Bob and Valerie Van Houten (center and right) on the boat they sailed across the Atlantic from Essex, CT to England in 1976.
Ever dream of sailing a small boat across the ocean? Enjoy an illustrated armchair cruise with a husband and wife team who did exactly that at the Essex Library, Tuesday January 22 at 7 p.m. when Bob and Valerie Van Houten will share their harrowing account of delivering a 38 foot sailboat 3,000 miles from Essex to England in 1976.
The boat was built for one person to race, and was very, very basic, and the crew of five included a teenaged brother and sister. The Van Houtens agree their adventure was “a pretty rough voyage”, but the experience of a lifetime.
The program is free and open to all; the Essex Library is at 33 West Avenue. Please call for more information or to register for this program.