Buy Our Books

The Unexpected Circumnavigation: Unusual Boat, Unusual People:

Part 1 – San Diego to Australia AND Part 2 – Australia to Oman

cover-with-isbn-the-unexpected-circumnavigation-part-1-small.png

(scroll down for list of stores)

BOOK SUMMARIES: 

The Series: No one expected these thirty-something professionals to give up their successful careers to pilot their own small boat around the world, especially because they started with almost no boating experience. Instead of the expected sailboat, they chose a 43 foot trawler powerboat, which many believed was incapable of crossing oceans. Most people expected them to fail. But they surprised the skeptics when they successfully circumnavigated the globe in two years, visiting 110 places along the way in thirty-four countries.

Part 1 of The Unexpected Circumnavigation follows Christi and Eric daily as they travel to eighteen exotic South Pacific islands that few people ever see. You will experience the local food and cultures, participate in island tours and adventure activities (including going to the rim of an active volcano), and feel what it is like to be on long sea passages. Learn about the challenges, rewards, and the surprises that come with both traveling and boating. Click here for more info, reviews and excerpts. 

Part 2 of The Unexpected Circumnavigation journals Christi and Eric’s travels to 21 fascinating destinations, ranging from popular to remote. You will feel what it is like to be on long sea passages, experience the local food and cultures and participate in unique tours and adventures, including SCUBA, exotic animals, nature’s 600 foot tall “secret rooms” & villages untouched by modernization. Learn about the challenges, rewards, and surprises that come with both traveling and boating. Click here for more info, reviews and excerpts.

Both books are a fun and easy read that boaters and non-boaters alike will enjoy. 

Where Can I Buy Your Books?

ONLINE STORES

Lulu: has both parts in epub* and paper form. They also have Part 1 in PDF.
Lulu’s “preview” feature allows you to see the first ten pages of each book. The quality is poor in the preview, but we assure you both the paper and e-book files are high quality and look great! *Lulu’s e-pub version doesn’t work on Kindle; for Kindles, get the PDF).

Amazon: Amazon USA has paper copies of Part 1 and Part 2. Paper copies of Part 2 can also be purchased from Amazon UK, Amazon France, Amazon Germany/Austria, Amazon Italy, and Amazon Spain. Neither book is available on Kindle yet; if you want to read Part 1 on your Kindle, you can download the PDF from Lulu.

Amazon’s “look inside the book” programs lets you read about thirty pages of the book, but not necessarily consecutive pages. If you want to read part 1 on your Kindle, you can download the PDF from Lulu.

iTunes Store: has an epub version of Part 1 and Part 2 (for Apple Hardware)

Barnes and Noble: has an epub version of both Part 1 and Part 2 for Nook readers.

RETAILERS

Mail Boxes Express, 1220 Rosecrans St, San Diego, CA 92106
(619) 222-1230

Nautical Mind Bookstore, 249 Queen’s Quay West, Unit 108 Toronto, ON M5J 2N5
(416)-203-1163

30 thoughts on “Buy Our Books

  1. Ms. Grab:

    I read your entire blog on your around the world adventure. I also recently purchased your book and read it. What an amazing adventure. What is you timetable for publishing your other books?

    Ken Harris
    Fort Worth, Texas

  2. We’re glad you liked the book! I plan to have “Part 2: Australia to Oman” out in late 2011. The prologue will cover the later planning stages of our trip and will address many of the common FAQ’s, such as “What about pirates?” and “What about rogue waves?” When Part 3 comes out depends on how well Part 2 sells. The more time I spend marketing, the less time I have to write.

  3. I loved your book Mrs. Grab, it took me two days to read as I could not put it down. When do you anticipate part 2 will be available. Is it possible to email me when it does come out? Thank you for sharing your adventure with me.

    Joseph A. Zebzda

    PS Traveling around the world is a great accomplishment, unfortunately I did not do mine on my own yacht but on a AIrcraft Carrier USS Kitty Hawk back in 1986-1987.

  4. Thank you so much for the compliments on book 1! Book 2 is with the editor now, so it is on the home stretch. We’ll definitely email you when it is available!

  5. Christi and Eric,

    Debbie and I really enjoyed your book! We were your neighbors on the narnie oshea in early August (Christi, we spoke about the postal service issues). The book makes us feel like we were on the boat with you. It reminded me of my travels in Africa.
    Please send us an email when you second book is available, can’t wait!

    Thank you,

    Scott & Debbie

  6. So glad to hear that you enjoyed the book. Yes, I will definitely let you know when Book 2 is out. Should be soon.

  7. Hi Christi, I’m Shirley Huynh’s Mom and I met you at one of her scrapbook crops. I came upon your blog through FB as a friend of Shirley’s and read with great interest your travel adventure. I would love to read your book and will order it……also love to keep in touch with more of your adventures.
    Best,
    Jenny Boyd

  8. I have read your book and your web site. Great Book!!! Once I started reading your book I just could not put it down. Please let me know when Part II,comes out. May You Always Have Smooth Seas. Jerry

  9. I am so glad you liked Book 1! Book 2 is in the home stretch! The editor just finished the book up on Friday. I am working on the changes she requested. I will let you know when it is ready.

  10. Dear Christi:

    Can you let me know when Book 2 is available for purchase. Thank you. I enjoyed reading about your adventures with your husband.

    Joseph A. Zebzda

  11. Book one read faster than I thought. Got Book 2, which read even faster. I’m four pages from the end. When’s #3 coming out? I’m already getting withdrawals!! I’m interested in the financials of making something like this happen. Perhaps that might help me bide my time waiting for #3. Got those ready yet? Best wishes on your new first mate!

  12. So glad to hear you enjoyed both of the books! The Cruising Costs workbook, which is designed to help people figure out their own cruising costs, is mostly done — we just need to make a cover and clean up a few things and it will be ready to print. Once that is done, we can get serious about Part 3 of the Unexpected Circumnavigation series. With the new baby, there is not a lot of time to work on the books. The Cruising Costs workbook will get done as soon as Keith is less needy. Part 3 will probably not be out until next year.

  13. Two weeks ago, someone else emailed us with the same question. We checked with Lulu, who told us that we had uploaded the book wrong and it needed to be re-loaded before in a different way in order to be sold on iTunes. We’ve been meaning to do it since then, but between being busy and having a fussy baby, we haven’t gotten to it yet. We’ll post an update as soon as it is loaded and we know when it will be available on iTunes.

  14. Reading Book 1 on iPad, great honest writing, can’t put it down….Congrats with Keith, look forward to book number 2 on iTunes, baby comes first though.

  15. So glad to hear you are enjoying Part 1! Part 2 was submitted to iTunes a little over a week ago. It just takes 10 weeks to get it approved and listed on their site.

  16. Hello,
    I have read your first book and would like to buy your second book but your connection on LULU does not find the book?
    I downloaded the 1st one on Itunes and would like to know if the part 2 will be available that way or how can I get a digital copy?
    Thanks.
    Charlie

  17. The iTunes store issue has been fixed and seems to be working fine now. It also seems to work fine on Nook and it isn’t on Amazon yet.

  18. Hi Christi! Just finished book 2, and NEED you to put book 3 out! We met at the Rendezvous in Dana Point, though I wouldn’t presume that you might remember us. We are in the final stage of our Nordie build ( #6062; she should be arriving in San Diego in late June, so we can begin the commissioning process in Dana Point) Though our path is unlikely to follow yours from the point of OZ on, we are “planning” to get as far west as NZ before heading to the Southern Ocean, at which point we will make our way back to the Atlantic and then to Europe via the Antarctic Peninsula, S.Georgia, and the Fauklands.
    All that said, have you drafted the third book? Is there any way to purchase it from you? I realize the kiddo keeps you hopping…

  19. You’re comment totally made my day! Thank you! I am so glad that you enjoyed Part 2 and are eager to read Part 3. I have started the book, but I haven’t gotten very far. And, as much as I would love to spend my days writing, I just don’t have the time or mental capacity right now. I’m hoping to start writing again in the autumn and getting the Cruising Costs Workbook done before Christmas. Once the Workbook is published, I’ll get back to Part 3.

    You’ve picked a fine boat and I am sure you will have an adventure of a lifetime. You are very brave to want to battle the big seas of the Antarctic. Good luck. If you come to see your boat delivered in San Diego, please let us know. Maybe we can meet up. Where they offload is not far from where we keep Kosmos.

  20. Would love to for you the share your experiences & anchorages on GoodAnchorage.com & use the site to also promote your books. Check it out & drop me a line as I have just finished with 78 Nordhavn & have 198 Anchorages shared on this Free to Mariners Site. Create a user name that is your URL or Book Link? Cheers Captain Todd

  21. Hi Christi and Eric, it was such a pleasure to see you at Homecoming and learn a little about your journey — and then to read your books (finished one and now into two). The books are fabulous ad engrossing. My daughter, son-in-law and two grandkids spent five years on their boat in the Mediterranean and across the Atlantic to the Carrabean — we visited with them in Italy, Greece, and St. Lucia. They came home 12 years ago to put the kids through school. They had a great time, too, and I’m sad they sold their boat. Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful stories!

  22. Mike, we meant to reply to this earlier but it was such a busy time, then we forgot! We loved seeing you. I will be eternally grateful for your help into getting me into SDSU. SDSU shaped every aspect of my life — including my love for travel and foreign cultures that stemmed from my semester abroad in Australia. I met Eric through a friend that I’d made in the dorms. I sometimes wonder how different my life would have been if not for you. I somehow doubt in an alternate life I would have ever bought boat and sailed around the world! We hope all is still well with you and would love to see you again soon. –Christi

  23. Hello Christi
    I just finished Part 1 of The Unexpected Navigation. Wow, what an interesting book! I love all about boats, motor yachts and sea experiences and your story made me think many things and remember many others. I was truly amazed by your honesty and candor sharing deeply personal feelings during the roughest passages, feelings that made me think a lot. Thank you for that! One of the most amazing stories for me was at the volcano in the Vanuatu islands. What an experience!
    I am usually more inclined to technical aspects of boats, and I was a Azalea you and your husband embarques (pun intended 🙂 on a voyage like this without a lot of exposure. More than one time I thought, why these folks didn’t have active stabilizers or fins installed?! Having those makes my life absolutely easier.
    On a funny note, i actually listened to your book using Siri read feature. The Siri voice is a woman, so it was nice, but the automated reader makes torturing errors while reading, let alone how it pronounces the names of Islands!
    Anyhow, I loved your book and I’m looking forward to purchasing part 2. I was really intrigued if you did actually decide to sell Kosmos, but I found your blog and I guess you still have it?
    Thank you!
    Daniel, from Canada

  24. Sorry, I meant “and I was amazed that you and your husband would embarque…”, the fun of dictating to the phone instead of typing…

  25. I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the book! I wrote the book that I wished that I had read before we set off on our voyage. All the books I had read talked about the highs and the lows of cruising life, but I wanted to know what daily life was like while crossing… so I wrote a book about life day in and day out.

    We actually do have both active fins and paravanes installed on Kosmos. The roughness we experienced was even with the active fins on! It wasn’t until we were 2/3 of the way around the world that we figured out that we should run both types of stabilizers for the most comfortable ride.

    When we planned our circumnavigation, we figured we’d get all our traveling out of our system and settle down into a “normal” life. But when we got home, we were anxious to have a baby and go cruising again with the little one! We still have Kosmos and are planning to do another circumnavigation with our son, but unfortunately, “life” has gotten in the way of our plans. We’re not sure when the next window of opportunity will arise to go cruising again, but we are trying very hard to get life in order so that we can leave the minute the window presents itself.

    I hope that you enjoy Part 2 as much as you liked Part 1!

    Christi

  26. Your books are great. I have read them twice. Can’t wait for the 3rd book in the series. A Nordhavn is on my wish list. When will #3 be out? Thanks for taking us on the trip with you…….

  27. I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the books! I really want to finish Book 3. I was working on it while I was pregnant with our son, Keith. But after he was born, life got complicated and busy. Every time I think that life is about to slow down and I’ll have time to write, another curve ball comes.

    I’m still hoping to finish the last 2 books, but it probably won’t be for a while.

    Good luck getting your Nordhavn. They really are great boats and we are grateful to have one.

    Christi

  28. Just finished book 2…. you left us with a cliff hanger… looking forward to book 3. 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.