Child of the Sea
Child of the Sea is the true story of a young girl growing up aboard the family’s 36 foot yacht whilst sailing more than 68,000 miles around the world and visiting 54 countries on the way.
From the age of 7 to 14 Doina Cornell, daughter of bluewater sailing guru Jimmy Cornell, enjoyed a childhood that most children couldn’t imagine – swimming, diving and playing the days away in deserted anchorages and visiting some of the most beautiful islands in the world. The book describes in vivid detail a sailing family’s onboard life, from balmy trade wind ocean passages to heart-stopping near-misses with coral reefs and over-friendly whales.
This is also a tale of a girl’s coming of age in the South Pacific, and the difficulties of growing up close to other cultures and values, away from regular contact with school and friends of the same age.
Child of the Sea evokes a unique and appealing childhood spent at sea with undreamed-of freedom, at one with nature and far removed from a materialistic world – until the family return home.
Doina Cornell is the daughter of long-distance cruising guru Jimmy Cornell. Between the ages of 7 and 14 she sailed with her parents and brother around the world. She has been a teacher in the UK, France and the Czech Republic and is now manager of international sailing website Noonsite.com.
