Home on the Waves: A Pacific sailing adventure

by Patrick Hill

Patrick, a civil engineer, and Heather, a legal secretary, needed a change of lifestyle – so they built a 42-foot fibreglass sailboat in their backyard. They packed up their two children, Jeremy, 16, and Erica, 12, and headed out for a 14-month and 15,000-mile adventure around the Pacific. They harbor-hopped down the Californian and Mexican coasts, crossed the South Pacific, visiting the Marquesas Islands, Tuamotu atolls, Tahiti and the Society Islands. Departing from Bora Bora they headed back north visiting the Hawaiian Islands. For a temperature change and, not the usual route home, they continued north to view tidewater glaciers in Alaska before returning to Vancouver.

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2012

Reviews

[Dlmrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Patrick’s book “A New Life in Canada”, I just had to go back and read his first book “Home on the Waves”, also called “So Where Do You Go At Night?”. What a wonderful and detailed account of their many adventures on this one-year trip to the Mexico, the South Pacific, Hawaii and Alaska. It’s so hard to imagine the courage or perhaps just boldness it would take to build a boat, fit it out for ocean cruising and head out with your wife and kids on the first ocean cruise you had ever done! The issues they faced were mechanical, medical and mental and they were able to handle them all with grace and fortitude, not to mention humour…a mainstay for that family! Delightful! My next book to read of Patrick’s is “French Silk on Water” and I’m looking forward to it.

[Heather Westing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who builds a 42-foot sailboat in their backyard? I mean seriously - who does that? Well, I've now read the amazing tale of one couple who did just that, then packed their kids on board and sailed clear round the Pacific. Lots of exotics stops along the way, and a brilliant portrayal of life at sea.