The Reluctant Mariner tells of an Australian couple's five-year circumnavigation of the world in a 12.2-metre long, steel-hulled ketch called Onawa. The author, Joanna Hackett, was once a self-proclaimed landlubber who had never even considered sailing off over the horizon in search of adventure but, having married a man keen to do just that, was willing to "give it a go". Her candid account, penned with dry wit and accessible style, made The Reluctant Mariner a sell-out when it first hit the shelves in 2001. While not a sailing textbook, it does provide many useful tips for the novice long-distance sailor. It is therefore both essential reading for anyone about to set sail for the great unknown and a fascinating yarn for the armchair traveler.

The Hacketts visited more than 37 countries, all brought to life with vivid descriptions, a little history, and some very funny anecdotes. From dodgy officials and the red tape waltz in Indonesia, a night in a Sri Lankan brothel and naked sailors in the Cyclades, to kangaroos in the Cape Verde Islands, snow skis and Scrabble in the Spice Islands and suspect virgins in the Marquesas-there's plenty here to entertain the reader as Onawa circles the globe. Problems are solved, terrifying encounters are overcome and bad weather is survived. Through all, the Reluctant Mariner copes stoically with everything the oceans throw at her.

If you want to know what it's like to spend five years sailing around the world with your partner in a small yacht (and still remain friends), this captivating, amusing and insightful book is for you.This 3rd edition has been slightly amended from the original, and has several small additions.