Sailing into Trouble

I have written a new book.

Yes, I know you might not find that astounding. A writer writing a book.

But this one is different. I went sailing and it was AMAZING! So I wrote about it. and called it 'Is the Davit Supposed to Fall Off?'.

The only sailing I had done before this trip, was a short sail out into the harbor to test the yacht we later bought, and a few hours on a sleek new club yacht. On that trip, I got to hold the wheel and wind a few ropes, but mostly spent the time sipping cool drinks and sampling the catered lunch.

Sailing on our own forty-foot, 1970’s, ex-fishing yacht was not at all the same. It was challenging, surprising, sometimes scary, and ultimately satisfying. We visited parts of New Zealand I have never seen, despite living there for most of my life. We sailed overnight and through wild seas, then cruised smoothly past New Zealand’s active offshore volcano.

It was exciting too. We turned circles in front of a tanker, almost ran into an island cliff in the dark, and tried to tow another yacht out to sea with us, making its owner more than a little cross.

If this sounds like a story you might be interested in, then take a peek at the sample page, or read this summary from the back cover.

If a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, then Nikki is in luck. The sea is in turmoil, the wind is on the nose, and the yacht is bouncing around like a bath toy.
Nikki and her husband, need to bring their old yacht from New Zealand to Australia. But first they have to negotiate New Zealand’s rugged East Coast from Napier to Cape Reinga. It’s a trip designed to test the most experienced sailor, and Nikki doesn’t know a boom from a jib.
Phil has to plot the course, steer the ship, and trim the sails, while Nikki begins the sailing trip of a lifetime more bilious than a rabbit on a roller coaster, and more like cargo than crew. 
Phil is great at smoothing over problems, and fixing   everything from tangled ropes to broken fan belts, but even he can’t fix the weather, and a cyclone threatens. Getting to Australia is looking unlikely when even getting from one town to another is a challenge.

If you are interested in sailing (or just want to read a good story) jump over to the sample page to see more.

If not, there is more to come. I am working on a novel about a missing toddler, as well as a memoir tentatively called ‘A Middle-Aged Junk Mail Princess’. Stay tuned.

Happy Travels everyone.

To learn more about house sitting, along with fun house sitting stories and tales of my adventures around Australia, go to www.nikkiahwong.com or visit any good online store including Amazon.com.