Staying Afloat: A Memoir by

In the year 2000, my husband and I had a dream to build a steel trawler, retire, head out the Golden Gate, turn south, and cruise the world. We would call her Antipodes. We contracted to have her built in Nova Scotia. However, she almost didn't make it into existence. Bill and I only had three years of boating experience when we went under contract. Due to circumstances, we didn't have sufficient time for a proper shake down cruise to make sure everything was in working order. Were we biting off more than we could chew? This is my story of our journey from dream to creation, from balmy days to hurricanes, from Nova Scotia to San Francisco, 6,000 miles at sea and beyond.