10 years! I can’t believe it! And we are still talking about our circumnavigation and people continue to enjoy my book. Thank you everyone for your support. You can buy your copy here by clicking on the ‘Pay’ button. It’s also available directly from me, at Iluka Emporium in Iluka NSW and from Boatbooks Australia. (If you are outside Australia, it’s listed with Amazon and other POD markets.) Sorry not an ebook - yet...
Here’s the blurb if you are new to this site:

SAILING IN MY SARONG, Around the World - a 30 year dream
Linda and Bill Anderson are living proof that it's never too late to fulfil your dream. After 30 years of fantasising about sailing around the world, they finally set sail on an action packed voyage that would take two years to complete.

Never mind that Linda suffered from sea sickness, was petrified of storms and had little sailing experience, or that the couple were to make the trip in their home built yacht, this 30,000-nautical-mile voyage was about achieving their dream.

While they gained so much from their adventure, Bill and Linda also gave a lot back to the places they visited - working with street children, running art and play workshops with Linda's vibrant photos and artwork filling the pages of this book.

It's a story of battling gales and sailing through the world's pirate hot spots; of exploring exotic and remote communities and integrating with the locals; and of experiencing the vastness of the great oceans and making new friends at each destination. But above all, the story is one of overcoming a challenge of massive proportions and leaving a small part of themselves in every single one of the 30 countries Linda and Bill visited in their swift, yet tough yacht Valiam. This is their story.

The big plywood dinghy Bill built for Valiam is now on a trailer in Iluka. It was a beautiful day so a trip to explore the Esk river was a great idea. Once launched we enjoyed the changing scenery along the river. We saw the evidence of the fires a year ago but the forest is recovering well, especially with all the rain we’ve had recently. I took lots of photos and feel inspired to create some new artwork. Upon our return, just as we lifted the dinghy on to the trailer 3 official looking gentlemen came to greet us. Two police officers and one from Fisheries I think. They wanted to check if we had any fishing gear and even looked in the dinghy’s hatches! I think we finally convinced them we were sailors and not interested in fishing! They appeared interested that the big dinghy was built from plywood and we had used it as a tender for our trip to Lord Howe Island. They were polite enough but it was a surprise to see them down the muddy track where we launched the dinghy!

This is a Haines Hunter 1971 V1 63
Kept the captain busy with another project.

Lying in the saloon on board Valiam, I'm getting into Lisa Blair's book. Even though I followed her blog and got to know Lisa ( and her mum Linda) personally, I am riveted. To sail around Antarctica solo was her dream and she did it , surviving losing her mast and rig in violent seas. Along with 1000s of followers I was anxious and worried but she managed. 1000 miles from Cape Town she bravely sailed in under jury rig. Incredible. As a member of Women Who Sail, I used social media to make sure Lisa had a welcome committee when she arrived. Messages flew around the world between us women sailors who knew someone in Cape Town to support her. The crew of Delos took camera gear to out by dinghy to photograph Lisa coming in. I stayed up to receive those photos - it was just so exciting.

Lisa's grit and determination got her through the gruelling task of repairs determined to complete her circumnavigation of Antarctica. She truly is incredible. Ok back to reading the book. I can't put it down.
Click here for Lisa's blog 'Lisa Blair Sails the World'...