Sailing adventures: discover the story of Global Surveyor with Graham Lascelles

I want to sail my family of six around the world. Like Joshua Slocum a century before, I am a Sea Captain without a vessel. Sailing is sometimes cold, wet and frightening. Can I design and build a vessel that is comfortable and likely to survive a hurricane or hitting an abandoned container, sail efficiently and cost only a quarter of the price of something similar? This is the detailed story of my design choices and how I built and circumnavigated my vessel. For those interested it includes the technical detail along with the experiences of 50 years as a professional mariner. It is for those who might wish to follow, or those who just love to dream. This book covers the following subjects: Information and generic advice on the design of hull, rig, accommodation, engine, and electrics. Model tank testing, CAD, design formula and calculations. Steel construction and tools. Equipment and full description of Circumnavigation. Seamanship and boat handling. On board organisation. Lifting moving and levelling. Autopilots and vane gear. Radar. Astro navigation. Pirate defence. Voyage planning.

The book aims to entertain and share the lessons learned from a lifetime of seafaring. It narrates a personal journey of designing and building a dream yacht and sailing it around the world. Its is inspired by the poem “Sea-Fever” by John Masefield: “I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by…”

The newest edition includes an update about Go West Sailing. We acquired Global Surveyor in 2020 and now operate this incredible vessel, offering sailing adventures from the Arctic to the Antarctic.