We Ran Away to Sea: A Memoir and Letters
When Pam and Kent make the audacious decision to sell their house and embrace a life at sea, they envision a harmonious existence on their sailboat, filled with adventure and togetherness. However, their dreams shatter when Kent's family abandons him and their boat in Europe, leaving him disheartened and adrift. Undeterred, Kent embarks on a solitary journey through the equinoctial gales of Bay of Biscay, accompanied by a hired crew. Six weeks later, Pam has a change of heart, and joins him with their ten-year-old son in the Canary Islands, where they make a relatively smooth voyage across the Atlantic relying on celestial navigation. Yet, their challenges are far from over.
As their fourteen-year-old son reluctantly reunites with them in the Caribbean, Kent yearns to sail through the Panama Canal and explore the vast Pacific, while Pam harbors deep-seated fears. Meanwhile, their teenager craves the familiarity of friends back home. Amidst memorable family adventures, Kent reluctantly relinquishes his cherished dream. They return to South Dakota, holding onto the hope of embarking on a seafaring escapade once their children are grown.
Nearly a decade later, fueled by an unquenchable longing, Pam and Kent sell their possessions once again, venturing through the Great Lakes into the North Atlantic, onwards to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Over the course of six years, they navigate offbeat destinations and undertake daring overland journeys through Central America, Venezuela, and Colombia-a country known for its perilous reputation. Kent remains steadfast in his desire to traverse the Panama Canal and sail the Pacific, but their idyllic interludes are persistently interrupted by equipment failures, storms, illness, financial worries, and familial discord.
Now, as their quest reaches a pivotal moment, the ultimate question arises: Will Pam succumb to her fears, or will Kent embark on his grand voyage alone? Join Pam and Kent on their turbulent yet awe-inspiring odyssey, filled with resilience, determination, and the indomitable spirit of those who dare to run away to sea.
Includes maps, photos, diagrams, a glossary, an itinerary/timeline and a bibliography.
352 pages, Paperback
Expected publication July 1, 2023
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We Ran Away to Sea. George Kent Kedl and Pamela Kedl, Jacana Press, 2023.
Who hasn't dreamed of giving up their job, selling their house, and buying a yacht to sail in warm tropical waters? Kent and Pam Kedl did just that. They sold their belongings, left their home in South Dakota, and flew to England with their two sons to buy a sailboat. With little sailing experience, they managed to cross the Atlantic in their 38-foot ketch, Jacana 2, to begin a 25-year off-and-on cruise around the Caribbean and North American inland waterways.Kent's narrative is interspersed with Pam's letters to friends and family as they sail around the Caribbean - Antigua, the Virgin Islands, Jamaica -- living the dream, or at least trying to. We also follow their inland travels through Colombia, Mexico, and Guatemala on a shoestring budget, often utilizing basic modes of transport (chicken buses!). I admire their courage in visiting countries like Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world, and rural Colombia, one of the most dangerous at that time. I wish I'd had their courage when I was young, but now I'm content to read the tales of other adventurers.They are honest about deep-water sailing. There are periods of absolute bliss - island hopping down the windward islands, anchoring in tranquil bays with palm-lined beaches, meeting generous fellow yachties, and visiting peaceful Latin-American villages. But life on a boat has its downside, including hostile port authorities, threatened hurricanes, thieves, and unscrupulous repair people. The most depressing part of cruising (especially for Pam) was the endless maintenance. Frequent haul outs to overhaul the engine or scrape, paint, and fix nearly everything drained their savings and caused sometimes lengthy delays.The writing is concise, colorful, well-paced, and nicely illustrated with photos and maps. This armchair sailor found it a pleasure to read.
Mark Wuschke, Author of Return to Rome (as Mark Munro)
Brisbane, Australia, 2023
The writing is concise, colorful, well-paced, and nicely illustrated with photos and maps. This armchair sailor found
They write astutely about their experiences, the places they visit, and the people they meet. If you want to get up close and personal on small boats in the water, this is a read for you! -- Anne Roberts, retired librarian, author, and professor, The University at Albany ((SUNY)
This is a darned good read! It's a hard book to put down! -- Terry F. Branson, who forty years ago taught the Kedls to sail on the prairie lakes of South Dakota
The different perspectives of Pam & Kent were interesting, not to mention Kent's enlightenment as he learned Pam's thoughts after the fact. I thoroughly enjoyed it & thought it was well-written. Well done! Renée Petrillo, Author of A Sail of Two Idiots
