At the peak of their careers, Anne Brevig and Martin Vennesland made the decision of their lives: they chose freedom and a highly uncertain future on the high seas instead of secure jobs and the safety and comfort of life ashore.In order to finance their dream, they sold their house and most of their belongings and moved onboard their 40-foot sailboat, "Nor Siglar." She became their one and only home for 15 years. Neither imagined that they were going to spend 9 years on the 7 seas and sail more than 56,000 nautical miles around the world Anne and Martin's bluewater adventure was not about breaking any records. Its main focus was meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures - encounters that take on entirely different dimensions when sailing off the beaten track far away from the traditional tourist routes. Their 9-years on the 7 Seas circumnavigation onboard "Nor Siglar," which is truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure packed with drama and excitement, has been documented in books and magazine articles and is now available in the "Seven Seas Adventures Series." In this second book of the Series, the adventurous couple sail in the wake of pirates and buccaneers, explore San Blas, the realm of the Kunas, where "Nor Siglar" becomes a virtual hearse transporting a dead man to his burial. They ply the isolated waters of Isla Providencia, remote Vivarillo Cays and treacherous Cayo Media Luna, where they come within inches of disaster. While in the hurricane hole, Rio Dulce, they deal with a cholera scare and thieves in the night, primitive dentistry and missing mail, crime and pollution, armed guards and money in shoes, but also enjoy land travels with locals on packed "chicken buses" to spectacular Guatemala Highlands with its stunning nature, bustling markets, violence and rapes at gunpoint. Back to the joys of cruising, Anne and Martin brave wet dinghy rides, cockroaches and hook worms, spectacular diving in the reef-strewn waters of Belize and snorkelling with local free divers to trade and feast on lobster and friendship. Next it's on to the Yucatan Peninsula to finish off this part of the voyage in Castro's Cuba, where new and fascinating experiences await. On our way from Panama to Cuba we sail the historic Spanish Main, once patrolled by the famous pirates and buccaneers, Sir Francis Drake and Henry Morgan in search of the precious Inca gold. We visit the unique islands of San Blas, realm of the Kuna Indians, where we purchase exquisitely hand crafted Molas in exchange for seeing a dead man in a hammock, whom we end up taking to his funeral, using Nor Siglar as a virtual hearse. We move on to Colombia's isolated Isla Providencia, remote Vivarillo Cays and treacherous Cayo Media Luna, where we come within inches of disaster. We marvel at the hidden Eldorado of the Bay of Honduras with its beautiful islands of Guanaja, Roatan and Utila before seeking refuge from the hurricane season on Rio Dulce in the midst of the jungle, while exploring the fascinating Highlands of Guatemala, the realm of the Maya Indians. We admire spectacular lakes and bustling markets with impossible names like Chichicastenango, stay at family hotels and enjoy gourmet meals at bargain basement prices, hear of rapes at gunpoint, robberies, street patrols and money in shoes, crime, pollution and such. We marvel at archaeological wonders in the early morning jungle sunrise and learn about medicine doctors and nature's remedies before heading back to the joy of cruising, wet dinghy rides and a boat full of cockroaches. Then we are off to the dangerous and shallow reef-strewn waters of Belize, one of the most fantastic diving areas in the world and home to the famous Lighthouse Reef and Jacques Cousteau's Blue Hole, where we snorkel with local free divers, trade and feast on lobster and friendship.

At the peak of their careers, Anne Brevig and Martin Vennesland made the decision of their lives: they chose freedom and a highly uncertain future on the high seas instead of secure jobs and the safety and comfort of life ashore. In order to finance their dream, they sold their house and most of their belongings and moved onboard their 40-foot sailboat, "Nor Siglar." She became their one and only home for 15 years. Neither imagined that they were going to spend 9 years on the 7 seas and sail more than 56,000 nautical miles around the world Anne and Martin's bluewater adventure was not about breaking any records. Its main focus was meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures - encounters that take on entirely different dimensions when sailing off the beaten track far away from the traditional tourist routes. Their 9-years on the 7 Seas circumnavigation onboard "Nor Siglar," which is truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure packed with drama and excitement, has been documented in books and magazine articles and is now available in the "Seven Seas Adventures Series." In this third book of the Series, "Nor Siglar" gets a major overhaul and her crew psyche themselves up for the Big Atlantic Crossing. After cruising the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, they set out from Antigua to Bermuda, a great trade wind sail till they are within 20 miles of the island, where they battle rough seas and reef strewn waters for 12 hours before making landfall in St. Georges Harbour. A tropical depression delays their departure, spooked by boats sinking and crews drowning ahead. Their own crossing is plagued by waterspouts, torn sails and freighters on collision course. After two weeks, they enjoy some R&R in the Azores. The last three weeks to Norway are uneventful apart from the English Channel where they battle fog, strong currents and busy shipping lanes, the most stressful challenge of their voyage. On making landfall in Halden, Anne and Martin reach their first goal of sailing to their old country on their own keel all the way from their new country, Canada. Next challenge: Living aboard during the coldest winter Norway has had for years The books in the Seven Seas Adventures Series are not just any old travelogues for adventurers. Rather, it is a collection of highlights from encounters with "ordinary" people from different cultures and backgrounds who live a life much different from what most of us are used to. Anne and Martin certainly learned that what we take for granted is an elusive dream for others. The books "answer" a multitude of questions posed by travellers in general as well as prospective offshore sailors. Read - and be inspired by how Martin, head of one of the largest forestry consulting firms in Canada and Anne, comptroller of a large shipping company, cut the ties and left their secure jobs and comfortable lives ashore to follow their dreams. Nine years and more than 56,000 nautical miles later, Read how they had survived serious dangers, break-ins and a dramatic grounding, escaped close encounters with pirates, witnessed life-saving bravery and enjoyed heart-warming personal meetings on all five continents.

In this fourth book of the Seven Seas Adventures Series, Anne and Martin follow the wake of the Vikings across the North Sea and the dreaded Bay of Biscay, a formidable test of sea legs and endurance. They winter in Carmen's beautiful Seville and explore the spectacular anchorages of the Balearics, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Greece where the intrepid sailors also battle levanters and mistrals, meltemis and sciroccos, finally getting respite in the sheltered bays of Turkey. In Israel, they go sightseeing through the Bible and in Tunisia, take a memorable desert safari. Nasty weather forces them into off-limits Algeria, where they are nearly robbed at gun point. Heading back across the Atlantic, they have to make an emergency stop in Morocco where the skipper ends up having a back operation. A month later, after many dramatic but heartwarming experiences, they complete the crossing. Back in San Blas, Anne and Martin get a heroes' welcome from the Kunas who remember them from six years earlier when they helped transport a dead man on "Nor Siglar's" deck to his burial, a unique incident which gave them experiences "ordinary tourists" would never gain access to. At the peak of their careers, Anne Brevig and Martin Vennesland made the decision of their lives: they chose freedom and a highly uncertain future on the high seas instead of secure jobs and the safety and comfort of life ashore. In order to finance their dream, they sold their house and most of their belongings and moved onboard their 40-foot sailboat, "Nor Siglar." She became their one and only home for 15 years. Neither imagined that they were going to spend 9 years on the 7 seas and sail more than 56,000 nautical miles around the world Anne and Martin's bluewater adventure was not about breaking any records. Its main focus was meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures - encounters that take on entirely different dimensions when sailing off the beaten track far away from the traditional tourist routes. Their 9-years on the 7 Seas circumnavigation onboard "Nor Siglar," which is truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure packed with drama and excitement, has been documented in books and magazine articles and is now available in the "Seven Seas Adventures Series." The books in the Seven Seas Adventures Series are not just any old travelogues for adventurers. Rather, it is a collection of highlights from encounters with "ordinary" people from different cultures and backgrounds who live a life much different from what most of us are used to. Anne and Martin certainly learned that what we take for granted is an elusive dream for others. The books "answer" a multitude of questions posed by travellers in general as well as prospective offshore sailors. Read how they had survived serious dangers, break-ins and a dramatic grounding, escaped close encounters with pirates, witnessed life-saving bravery and enjoyed heart-warming personal meetings on all five continents. Their 9-years on the 7 Seas circumnavigation onboard "Nor Siglar," which is truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure packed with drama and excitement, has been documented in books and magazine articles and is now available in the "Seven Seas Adventures Series."

In this sixth book of the Series, Anne and Martin follow the wake of Captain Bligh through the Great Barrier Reef, one of their toughest passages in their eight years of cruising. In South East Asia, they face the threats of crocodiles, deadly jellyfish and blood thirsty Komodo dragons, piracy and unpredictable fishing boats, electrolysis and petty thefts. The modern day explorers sail to the famed Spice Islands, bypass unsafe Timor and cruise southern Indonesia with its live volcanoes and mountain villages renowned for their ikat weavers, colourful markets and traditional dances. In Bali, they learn about rituals, rites and reality and attend an outdoor Hindu cremation. Near disaster strikes when they go hard aground and almost lose "Nor Siglar" and transit the heavily trafficked and infamous Strait of Malacca. After touring Malaysia and Thailand by land, they spend Christmas in picturesque Phang Nga Bay and explore a "hong" by dinghy, while thieves break into "Nor Siglar." More trouble looms on the horizon as they encounter thunder and lightning squalls on their way across the Indian Ocean to the remote Maldives - the last paradise on earth. At the peak of their careers, Anne Brevig and Martin Vennesland made the decision of their lives: they chose freedom and a highly uncertain future on the high seas instead of secure jobs and the safety and comfort of life ashore. In order to finance their dream, they sold their house and most of their belongings and moved onboard their 40-foot sailboat, "Nor Siglar." She became their one and only home for 15 years. Neither imagined that they were going to spend 9 years on the 7 seas and sail more than 56,000 nautical miles around the world Anne and Martin's bluewater adventure was not about breaking any records. Its main focus was meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures - encounters that take on entirely different dimensions when sailing off the beaten track far away from the traditional tourist routes. Their 9-years on the 7 Seas circumnavigation onboard "Nor Siglar," which is truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure packed with drama and excitement, has been documented in books and magazine articles and is now available in the "Seven Seas Adventures Series." The books in the Seven Seas Adventures Series are not just any old travelogues for adventurers. Rather, it is a collection of highlights from encounters with "ordinary" people from different cultures and backgrounds who live a life much different from what most of us are used to. Anne and Martin certainly learned that what we take for granted is an elusive dream for others. The books "answer" a multitude of questions posed by travellers in general as well as prospective offshore sailors.

In this seventh and last book of the Series, Anne and Martin encounter some of the toughest and most dramatic challenges of their entire voyage, while at the same time experiencing exhilarating highs. Feel the sheer terror when they get caught in a giant fish net on the Arabian Sea; sail with them through the pirate infested waters of the Gulf of Aden into the dreaded Red Sea feared by sailors for its vicious head winds. Explore with them the mysteries of the Arab world with its mosques and minarets, macho men in long, white robes, veiled women in black abayas, camel crossings, crowded souks with exotic herbs and spices, fragrant perfumes and gold, frankincense and myrrh. Tour the desert accompanied by armed guards, experience traditional coffee ceremonies, witness poverty beyond belief and the last slave trading post in the world. Finally, Anne and Martin battle their way to the safety of the Suez Canal and Israel where they cross their own course from four years prior, receiving a hero's welcome and even meet Shimon Peres. Then, the adventurous couple are homeward bound after 9 fabulous years on the 7 seas The books in the Seven Seas Adventures Series are not just any old travelogues for adventurers. Rather, it is a collection of highlights from encounters with "ordinary" people from different cultures and backgrounds who live a life much different from what most of us are used to. Anne and Martin certainly learned that what we take for granted is an elusive dream for others. The books "answer" a multitude of questions posed by travellers in general as well as prospective offshore sailors. At the peak of their careers, Anne Brevig and Martin Vennesland made the decision of their lives: they chose freedom and a highly uncertain future on the high seas instead of secure jobs and the safety and comfort of life ashore. In order to finance their dream, they sold their house and most of their belongings and moved onboard their 40-foot sailboat, "Nor Siglar." She became their one and only home for 15 years. Neither imagined that they were going to spend 9 years on the 7 seas and sail more than 56,000 nautical miles around the world Anne and Martin's bluewater adventure was not about breaking any records. Its main focus was meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures - encounters that take on entirely different dimensions when sailing off the beaten track far away from the traditional tourist routes. Their 9-years on the 7 Seas circumnavigation onboard "Nor Siglar," which is truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure packed with drama and excitement, has been documented in books and magazine articles and is now available in the "Seven Seas Adventures Series."

"Do you have any favourite places?" "Were you ever in danger?" "What would you do differently?" "Were you ever sick?" These are but a few of the many questions Norwegian-Canadian couple, Anne Brevig and Martin Vennesland were often asked after they had finished their 56,000 nautical mile circumnavigation immortalized in their immensely popular book, "9 Years on the 7 Seas with Nor Siglar." At the peak of their careers, Anne Brevig and Martin Vennesland made the decision of their lives: they chose freedom and a highly uncertain future on the high seas instead of secure jobs and the safety and comfort of life ashore. In order to finance their dream, they sold their house and most of their belongings and moved onboard their 40-foot sailboat. It became their one and only home for 15 years. Time and again, when promoting their bestseller at boat shows, slide shows on-board cruise ships and a multitude of nautical and cultural organizations, people would invariably ask the very same questions. Hence the idea to collect the most frequently answered ones in a handy little FAQ-book. And here it is: "A Circumnavigator's FAQ," a book chock full of information, which will be useful to sailors and discriminating travellers alike. NOR SIGLAR's blue water adventure is not about breaking any records. Its main focus is meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures - encounters that take on entirely different dimensions when sailing off the beaten track far away from the traditional tourist routes. Here you can get straight answers from a couple who sought freedom from the everyday grind by cutting all ties and set sails for the unknown to live their dream and explore life on the other side of the horizon. During their once-in-a-lifetime fabulous, but also challenging adventure, which was filled with drama and excitement, strange and enchanting encounters, heartwarming hospitality and places of breathtaking beauty, they visited 76 countries and island nations covering a distance equaling 2.5 times around the world at equator. So now you are about to read an abbreviated version of the wisdom gained by these two experienced globetrotters who lived 15 years on their 40-foot sailboat, nine of them offshore. Not only to they share valuable, real-life tips and ideas on how to enjoy the unknown and avoid dangers, but they also offer life-tested advice and recommendations. One of the most Frequently Asked Questions was: "Do you have one all-important advice to other travelers?" Read the adventurous couple's answer to this - and many other questions in this book, which cover the topics of Planning, Executing and Surviving an Around-the-World Adventure.

In this fifth book of the Series, the intrepid sailors are seven years into their offshore adventure ready to tackle the long ocean passages of the fabled South Seas without crew. Highlights include crossing the Equator, the giant tortoises of Galapagos, landfall in rugged Marquesas, cruising legendary French Polynesia with its beautiful vahines and exotic hula-hula, tattooed men in outrigger canoes, spectacular atolls and lagoons, but also treacherous reefs and Mayday calls, corrupt officials, illness and dramatic rescue operations. In friendly Fiji, they experience theft and groundings; in festive Tonga, traditional song and dance and the King swimming around "Nor Siglar" anchored in his favourite bay. In remote Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, they witness everything from war dances in the buff to locals building outrigger canoes, help an injured native, survive a close encounter with a shark and trade with world-renowned carvers. They learn about Black Magic, coming-of-age rituals and pig killings with clubs, their many taboos, arranged marriages, bride prices and even some pigeon English. Leaving the South Pacific across the Coral Sea, Anne and Martin battle the toughest sail of their lives. At the peak of their careers, Anne Brevig and Martin Vennesland made the decision of their lives: they chose freedom and a highly uncertain future on the high seas instead of secure jobs and the safety and comfort of life ashore. In order to finance their dream, they sold their house and most of their belongings and moved onboard their 40-foot sailboat, "Nor Siglar." She became their one and only home for 15 years. Neither imagined that they were going to spend 9 years on the 7 seas and sail more than 56,000 nautical miles around the world Anne and Martin's bluewater adventure was not about breaking any records. Its main focus was meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures - encounters that take on entirely different dimensions when sailing off the beaten track far away from the traditional tourist routes. Their 9-years on the 7 Seas circumnavigation onboard "Nor Siglar," which is truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure packed with drama and excitement, has been documented in books and magazine articles and is now available in the "Seven Seas Adventures Series." The books in the Seven Seas Adventures Series are not just any old travelogues for adventurers. Rather, it is a collection of highlights from encounters with "ordinary" people from different cultures and backgrounds who live a life much different from what most of us are used to. Anne and Martin certainly learned that what we take for granted is an elusive dream for others. The books "answer" a multitude of questions posed by travellers in general as well as prospective offshore sailors. Read how they had survived serious dangers, break-ins and a dramatic grounding, escaped close encounters with pirates, witnessed life-saving bravery and enjoyed heart-warming personal meetings on all five continents.