Spirit of a Dream: A Sailor's Ultimate Journey Around the World Alone

by Dave Rearick

On October 2, 2013, Dave Rearick began an epic solo voyage around the world. Onboard his specifically built Class 40 racing sloop appropriately named Bodacious Dream, Dave sailed from Newport, Rhode Island, sailing the length of the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Town, South Africa, 8000 miles distant. From Cape Town, Dave sailed to Wellington, New Zealand where “Bo” was originally built, and then onto the fabled Galapagos Islands, one of the earth’s great nature preserves. On the final leg, Dave returned to Newport, Rhode Island by way of the Panama Canal. The full circumnavigation took 256 days to complete, leaving an indelible memory of the challenges and rewards of being at one with nature, the solitude of the open sea and the ever-changing landscape of life.At age 12, Dave Rearick was introduced to sailing on a small boat. By the age of 14, he was captivated by the stories of legendary sailors who raced or sailed singlehandedly around the world. 40 years later, in 2011, now age 54, Dave finally began his quest to race the Singlehanded Global Ocean Race onboard. When the race was canceled, Dave, undaunted, continued his quest and embarked on the long-dreamed adventure that became a challenging journey of learning and discovery. Join Dave and Bodacious Dream as they navigate the oceans of the world alone and the personal challenges met along the way.

249 pages, Paperback

Published September 26, 2018

Reviews

[Ralph Levy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recognizing the "11th hour" brand stitched onto his Patagonia backpack, I struck up a conversation about sailing and concussions with Dave in airport security. Realizing after 10 minutes this was a seasoned vet, I asked Dave about the farthest he ever sailed offshore.

He handed me a copy of his book as his answer.

To describe in one word the author's style and the tone of this intimate journey—quixotic. The way that Dave unfolds his 8-month journey around the world feels like a Lord of the Rings saga. Bermuda, Cape Town, New Zealand, Galapagos, Panama. The poetry in this book will make you not only resolve to use less plastic but also to drop $1500 at REI and abandon your responsibilities to go see the pink dolphins of the Amazon or experience some other natural wonder.

[R1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing read. An amazing accomplishment. Exceptionally well-written. I appreciated the accomplishment as a fellow sailor but the story would also be compelling for non-sailors - not just the journey and its obvious challenges, but learning about the physical / mental stamina and fortitude that its takes to make an accomplishment that is on par with - or in many ways even more difficult than, climbing Mt. Everest or some other extreme challenge.

[Susie Rearick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know anything about sailing, but I felt like I was first mate on the author's solo voyage around the world. Beautifully written, the book is a combination of sailing, travel guide and life lessons. It's truly a metaphor for what we all deal with in life. Highly recommend.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story of a single handed journey around the world! Well written and captivating. Not just a series of log entries but a good discussion of the emotions and challenges of being alone on a 40 ft racing yacht! Enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone interested in sailing and adventure! 😎

[Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually met Dave, he's a pretty cool guy.

[Karin Kratina · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author kept talking about becoming humble, but I didn't see it. He was sponsored on a 40' sailboat to sail around the world, all paid. During layovers, he left the boat in the hands of others, only to return with the boat repaired, updated and ready to go. I kept wondering where the gratitude was.

He wrote repeatedly about missing his mother who had severe cancer, he was anxious to go see her. But at one layover, he hopped on a plane to meet his girlfriend who also flew into New Zealand, and had a wonderful 2 week holiday, which he talked about in more detail than the sailing. And then a brief fly home to see mom. I guess he didn't miss her that much.

I got fed up with how thoughts constantly "taunted" and "teased" him. Ugh. (See excerpts.)

He wrote in long winding sentences that were not fun to read. I love well done winding sentences (WF Buckley's sailing books are among my favorite). But this book had me following sentences that left me feeling a bit tortured (an example in excerpts).

I kept thinking it would get better. I kept thinking he would show some gratitude for his paid experience. Or show some real appreciation for his experience. He did not. I've read 100s of sailing books, many about hardship, but they were glad to be doing what they were doing, they could see the beauty of it. Not his guy.

I was 71% finished and could not stand it anymore. I actually picked up a Bridge book I'd been avoiding for over a year, rather than finish a book about sailing. THAT is saying something.