Sailing Into Oblivion

A fast-paced reading adventure

by 

Jerome Rand 

  How do you know it has been too long since published a book review? When the last review you did was 4 years ago!  In this case Walk The Wire by David Baldacci (https://www.catracing.org/hendrb/walk-the-wire-an-exciting-new-memory-man-mystery-by-david-baldacci/) .

  My hiatus from writing book reviews is certainly not because I have not been reading.  I try to read as often as I can!  I think the reason stems from not only trying to find an excuse to actually get outside, and there was so many places I wanted to see and blog about in Korea that the book reviews went by the wayside.  The other factor is, book and movie reviews are actually more difficult than the activity blogs, because those pretty much take care of themselves.  We went here, I did this!  This activity was awesome, this one not so much.  Throw some pictures together, and you have a blog!  That is not to say these types of blogs are easy.  They still take a lot of preparation, writing, a solid understanding of photography, and post processing the photos.  I just feel it is less cerebral and less subjectivity then trying to put down into words what I gleaned from a novel, or in this case someone’s factual account of their lives epic journey.

 So now that we have my preramble out of the way!  Let’s get down into the meat and potatoes of a very long over due review of Jerome Rand’s Sailing Into Oblivion.  A true to live story of answering ones calling to sail around the world single handed on a 33 ft boat!

  While my contract was winding down in Korea, I was thinking more and more about wishing I could use the money I saved up working overseas and sail from San Diego, north to San Francisco then west to Hawaii.  After working in the customer service field for over 20 years, I really felt like I needed to take a break and get away from people!  What better way to do that, then being alone with one’s thoughts for a month at a time!  I began to watch more an more YouTube videos of single handed cruisers such as Sam Holmes (https://www.youtube.com/@samholmessailing).  Who not only sailed single handed from Los Angeles to Hawaii, but flew overseas and cruised all over Europe!  One of the books Sam Holmes recommended was Sailing Into Oblivion, an autobiographical account from Jerome Rand, who at 39 sailed a Westsail 33 around the world single handed in 2018!

  The book opens on Mr. Rand just miles from the infamous Cape Horn trying to warm his frozen hands over the boats stove.  We are immediately thrown into the authors world of not only trying to mentally survive a year alone on the vast ocean, but physically survive in one of the most storm tossed seas on the planet!  We are then taken back 7 years in the past when the author completed another journey and life challenge of completing the through hike of the Appalachian trail, when the first whispers of his next life’s journey are being planted.   Moving back and forth from getting closer two and rounding cape horn and the months before leaving Gloucester, Massachusetts in a blur of turning pages, you will find yourself unable to put the book down, unable to rest or wait to see what challenge Mr. Rand will face and overcome next!  From seasickness, running low on food and at times water, food poisoning, to dealing with the sometimes completely opposing spectrum of  weather King Neptune can throw at us mere mortals ranging from being becalmed for days to raging gales and hurricane force winds!

  Sailing Into Oblivion should be quintessential reading for anyone dreaming of long rang cruising, or for those who love a good sea yarn!  It is a story of one mans dream, to sail single handed nonstop around the world and past all 5 capes! 

  Mr. Rand’s narrative style will make you feel like you are right there on the Might Sparrow experiencing the everything the author did.  Make sure you set aside a good chunk of time for Sailing Into Oblivion, because you may just find yourself not able to put this one down!

  Sailing Into Oblivion is available on Amazon in the following formats.  Please consider helping Brent’s World by using the links below.  Proceeds from the Amazon Associates program go towards making new content for you, our readers.

Available for purchase at Amazon.com

Kindle Edition – $9.99
Hardcover – $26.99 
Paperback – $16.99 

If you have read or decide to read Sailing Into Oblivion, please consider returning to let us know in the comments what you thought of the book. 

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