This true adventure started in 1969, with a casual remark between two friends having coffee. It was a dreary April afternoon at the University of Washington cafeteria in Seattle. "Let's buy a boat and sail to the South Pacific." Well, with almost insurmountable difficulties, that's exactly what happened.

The voyage lasted almost ten years and covered more than 30,000 nautical miles. The boat was the Lusty I, a classic two-masted wooden sailing schooner. The name was prophetic and appropriate for the dozens of men and women who helped make the journey.

The resulting...