A World to the West

Lori A. Dunn is a teacher, instructional designer, and freelance writer
in New Westminster, British Columbia.

A World to the West is an almost day-by-day account of the five-year
circumnavigation of the earth by Maurice Cloughley and his wife Katie.
The couple lived for a number of years in the Canadian North, teaching
in a remote community to earn money for this trip of a lifetime.

We follow Maurice and Katie as they cruise to the Mediterranean from
England and spend the winter in Greece. They then sail down to the
easternmost point of the coast of Africa from which they cross the
Atlantic, stopping at islands along the way and reaching Barbados in
only 20 days. Once through the Panama Canal, the intrepid sailors cross
the Pacific, moving from island group to island group, until they
finally arrive in New Zealand where they spend some time with family and
friends. After stocking up on supplies, they travel through Southeast
Asia, and across the Indian Ocean to South Africa. From there, they
cross the Atlantic one more time, further south this time, and arrive in
Rio de Janeiro. On the last leg of their tour, they follow the coast of
Brazil north and find themselves in colder latitudes again as they sail
for Halifax and the end of their cruise.

The reader experiences the couple’s travels vicariously from life on
the exquisite Pacific islands to the terrifying storms at sea. Although
there are a few slow patches, for the most part A World to the West
intrigues. There are moments of humor and brief but arresting character
sketches at many ports. The only problem a nonsailor would have with
this epic adventure is the sailing terminology.