Deciding that her two-paycheck family needed a change of pace, Hitchcock (Wildflowers on the Windowsill, LJ 3/1/84) took nine months off with husband David, son John (age eight), and daughter Alison (age six) to sail from Florida to the Caribbean on the 34' Hei Tiki, named after the Maori god of fertility. After a year of planning and saving for the trip, they rented out their house in Virginia, arranged for a good friend to take care of their affairs, and sailed Hei Tiki south to the Bahamas. Traveling from Cocoa Beach to the Abacos, Turks & Caicos, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, British Virgin Islands, Martinique, and Grenada, they eventually ended up back up to Florida. During their voyage, they had to adjust to living in a very confined space and, in the process, became a tight-knit family. Home schooling became a major preoccupation, with shore trips providing exciting learning experiences. This is a well-written story that is not overly technical about how a family adjusts to life aboard a small boat. A solid purchase for public libraries with potential voyagers.
Coming About : A Family Passage at Sea