This Is It: 2 hemispheres, 2 people, and 1 boat

Having read and vastly enjoyed Jackies other books I have been looking forward to reading this one about their trip on Pyewacket 11 for ages. Once again I was taken with them on a journey of excitement, exploration, gut wrenching fear and humour, sometimes all at the same time.Jackie has a talent for really allowing to fully experience what is happening. You can hear the roaring wind in a raging storm, the hiss of the surf as it gently breaks over white sands, birds singing, and friendly voices chatting together. You can smell the salt on the waves, the perfume of brightly coloured exotic flowers and the dry dusty streets of villages still living in a simpler world. You can see the bright colours of coral fish and also very clearly see 'Sharky' coming up behind you. You feel immersed in the world Jackie creates, all your senses, sight smell , hearing, touch and sound are awake and taking part. I also love the thread of humour running throughout the book even in the driest of situations . Like her other books it is honest and down to earth. There is no attempt to hide things or make herself or a situation appear in a different light. This book is real.

Great story of a fantastic sailing journey - has it all. Excitement, exotic places, misadventures, truly narrow escapes. But what really lifts it above any other travelogue is the author's underlying philosophy. This is indeed it - live life to the full. Don't let excitement pass you by. Get out there and do it, follow your passion. It is above all a genuine philosophy - grounded in a realistic way, not "in your face" slick optimism. You'll feel that you are actually there, out in the ocean with a dodgy engine or torn sails, desperately wondering if you'll make it to the next port. Incidentally, there's also a fact-packed appendix in case you're inspired to take off from Mexico to Australia the long way....

I've recently finished “This Is It” and loved it. I like the way it includes both the good and bad in such an interesting way. When sailing you can have some amazing experiences, but there is also a lot of time spent worrying and feeling unsure and Jackie puts that into words so well. Since reading Jackie's books I’ve been able to accept those times and feelings so much better, which makes the good bits even more amazing. The ending is very thought provoking “if you don't like yourself, you won't like your life .. if you don't, a trip won't change that” it's so true. Thank you for another great book which took me to amazing places that I don't think I'll have the courage to venture to.

I really enjoyed this endearing and exciting account of a South Pacific sailing adventure. It’s an inspirational but practical account of a great voyage. I found it a real page-turner and could hardly wait to pick it up on my iPhone app during a lunch break or on my Kindle before sleeping. I shall get the author’s other books for my summer holidays this year.

I really enjoyed this book about taking a boat that they bought in America back to Australia. They sailed via South America and some of the lovelyPacific Ocean Islands. They met some fascinating people and saw some wonderful places. They also experienced some terrible weather, but their new boat got them home safely. A fascinating account whether you are a sailor or not. I thoroughly recommend reading this book!