On October 2, 2013, Dave Rearick began an epic solo voyage around the world. Onboard his specifically built Class 40 racing sloop appropriately named “Bodacious Dream,” Dave sailed from Newport, Rhode Island. He sailed the length of the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Town, South Africa, a distance of 8,000 miles. From Cape Town, Dave sailed to Wellington, New Zealand where “Bo” was originally built, and then onto the fabled Galapagos Islands, one of the earth’s great nature preserves. On the final leg, Dave returned to Newport, Rhode Island by way of the Panama Canal. The full circumnavigation took 256 days to complete, leaving an indelible memory of the challenges and rewards of being at one with nature, the solitude of the open sea and the ever-changing landscape of life.

At the age of 12, Dave Rearick was introduced to sailing on a small boat. By the age of 14, he was captivated by the stories of legendary sailors who raced or sailed single-handed around the world. Forty years later, in 2011, now age 54, Dave finally began his quest to race on-board in the Singlehanded Global Ocean Race. When the race was canceled, Dave, undaunted, continued his quest and embarked on the long-dreamed adventure that became a challenging journey of learning and discovery.

Join Dave and Bodacious Dream as they navigate the oceans of the world alone and the personal challenges met along the way.
 

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
If by Rudyard Kipling
Sailing Singlehanded is Raw and Honest......................................1
Outward Bound.........................................................................6
Adjusting to Being Offshore......................................................10
Bermuda.................................................................................14
The Struggle for Momentum......................................................19
On the Fine Edge of Life..........................................................27
Inky Dark Nights, Similarly Deep Thoughts..............................34
Crossing the Equator.................................................................37
The Great Races......................................................................41
Endless Miles to the Turn.........................................................43
Destination Cape Town.............................................................47
Thanksgiving at Sea.................................................................51
Electronic Wizardry.................................................................55
Losing Otto.............................................................................59
Balancing Act..........................................................................64
Hard on the Nose to Cape Town................................................68
Cape Town Tourist...................................................................79
Breaking Free from Cape Town’s Seduction................................91
Eastward to the Southern Ocean.................................................98
Holiday Depression................................................................106
“A Cyclone is Headed Right at You”........................................118
iivv
Strange Lights in the Night.....................................................129
The Feather...........................................................................135
“Call Mom, She Needs to Hear Your Voice..............................138
Decisions...............................................................................159
New Zealand Tourist.............................................................162
Pushing off from Welly...........................................................175
Passing the Dateline and Passing Time...................................182
Galapagos in Sight.................................................................197
Touring the Galapagos............................................................201
Sailing for Panama................................................................210
Transiting the Canal...............................................................214
The Last Thousand Miles......................................................219
Epilogue................................................................................235
Bodacious Dream Deck Layout Drawing................................238
Bodacious Dream Interior Line Drawing.................................239
Bodacious Dream Sail Plan Line Drawing.............................240
About the Author...................................................................241