Freiheit auf Zeit

Every circumnavigation of the globe is a love story. It tells of men and seas, of women and freedom. And of the realization of long-held dreams. Beware of these stories; they can trigger acute wanderlust and cause travel fever, leading to an urgent desire to drop everything right here and now, board a boat, and sail away. The only temporary remedy is browsing used boat listings and marking spots on the globe. This book recounts twelve journeys of German circumnavigators, based on twelve interviews with couples, solo sailors, and a family. Twelve dreams, twelve decisions to let go, twelve instances of complete freedom. But also: storms, capsizes, sleep deprivation, empty wallets, and bureaucracy. All these circumnavigations were undertaken by people who could be just like you and me: not professional sailors, not record hunters, not super-rich. No bearded salt-crusted sailors, no adrenaline junkies. They all share a passion for long-distance sailing, without necessarily having grown up by the sea or being sailors from a young age. And they have all shown that a great deal is possible if you just want it. The approaches could hardly be more different: some joined a rally around the globe, so the journey was meticulously planned from A to Z and was over quickly. Others, however, couldn't get enough of sailing and tacked on a second leg to their first big trip – they returned to their home port only after more than two decades. And the sailors themselves? Some are young, just twenty, hungry for adventure. Others, a bit older, set off with small children or relocated their workplace entirely to the water in the last third of their lives. Just as varied as the skippers are the ships and routes: ranging from the barefoot route to Cape Horn. The best tips and the most interesting anecdotes.