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A new book has just been released: Sailing Away by A J McMahon from Ireland, who sailed his Hallberg-Rassy 352 Esperanza from 1988 solo across the Atlantic and back in 2018/19.

Sailing Away is an autobiographical account of one man’s 13-months adventure, sailing across the Atlantic from Europe to the Caribbean and back, single-handed.

It is a story of breaking away from the shackles of the office to work remotely from the boat. Breaking away temporarily from family and friends and embracing the isolation of the ocean.

The book is written in diary format with a day-by-day account of the experience of being a solo sailor. The story starts in Dublin preparing the boat, a 35-foot Hallberg-Rassy 352, before setting sail December 2018 from the Canary Islands. Alone at sea for three weeks, there were many high points as well as emotional lows. On arrival in the Caribbean, read about the life of a liveaboard sailor, sailing to nine exotic Caribbean islands and a dramatic situation when the boat ran into a fishing net.

The return trip in May 2019 to Europe was via the Azores. A mid-Atlantic swim nearly left the author stranded, as the boat started to drift away. Another time during the night, he was thrown off balance and nearly overboard. The Appendix section is packed with useful information and tips for anyone preparing for a major voyage.

This new book is available on Amazon stores

Kindle Edition: £4.99 / €5.49 / $6.51

Print edition: £18.95