In The Balance: a 15,000 km voyage of the seas of Europe
About this ebook
His voyage round Europe begins in Norway, deep inside the Arctic Circle. Dunnett navigates through wilderness and carries his supplies in a watertight barrel. Many boundaries of the Seas of the Atlantic Ocean are crossed, and these provide structure to the narrative as the journey tacks towards Asia. What started as an expedition becomes a voyage, and two years later it has become an odyssey.
Gale force winds, tumultuous seas and fearsome currents test him and his craft to their limits. The reader comes aboard for this sometimes traumatic ride, but also experiences his elation upon reaching land, and the peak experiences of full immersion in nature.
At sea, Dunnett could not be more alone, but on land he finds the best of humanity.
About the author
Jonathan Dunnett almost became a psychologist, was for a long time a windsurfing instructor, was briefly a telephone pole replacement co-ordinator, and spent a good few years lost - during which time he nearly became an electrician. He now adventures, and writes. He funds his modest needs by working on websites. At the time of writing he also works on a mental health programme that encourages walking and talking. He is better at the former.
He was born in London in 1974 and progressed through school, university and adult life - failing, like many of us, to find his niche. He struggled, but was good at hiding that.
He'd long wanted to windsurf around Britain, and had hidden that too.
Jono had a "rough patch" and probably ended up depressed. Life was failed relationships, career nothingness, inability to find pleasure in anything, lack of enthusiasm for any of the standard pathways that life seemed to offer. "You can get drugs for that" people told him "Go see a doctor!"
Instead he windsurfed round Britain and at last learned to be comfortable in his own skin. He'd cast off his worries about not particularly fitting in, which of course made him fit in better. There were other changes too.
For the first time in his life he had something to say - a story to tell. He started writing. More insights followed, including the realization that he'd rather pointlessly spent most of his life grappling with social anxiety.
The next jump was easier. Not the easy option, a number of those he'd decided to let pass by. Once the seed of the idea to windsurf round Europe had been sown, and feasibility established, there really was no option at all.
