Changing Course: A Woman's Guide to Choosing the Cruising Life

When Debra Ann Cantrell's husband suggested that they pack their things and head off to the seas for a life cruising the world's waterways, she wasn't sure what to do. She wondered what other women had done at sea, and embarked on five years of research to learn just what they said and did. The result is a deep and insightful journey towards change. Not every woman chose to stay at sea and not every marriage made it, but every single woman Cantrell studied experienced change and gained strength from the experience. Changing Course examines the experiences of 100 women living on the high seas.

". . . the essential first step for all couples planning to sail away; this is a must-read."--Paul and Sheryl Shard, authors of Sail Away!"Life afloat nourishes my heart, my head, body, and soul in ways that have enhanced all aspects of my life personally and professionally. I have discovered ways of sustaining my sense of purpose both on land and while cruising that have enabled me to embrace the cruising lifestyle."--Debra Ann CantrellThe human quest for change is constant. As existing dreams are realized, new dreams take their place. On one level, Changing Course is a straightforward, step-by-step examination of pursuing your partner's dreams and joining the seagoing life. On a deeper, more spiritual level, it addresses the levels of change we encounter in everyday life and how--through the experiences of numerous women who have gone before--we can rise through those levels of change to achieve ultimate fulfillment and satisfaction.Changing Course chronicles the odyssey of making a major lifestyle change from land to sea from a woman's perspective. The moving and often poignant thoughts, feelings, and experiences of more than 100 women illustrate the decision-making process that enabled most of them to move from resisting the change proposed by their partners to embracing the cruising life. It is an inspiring examination of the highs, lows, and day-to-day drama of changing one's life in a fundamental way. From the common fears that prevent individuals from taking risks to the interpersonal dynamics that affect couples and relationships, this one-of-a-kind book explores the phenomenon of change and the growing lifestyle change movement. This thought-provoking and highly personal book explores what women stand to gain when they set forth on such a journey--and what they stand to lose if they do not.

Debra Cantrell is an adult educator working with the native peoples of Canada--helping them develop self-government and social institutions. A large part of her job is facilitating workshops; she also trains counselors to deal with social problems such as alcoholism and child abuse. Her husband first started talking about longterm cruising in 1987, and they chartered in the Caribbean in 1987, 1991, and 1993. They bought their boat while on charter in 1993, and have since been easing into the cruising life with two-month cruises whenever possible. They made their first major offshore passage (U.S. Virgins to the Chesapeake) in 1997. Meanwhile, in her doctoral program in Adult Education, Cantrell wrote her dissertation on women embracing the cruising lifestyle. Through the internet and sailing magazines, she met and interviewed 107 women, following some 80 of them over a five-year period of their lives. Cantrell sees a conjunction between her professional work and her interest in cruising women--in both areas she has focused on holistic wellness, health and happiness achieved through challenge and change.