Book excerpt: In 1986, seventy-one-year-old Edgar Whitcomb faced a crossroads in his life; he needed a new direction. Th at venture became an epic journey, as this retired Indiana governor embarked on what would be a solo, 30,000-mile, six-year sailing trip. With virtually no previous sailing experience, he and his thirty-foot sailboat, the CILIN II, traveled around the world. In this travel memoir, a chronicle fi lled with danger and adventure, Whitcomb narrates the details of his exploits on the seas and in ports from Greece, to the Canary Islands, Antigua, Panama, Australia, and many points in between. He describes what can happen to a sailboat in distress and the consequences when a boat runs aground or is snagged in a fi shing net. A story of the joys and frustrations of sailing, Cilin II: A Solo Sailing Odyssey recounts one mans realization of a dream and demonstrates his courage, endurance, and the lessons learned from meeting new people, seeing new places, and experiencing new ideas. Its a story about a thirst for excitement and world exploration that both begins and ends in the hills of southern Indiana.