Arthur Graham Howard, M.D.

The Odyssey of Sunraker

This book has something for the sailor, the doctor, and psychologist. Before the actual tale of the circumnavigation, the author explores the hidden reasons that motivated him to take this tremendous and risky step in his life.

The sailing odyssey is described in enough detail that the would-be high-seas adventurer should get practical tips that would help him in his preparation.

Any doctor, and those with enough stomach, will be amazed to read the details of obstetric practice in a black hospital during the Apartheid time in South Africa.

The psychologist will get an insight into the author's dysfunctional upbringing and struggles with the decisions of his life, many of which had negative repercussions.

Born in 1929 at the beginning of the Great Depression, the author was brought up by a fundamentalist mother in a fatherless home. His wanderlust was probably fostered by frequent moves-23 in his first 21 years. The total loss of his home by fire in 1967 changed the course of his life. After two quick divorces, he turned to the sea for solace. Before long, he fell into an escapist dream, which resulted in an eight-year-37,000-mile circumnavigation in a 40-foot sailing sloop. He now lives with his wife Mechtild at their home in the Applegate Valley, Oregon. He can be contacted at drviola@charter.net.