true life adventure story and was selected as a top travel book for women.
