How many people have you heard say, “Someday I want to sail around the world?” How many people do you know who have actually done it?

At this year’s Annapolis sailboat show I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Beth Leonard and her partner Evans. They have circumnavigated. Twice. With their beloved HAWK on the market with us, I shared our brokerage booth with Beth and got to hear some of her stories and experiences which were both captivating and motivating. She held informal seminars for whoever wanted to show up about life aboard, tips and techniques for heavy weather sailing, and a myriad of other topics. Truth is, half of the fun was watching her wide eyed, enrapt pupils. Weekend sailors and coastal cruisers, they appeared to be dreaming a big dream. A dream so big they could simultaneously be viscerally excited about it but afraid to whisper it, as though they knew that in the doing of it, they would astonish themselves. And it struck me that they were there to not just learn, but to tap into Beth in a fundamentally spiritual way, a way that would convince them that because she did it, that yes, I can too.

Beth has written three books, which you can learn about here, but suffice to say they are absolutely packed with useful information. Not only that, but Beth is a gifted writer so the stories pop off the page and grab you. If you are a sailor contemplating going ‘out there’, or even if you’re not, these books are wonderful reads.

I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that Beth is associated with BoatUS, and is the Editor of Seaworthy, the quarterly magazine that I have championed as a fantastically valuable tool for boaters.

Learn more about Beth and Evan’s adventures here. I wish them fair winds, following seas (but not too big) and many more adventures ahead!