Five Days to Launch, and We’re Playing the Waiting Game!
October 31 is almost here! In just five days, Riding the Waves of Reality III: Into the Pacific, Paradise and Peril officially launches, and I couldn’t be more excited to share this next chapter of our sailing adventures with you. There is just one little problem. While I’m counting down to the launch of my newest book, Dan and I are once again at the mercy of Mother Nature. Apparently, she didn’t get the memo that I have a book launch coming up! 😂
Life Doesn’t Stop for a Book Launch
We are currently in Tonga, country number 52 on our journey around the world aboard our 43-foot sailboat, Equus. After a 17-day passage across the Pacific without setting foot on land, we arrived exhausted, hungry, and ready for a little rest. Of course, the boat had other ideas. There were repairs to tackle, systems to check, and decisions to make about our next destination.
Now we are playing the dreaded waiting game!
Our Next Stop: A Reef in the Middle of the Ocean
Our next stop is Minerva Reef, an underwater reef about three days’ sail from Tonga. Sailboats crossing to New Zealand often stop there to wait for a suitable weather window before making the six-to-eight-day passage to New Zealand. It is an incredible place to shelter while waiting, but getting there and choosing the right time to leave require careful planning.
Here is where things get a little complicated for us. Larger boats and those carrying plenty of fuel can motor to Minerva if the wind disappears. We can only carry enough fuel to motor for about three days. That fuel could be essential during our passage to New Zealand, whether we need it to get through days without wind or to move away from dangerous weather.
We don’t want to use up our safety margin just getting to the reef. So, we wait for the right conditions, hoping for enough wind to sail there without burning through the fuel we may need later.
And if you know me, you know patience isn’t always my greatest virtue!
The Weather Makes the Rules
The weather systems in this part of the world can be complicated. Boats sometimes wait weeks at Minerva for the right opportunity to continue. Our friends have seen firsthand how quickly conditions can turn dangerous, with boats damaged or lost when they encounter weather they cannot safely manage.
This isn’t a decision we can make based on a calendar. We have to make it based on the conditions.
So, while I’m preparing to celebrate the launch of my book, we’re also watching forecasts, studying weather systems, and figuring out when and how we can safely move on. The goal is to get to New Zealand safely, without using up the fuel we may need along the way.
The Adventures Behind the Book
In a way, it seems fitting. This is what our life has become over the past nine years. We make plans, adjust them, and sometimes throw them out altogether. We learn to be patient, even when we’d rather be moving. We celebrate the good days, deal with the difficult ones, and keep reminding ourselves that the journey rarely follows the route we imagined.
And that brings me to this book!
Riding the Waves of Reality III takes you along as we sail into the Pacific, exploring beautiful islands, encountering unforgettable people, and facing the challenges that come with living aboard a boat far from the conveniences of life on land. There are breathtaking places, unexpected problems, moments of exhaustion, plenty of humor, and experiences that remind us just how fortunate we are to live this life.
Some of those challenges are behind us now. Others, apparently, are still waiting for us around the next corner!
It’s More Than Paradise
This book is about more than the places we visit. It is about what happens between those beautiful photographs. It’s the repairs, the difficult passages, the decisions made when the stakes are high, and the determination to keep going when things don’t turn out as planned. It’s also about the people we meet along the way, whose generosity and kindness often become the most memorable part of our travels.
On October 31, I get to share those adventures with you.
Whether you’ve followed our journey from the beginning or are just discovering us, I hope you’ll join us for this next chapter. And here’s something important to know: you don’t have to read the first two books to enjoy this one! Each book follows a different part of our circumnavigation, and Book III stands on its own as the story of our adventures across the Pacific. You can jump right in and join us for this part of the journey.
Why Your Support on Launch Day Matters So Much
I want to share something with you that many readers may not realize. When an independent author launches a new book, those first purchases can make a tremendous difference.
Buying a book is about more than adding another title to your bookshelf. Early sales help build momentum, improve sales rankings, and increase the opportunity for a book to become more visible to other readers. Greater visibility can help new people discover our story, and that is something every independent author hopes for when releasing a new book.
Dan and I have spent nine years sailing around the world, and I’ve spent countless hours turning our experiences into stories that I hope will entertain, inspire, and give readers a glimpse into a life very different from their own. Getting those stories into the hands of readers is the reason I write, but reaching new readers is not always easy.
If you’ve enjoyed following our adventures, purchasing Riding the Waves of Reality III when it launches on October 31 is one of the best ways you can support us.
And please don’t think this book is only for people who have followed our journey from the beginning. If you love adventure stories, travel, the ocean, or reading about people who take on challenges far outside their comfort zones, this book may be just what you’re looking for.
Maybe you’re not the person who wants to be gripping the edge of your seat while reading about challenging ocean passages and unexpected boat problems. That’s okay, too! Think about the people in your life who love reading about travel, exploration, and real-life adventures. This book would make a wonderful gift for a friend or family member who enjoys discovering the world through someone else’s eyes.
Every purchase helps. It helps our book gain visibility, helps build momentum for this launch, and helps support our continuing sailing journey and the repairs that keep Equus moving. We are not a big publishing house with a huge marketing budget behind us. We depend on readers like you to help spread the word.
If you’ve ever wondered how you can help us continue this adventure, here’s a very practical way to do it: buy a copy on launch day, give one as a gift, or share our book with someone who loves a good adventure. Your support truly makes a difference, and we are grateful for every single person who chooses to be part of this journey.
Five Days and Counting!
For now, we’ll keep watching the weather, hoping for a good window to Minerva Reef, and preparing for our next big passage. The book launch is on the calendar, but our departure date is still in Mother Nature’s hands.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: OCTOBER 31!
Riding the Waves of Reality III: Into the Pacific, Paradise and Peril is almost here, and I would love for you to celebrate launch day with us.
Thank you for following our adventures, encouraging us through the difficult days, and celebrating the good ones with us. Whether you’ve been with us since we first left home or have just joined us in Tonga, your support means more than you know.
Here’s to another chapter, both on the page and out here on the ocean.
Fair winds from Tonga,
Captain Dan and First Mate Alison
The Nautical Novelist
YOUR SUPPORT MEANS THE WORLD TO US !❤️
