At the age of 57, Peter Keating set out to sail, single-handed, across the Atlantic. It was a lifelong dream of a lifelong sailor and though it was to be a solo journey, his waking and sleeping hours were spent in the ‘company’ of his memories and erstwhile companions and friends. From Werner and crocodile surfing, to Gerhardt and the Gulag. From Charlie of Morova Lagoon, to Fred from Fransesca. Their stories, along with the Mafiosa of Malta, Leo from the Chesapeake, the myth of Napoleon on St Helena and many more besides, were weaved into Peter’s as they hauled along, day after day, from horizon to horizon on the voyage from Norfolk, Virginia to Lisbon, Portugal. They were there to help and inspire him and, when he was caught in the middle of Hurricane Barry, to ensure he reached out and survived. When at his lowest ebb, along came the ghost of Sam, a friendly old sailor who kept Peter entertained through the long, lonely hours of the dog watch. Together they fill the pages of this book, yet this is not simply a sailing log of a trip from the New World to the Old. This is a story of individuals who have all lived on the edge. It shows what happens when you are brave enough to push yourself beyond your current boundaries and above all, go out on a limb. Yes, it will help you to understand more about deep oceaning, its joys and terrors, but perhaps it will also help the adventurer inside you to reflect on how you would cope in similar circumstances. Ultimately, this is not just Peter Keating’s journey alone, but the journey of us all when we go out on the edge - to peer over any horizon - and to finally emerge the better for having left our safe harbour.
