Off The Beaten Path

Gar and Nicole Duke of the Sausalito-based Pacific Seacraft 40 DreamKeeper started cruising two years ago in search of safety rather than adventure. And to get away from groups of insular American cruisers to explore less travelled areas with a more international group of sailors. They found what they were looking for in spades in the Solomon Islands, which are to the northeast of Australia.

"We hope our photos inspire readers to not only light out on their own dreams, but to take risks and find adventure in their lives. During the years we spent in Sausalito preparing for this journey, countless people told us that we were too young, too inexperienced, or felt the need to try to scare us with stories of storms and pirates. And once we entered the world of ‘cruisers’ crossing oceans, the scare stories actually got worse. People would tell us to avoid this place or that, either because of the people, weather or navigation hazards. Some of this information was valuable, but most often we had delightful experiences where we were warned not to go."

For more on the cruise of the DreamKeeper, see the January 1 issue of Latitude 38.