Maiden Voyage [Paperback]

Tania Aebi (Author), Bernadette Brennan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 1996

Tania Aebe was an eighteen-year-old dropout and barfly. She was going nowhere until her father offered her a challenge. He would offer her either a college education or a twenty-six-foot sloop in which she had to sail around the world alone. She chose the boat and for two years it was her home, as she negotiated weather, illness, fear, and ultimately, a spiritual quest that brought her home to herself....


From the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Challenged by her German-Swiss father, an 18-year-old New York City bicycle messenger in 1988 became the first American woman, and the youngest person, to sail alone around the world. In this jaunty account of her journey, she veers between the perils of solo sailing, her relationships with her separated parents and the death of her mysterious mother. Aebi, writing with freelancer Brennan, reveals her lack of sailing knowledge and experience, describes the heavy seas and weather she endured, her numerous problems with malfunctioning equipment, the countries, people and cats she encountered and a sympathetic French-Swiss whose boat sometimes accompanied her own. The story is so compelling that sailing enthusiasts will read avidly on to the triumphant finish. Literary Guild alternate; author tour.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This is the story of an 18-year-old New York City girl and her exciting solo circumnavigation of the globe on a 26-foot sloop with only a cat for company. Aebi had little previous experience, so most of what she learned was "on the job" and from people she met en route. One of the most appealing aspects of this particular single-handed sailing account is Aebi's naivete and the caring response that she encountered all over the world. Her 27,000-mile, three-year trek is usually attempted only by practiced sailors, and her survival was achieved by pluck, inventiveness, helping hands, and a good deal of luck. Armchair sailors will cheer and dream a little and veterans may only shake their heads. Recommended.
- Susan Ebershoff-Coles, Indianapolis-Marion Cty.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (September 29, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345410122
• ISBN-13: 978-0345410122
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #230,881 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Travel > Specialty Travel > Solo Travel

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply amazing diary!, August 1, 2001

By 

Steve Bradford (Frederick, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Maiden Voyage (Paperback)

Tania Aebi's "Maiden Voyage" depicts a troubled teen's real life circumnavigation of the Earth on a small sailboat. She knows little of sailing but quickly masters her boat and the wind that takes her around the world. She meets plenty of friends throughout her real life journey that took place in in the late '80's. Several close calls make sure the journey never goes quite as planned.

Good book for those who are interested in sailing or dream of adventure abroad. Ms. Aebi's circumnavigation is a learning experience not only for her, but for all of those who read her book. "Maiden Voyage" is one of Amazon's best kept secrets! A great book!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You gotta read this book!, March 22, 2000

By 

Monica (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maiden Voyage (Paperback)

I love this book! I love the balence of sailing, romace, and of Tania's coming of age through her experiences of her travels. I just read this and immediately started to read it again. It was a great insperation. I could relate to the pitfalls of her highschool experience with school and family. And even could when she was at sea.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Romantic Adventure, June 28, 2002

By 

Rick (Issaquah WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maiden Voyage (Paperback)

This book was one of the first that I read in the True Adventure genre and while I have read many since and some that are certainly more sound from a writing perspective, few have come close to the honesty and beauty of the journey that Tania Aebi shares with us in this story. This book does go in to a great amount of detail about sailing, but I think this is superbly important. It gives us insight into what it takes in order to make a journey like this one and we get to see and experience with her the huge learning curve of sailing and all the intricacies of doing it well. I, in fact, appreciated all the detail because I learned from it and am a better reader of sailing stories as a result.

Tania shares so much of herself and the challenges she overcame and the personal growth she experiences. I had a hard time putting the book down as so much happens and you want to know how this young inexperienced woman would handle it. It's always great to find a good adventure story, even more so when it is about a young woman, this book will certainly not disappoint anyone who wants to see life experienced on this incredible journey.