Now with a brand new foreword from New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Zaslow. FIRST YOU HAVE TO ROW A LITTLE BOAT first hit shelves in the mid 1990s and has been inspiring readers ever since. Written by a grown man looking back on his childhood, it reflects on what learning to sail taught him about life: making choices, adapting to change, and becoming his own person. The book is filled with the spiritual wisdom and thought-provoking discoveries that marked such books as Walden, The Prophet, and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. For nearly twenty years, it has enchanted and endeared sailors and non-sailors alike, but foremost, anyone who seeks large truths in small things. This refurbished edition will find a place in the hearts of a whole new generation of readers.

In 2003, casting their fortunes—and their lives—to the wind, the Ellison family embarked on what they thought would be a one-year voyage on their forty-seven-foot sloop, Promise. Five years and more than 25,000 nautical miles later, the family of four returned to the United States and dry land. In this memoir, author Alex Ellison chronicles his family’s adventures on the seas. Culled from a detailed daily journal that Ellison began keeping at the onset of the voyage when he was just eight years old, A Star to Sail Her By reveals his transition from enthusiastic child to capable sailor and reflective young adult. He learned two important lessons as they traveled from port to port: not everything always works the way it should, and change is really the only thing you can count on. “A Top 5 Book Pick” —Yachting Magazine “A Star to Sail Her By is sure to entertain and inspire people who dream of adventure.” —Jennifer Castle, editor, PBSkids “Ellison’s earnest, genuine style is reminiscent of Robin Graham’s in Dove. In crafting a twenty-first century bildungsroman at sea, with a tender family spin, he’ll leave you positively envious.” —Richard King, PhD, professor of literature of the sea, Williams College “A terrific tale of an unbelievable upbringing.” —Clint Grantberry, KLIF, Dallas, TX “In and of itself, this memoir of a 25,000–nautical mile voyage is informative, entertaining, and eye-opening. That a high school student wrote it is astounding.” —Meredith Laitos, editor, SAIL

Want to enjoy your boat, visit awesome destinations, and skip the stress? Then be sure NOT to use any of the "handy tips" mentioned here. Author, sailor, and host of the How Not To Sail Podcast Bradford Rogers shares with you some of his easily-won but hard to forget advice with equal measures of wide-eyed befuddlement and extra-dry humor. (Shaken AND stirred.)