Pam's Journal: Small yacht husband and wife circumnavigations are glamorous and visit places of paradise and interest, but is that really the case?

New Zealand mother of five, Pam Biss, decided she would venture forth around the world on a small boat circumnavigation with her husband, after her children had left home. Reluctant at first, she subsequently sailed for six years and visited 30 countries. She kept a private journal of her experiences and supplemented it with sketches and photos. Her friends became very interested in her journal and, upon her return to New Zealand, persuaded her to have excerpts from it published. Her writings do not pull any punches as to the highs and lows, and the book provides a very realistic account of what the so called "dream" of sailing around the world is really like. Her book also contains many commentaries on aspects which intending short handed sailors wonder about, for example, piracy, the hazards of shipping, on board relationships, "shake down" artists and personal safety, and the type of yacht. If you have ever wondered if you could do it yourself, then there is no better place to start than this book.