With hundreds of thousands of nautical miles under his keel, Kretschmer's adventures have taken him several times around the world, with challenging crossings of the Atlantic and the Pacific, a narrow escape from a coup in Yemen, an unlikely deliverance from a coral reef off Belize, as well as more serene, introspective passages where trade winds are blowing and stories are flowing. Kretschmer's narrative is interwoven with practical tips and advice on seamanship, but also, and just as importantly, his hard-won insights about making the most of our lives. He truly believes we find out who we really are, and what we are capable of, offshore, where we find a place where time changes shape--days may merge into one another, but minutes are memorable.