Customer Reviews

Manning Up In Alaska, An Astounding Tale of Overcoming Cancer, Sailing 2600 Miles to Alaska and Finding New Direction

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The magnificent cover shot, and the somewhat "macho" title might lead you to think that this is some kind of wild and woolie Shackleton-like tale of epic sailing adventures. Okay, some of the sailing adventures are a bit epic, but.....that isn't the point of this book at all.

This is much more of a book about a man, and his voyage through the weather that life threw at him --- from mainstream calm and business success, to the whack in the head that the curveball of major cancer diagnosis threw at him, to shaking off that bad pitch and staying in the box, swinging to connect with base hit after base hit, staying in the game and running up a good score when most folks would have headed for the dugout to recover for the rest of the game.

The tone of this book, for me, is a lot like Miles Clark's "High Endeavours" about Miles and Beryl Smeeton. While you could tell by the writing that it was Mile's first book, the story was so compelling, and his love of the characters (his uncle and aunt) so apparent, that the book carries into being an all time classic. There might be places where you know that this is Dick's first book -- but the story, the enthusiasm, the message takes you right through those places and sweeps you along with the bigger story.

All stories have many messages --- and what I like about this book is the message to keep plugging along, to make things happen even when it ain't easy. No, Dick isn't your "average" sailor by any stretch -- but he and Sharon's adventures, misadventures, and "doing maintenance in many ports" is just the way of life of any of us who decide to journey and live on boats, no matter what the size or complexity. What is important here is that he DOES it, doesn't just talk about wanting to do it --- and no matter what your perception of rich or poor, we are all encouraged to get up and give life our all, rather than stay at home and wish it were different, or wish we had made something happen.

Lastly -- I love the boat name they chose, reading about the voyages of "Last Resort." Way too many ways to play on that name, and the wry, dark, and willing-to-look-it-in the-eye-humor that picked that as a name speaks worlds about who Dick and Sharon Drechsler are. In cruising sailing, we always talk about "living the dream" -- and here, a guy has taken a nightmare and made the dream happen where few could imagine. This book uses his sailing as a metaphor and a tonic for that condition that afflicts us all --- complacency and the belief that we are all going to live past 90 in our happy little life plans.

What would you do if you were told that you only had 6 months to live? Why aren't you doing it? This is the thought that this book provokes in me. It reminds me to get on with dreams, and to keep with it when it gets hard. And lastly -- this is a book whose proceeds benefit a Cancer Foundation. What is not to like?

Terri Watson
Executive Director, Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association
Cruising Sailor, S/V Delphinus

Congratulations to the author on a excellent book. I would highly recommend it for sailors and non-sailors alike. I read the book from cover to cover as soon as I received it. As a sailor myself I found that I could not put it down. The story of the personal challenges and achievements, the sailing achievements and the adventures enjoyed by the author and his wife are terrific. What a great journey they made and how enjoyable it is to be able to read about it. Interesting, too, to know the story behind the name of boat, Last Resort, and the basis for the title of the book. I very much enjoyed the writing style and I would hope to see a sequel as the sailing adventure continues.

"Manning Up In Alaska" is a unusual story of survival in more ways than one. I guess it's not `just' a survival story, but one important aspect to this book. It describes not only Dick Drechsler's battle with cancer, but the risk and cruising challenges as he and his wife Sharon embark upon seldom-visited locations as they rediscover themselves.

It takes a certain amount of sacrifice to live the dream and break free of being landlubbers, but Dick and Sharon have broken the tie that binds. They bring to you; the reader, an inspiring and informative book that is so real one can almost smell the sea air and feel the cold from the Alaskan glaciers. It is easy to picture Dick's white-kunckled hands tightly gripped on the wheel of the Last Resort with Sharon on the bow, guiding them through the treacherous, ice-filled waters. One mistake and, what had been a dream come true, could become a life-threating disaster.

The descriptions alone of the crystal clear waters, mountains with ribbons of waterfalls and heart-stopping sea life, as well as the beautiful blue color of icebergs, make this book worth reading.

This is a truly remarkable story by a couple that has made many friends along the way. I hope someday to meet them in person when I too break free and live the dream they have made real.

Cliff Johnson
Author: Wrong Side of the River

On Febrary 18, 2005, Dick Drechsler went to the doctor as he was not feeling well and thought he had a sinus infection. He was not prepared for what the doctor had to say. He was told he had stage three neck and throat cancer. That he had four to six months left to live. His cancer appeared to be advanced and there was no hope.

Little did the doctors know of the tenacity of Mr. Drechsler. He went through extensive surgery that lasted nine hours. When he awoke he was given a glimmer of good news. Yes, the cancer was massive, it had involved forty out of forty-eight lymph nodes in his neck, left tonsil, and much of his neck and throat tissue, but the surgeon thought he'd gotten it all. He was told the cancer probably started in his left tonsil.

I am not going to dwell on all of the medical issues he faced, because the author does not want that. So you will just have to read it yourself in his book. All That I can say is he has "True Grit."

He calls himself just an average guy, yet nothing could be further from the truth. Average is not a word that comes to mind in his story. While this is an inspirational book for people who had or have cancer, it is so much more. It is a book of hope and one man who refused to let the fears of cancer coming back stop him from doing what he had always dreamed of.

I could not help but laugh out loud in parts. Dick decided he wanted to try and catch crab on his way to Alaska. So they stopped and bought a crab pot for $200 and a shrimp pot for $120 and then another $200 for other stuff that was needed. He kept trying and trying and then one day it finally happened. He caught hs first crab and the joy in finally catching one was priceless to him. His wife Sharon (who happens to be very pretty) took a picture of Dick holding up his catch. And to think it only cost him $520. I laugh when ever I think of it.

Once when they were out walking they forgot to bring their bear repellent with them. While they were enjoying the outdoors they happened upon a bear and it is something you cannot miss in this story. Nor the joke about the Irishman. Honest you have to buy this book to read about the poop juice, he was told to use when he was trying to catch catch some fish. Yes, it literally was poop juice. I have to stop and add a warning to women who have had children and are over 55. At times I would laugh so hard about something in this book that it was a mad race to the bathroom. Luckily for me I made it in time and retained my dignity.

This book grabs your attention and while I have mentioned some of the funny things in this book, I know that cancer if not a funny thing. Dick is setting up a charitable foundation helping other cancer suffers. Both Dick and his wife Sharon now live on their boat full time.

As I read about all the places they had sailed to, this reviewer was caught up and was with them. You can read about Dick's foundation at
www.sailthrucancer.org

Whispering Winds Book Reviews

I purchased several copies of this book and while only half way through the book, ended up giving my copies away to those that I wanted to share this wonderful story. I truly enjoyed reading about Richard's determination to focus on his cruising dream and not his cancer or current condition. This is an inspirational story to us all.

Life throws us many twists and turns and Mr. Drechsler describes the highs and lows he experienced as he became a cancer survivor and moved forward to live life to the fullest in his book Manning Up in Alaska. I found the book to be an entertaining account of the journey as he and his wife made the decision to follow their dream. As someone who has experienced Alaska from the deck of a cruise ship, I was fascinated with the author's account of journeying the inside passage in a sailboat. The Drechslers' story is one of facing challenges with courage and humor.

Dick Drechsler is way more than a cancer survivor and ocean voyager; he makes life a grand adventure. Fueled by his intoxication with engaged living, head winds, mechanical failure, even stage four throat cancer, become mere challenges that simply must be overcome. What inspires me most about his story is the strength with which he accepts the hand he has been dealt, and then keeps playing--fiercely. This is also the story of uncommon and expansive teamwork with his wife, Sharon. After beating the odds on a fatal illness, many adjust priorities in life. Yet only the rare few choose Alaska as the first stage of their next chapter. An inspiring read. Dick and Sharon, when will the sequel be out?

Bob Jones
Washington, DC and Annapolis

I couldn't put this book down. It's a must read for many different reasons. If you've ever had cancer, known someone who's had cancer or feared getting cancer you'll be inspired by this story of the author's ability to turn a tragic diagnosis into a great adventure. (Although less than 10% of this book is about his illness - it's mainly about sailing.)
If you ever plan to sail any part of the West Coast, from Ensenada to Alaska, it's full of information about the ports and anchorages.
If you've ever thought of buying a sailboat and living happily ever after, this will be a cautionary tale for you. The problems he encounters and overcomes with his brand new $300,000 sailboat would drive most people to suicide.
Though all this his wife stands loyally and encouragingly by his side. She must be a saint. Don't miss this great read.

A truly inspiring story of a man's love for sailing that pulled him through the insurmountable odds of beating stage III neck and throat cancer. Along with the support of his wife he searched until he found a solution to free him from the confines of a feeding tube and courageously embarked on a voyage of hope. They sailed from Mexico to Alaska aboard their sailboat "Last Resort" experiencing an adventure one only dreams about.
"Mr. Drechsler, you "Manned Up" long before you reached Alaska!"

Manning Up In Alaska had me laughing out loud at times, while at other moments, it left me on the edge of my chair. It's the true story of the author, Dick Drechsler, who practices what so many preach: When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

At first when you meet Dick, he is on top of the world - successful, adventuresome and fun-loving. Then, all of a sudden, his life tanks! Dick gets an earth-shattering diagnosis of Stage Three throat and neck cancer and is given four to six months to live. He undergoes treatment - very invasive surgery followed by an arduous regimen of chemo and radiation. The good news is he survives and keeps his ability to talk. The bad news is he was left with a totally closed esophagus, existing on nourishment through a feeding tube. Plus, his entire body has been weakened, leaving him with no energy, a compromised immune system and a feeling of fragility and almost hopelessness.

But, rather than wallow in self pity, this guy is a fighter. Deciding to take control of his destiny, Dick does extensive research to find a course of treatment to make the most of his condition. After many months of exploration and research, he finds a surgeon at the M.D. Anderson Clinic in Houston, Texas, who had tried a new procedure out on five patients to successfully open their throats. The next day, he is on a plane to Houston and going through the procedure the following Monday. It works! Although Dick will never eat solid foods again in his life, he is freed from the horrors of the feeding tube and can now live on a liquid diet.

Unfortunately, he can no longer keep up the rigorous travel schedule his business demands. He decides to sell his company.

He also decides it's time to fulfill his lifelong dream. He and his wife, Sharon, purchase a 47-foot sailboat and go cruising...this, despite the fact that he had not yet fully regained his vigor.

The book takes us along as Dick and Sharon sail over 2600 miles from Ensenada, Mexico to Alaska. On the way, Dick finds he is getting stronger and stronger. He begins to regain his sense of self-confidence. He starts a Web site, [...] to keep friends and family informed and to share his sailing adventures. After a sailing magazine, Latitude 38, publishes an article about him, his story "goes viral," receiving tens of thousands of visitors!

Dick finds that his doctors and other cancer survivors were passing the site along from one to another. One cancer patient wrote him, "I was going to skip getting cancer treatment and just give up. But following your remarkable journey has shown me there is life after cancer."

Realizing that his experiences could give hope to others, he decides to start a charitable organization, the Sail Through Cancer Foundation ([...]) dedicated to providing respite and inspiration to others fighting cancer. He decides that one of the Foundation's main activities will be to form an "Armada of Hope" ... a network of volunteer boat owners, skippers, and others in the boating community who will offer to take cancer survivors out for a day on the water. The Foundation also shares stories of recovery and perseverance in beating cancer and leading normal, even exceptional lives.

While I am not a sailor myself, I got a lot out of the book. There are many funny anecdotes, and some exciting stories. But, most of all, Dick's story made me realize that if he could live his dream in spite of all he'd been through, why can't we all strive for that? At one point in the book when he's discussing what it took to overcome cancer and do all that he has done, he says, "Attitude is everything. There is life after disaster. Some days, it may be just putting one foot in front of the next, but you can take control of your destiny. "

I won't spill the beans about how he came to name the book, but will give you a heads-up that it's part of another funny story. This book helped me change my attitude and have fun while I was doing it!