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Running Away to Sea

The dream of leaving land behind – and how to do it

Author:	Sebastian Smith
Published:	2027
Size:	234 × 153 mm

Pre-order now to secure your copy!

We expect this title will be available on:

January 7, 2027

£16.99

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Running Away to Sea - Paperback / 1st edition (2027) is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.

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One family's journey from beginner to bluewater

A foreign correspondent's moving account of learning to sail and cruising 25,000 miles with his family, tackling storms, DIY and the challenge of balancing fear with ambition.

Escape the daily grind and run away to sea with Sebastian as he turns his dreams of adventure into reality.

A new idea hit me as I looked out to sea. Once you're a sailor with your own boat, maybe you never even need to return home. Why would you? On the boat, you're already there. Dreamers learn to navigate. Doers get lost in the stars.

This is the compelling and moving tale of how Sebastian found the motivation and means to cast off the lines and venture beyond the horizon. Packed with soul and advice, Sebastian's story takes us from breathless attempts to control a tiny dinghy off the British coast to cruising past the Statue of Liberty on his beautifully restored yacht as he and his family set off on their quest for the Sargasso Sea.

This book is a vivid account of what it is like to know nothing, yet to step aboard. And once you know enough, to go further than you ever thought possible. We follow in their wake to sail under starry Mediterranean skies, to explore the Caribbean and the Casamance, and spend freezing winters in a Bronx boatyard…They discover the true meanings of love, fear and beauty, and meet other people of the sea. And they never stop learning. We stand alongside them as they tackle storms, sea sickness and never-ending DIY, and learn about balancing fear and ambition, knowing when to raise the stakes, and how to return to life on land after 25,000 miles.

About the Author

Sebastian Smith has been a foreign correspondent for 30 years, for AFP, The Economist, The Times and others. He has covered wars, natural disasters, countless elections, and stories of human life from the Amazon rainforest to Siberia. At the age of 30 he took to the sea, and since then boats and voyaging have been at the heart of life with his wife and daughters. He has written for SAIL in the US and Practical Boat Owner in the UK.