When your husband of twenty years suddenly announces that for his retirement he will be sailing away with you or without you, do you dissuade him, divorce him, or go along? Sailing the Great Escape-¡Qué Bárbara! is one woman's answer, and the travel memoir of the couple's shakedown cruise circumnavigating the north Caribbean Sea. The book traces their path from his years of wishful thinking to their planning, preparation, and eventual fulfillment of her husband's lifelong dream.

Join the reluctant First Mate, completely new to sailing, as she confronts numerous fears, shark encounters, untamed guests, and too much togetherness afloat. Journey with the sailing vessel ¡Qué Bárbara! from Georgia and Florida, through the Bahamas, to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, and along coastal Belize and Mexico, stopping for sightseeing, bird-watching, snorkeling, and innumerable boat parts before returning to the USA.

¡Qué Bárbara! is the feminine version of a Spanish expression that means,"how marvelous, how incredible!" as well as "how awful, how horrible." Could there ever be a more apt description of a journey at sea? Given the trials and terrors of the four-month escapade, it was the perfect name for their catamaran.

If you've ever dreamed of chucking it all and sailing away, read this first!