Seize the Day

SEIZE THE DAY before it's too late. There's a wonderful world out there to explore.

A stunning account of seven years on the seven seas, the first lap of Peter and Shirley’s 65,000 miles sail around the world in their 35’ ketch CLYPEUS. A car accident jolted them into rethinking their lives. The children had left home, Shirley’s parents lived in Australia, why not take a three year gap and sail away to see them. It took three years to prepare, sell their house, cars and Folkboat.

They followed the classic trade wind sailing route via the Caribbean, Panama, Tahiti, and Tonga to New Zealand, then back to Fiji, Vanuatu, Australia and Papua New Guinea, to reach Singapore

This book is an exciting account of the preparations, voyaging and much nuts-and-bolts sailing information. This is a concise, upbeat, and instructive book about sailing a small yacht to the remote Pacific Islands, where previously, the only visitors had been missionaries, government officials, and traders but thanks to advances in electronic navigation, Shirley and Peter were among the privileged first sailors to arrive just as friends and be welcomed into island life. Another three years were spent exploring the Australian East Coast and interior, before joining the Darwin to Ambon Race to Indonesia and Singapore. SEIZE THE DAY also tells of robbery, shipwreck and the self-discovery of themselves and their relationship, as Shirley says “Togetherness is - being seasick holding hands.”

Shirley Billing, an RYA Yachtmaster, has written two other books about their circumnavigation; Red Sea Peril (they were arrested under suspicion of spying in Eritrea) and Passport to Adventure which tells of their voyage home from Cyprus via Turkey, Crete, Greece, Sicily, many Mediterranean islands and then up through the French Rivers and Canals to the English Channel and home.

Their circumnavigation actually took 25 years and now Peter and Shirley live on the banks of Milford Haven Estuary in Pembrokeshire .