Come Sail With Me: A real-life adventure book by Wendy Leo-Smith

“This book will entertain and inspire both sailors and non sailors alike so put your feet up and set sail with Wendy!” Pete Goss MBE

 

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Come sail with me book cover “Authentic.. Immersive..” - Yachting Monthly 

 One woman, one man, 13,500 miles of open sea—pirates, hurricanes, and a wild adventure that would test their limits and change their lives forever.

Embarking on a 13,500-mile voyage around the Atlantic might sound like an impossible dream for some, but for Wendy, it became a life-changing reality. After meeting Rory, a man who shared her passion for the sea, they set sail together—just the two of them—on an extraordinary adventure. Living in the most confined of spaces, they navigated the unknown, relying on trust and determination.

Their voyage took them to breathtaking destinations: from the vibrant culture of Gambia in Africa to the remote beauty of the Amazon Rainforest and the lively shores of Rio de Janeiro. Along the way, they explored remote anchorages and bustling cities, immersing themselves in diverse cultures and landscapes.

But this was no ordinary trip. The ocean relentlessly tested their limits, with hurricanes, dismasting, and encounters with pirates, throwing them into life-threatening situations time and again. Yet, amid the dangers, they also witnessed the ocean’s awe-inspiring beauty—stunning sea life and moments of serenity.

wendy leo smithAbout Wendy Leo-Smith

“At 40, I chucked it all in to sail across the Atlantic and never looked back..”

Our Yacht ZingaraThe Yacht - 'Zingara'

Zingara, a racing yacht built for speed, pushed the two sailors to their breaking point, testing their endurance and placing them in life-threatening peril more than once.

Map Of The Atlantic VoyageThe Route

Each leg of the 13,500 miles told a different story—from moments of awe inspired by nature’s beauty to the sheer terror of surviving the ocean’s fury

Gallery ScreenshotDestinations

Their five-year adventure led them far off the beaten path, where Wendy vividly captures the essence of vibrant yet dangerous cities and the remote, untamed communities they called home.

Click to see our trip photos!

Testimonials / Reviews

 

peter gossThis book will entertain and inspire both sailors and non sailors alike

I’ve always said to my kids that if you just keep saying ‘yes' you’ll have a fulfilling life packed with adventures, good people and life long memories. Wendy’s book is testament to this as she takes you on her own life affirming adventure with alls its ups and downs. This book will entertain and inspire both sailors and non sailors alike so put your feet up and set sail with Wendy and her lovely way with words.

Pete Goss MBE Wikipedia

 A Very True Account

Having sailed around the world, short handed, I can relate to the well described account of ocean sailing. I enjoyed Wendy's style of writing and her honesty of both the good and bad times. A good read.

Steve

You don't need to be a sailor to enjoy this

You don't need to be sailor to enjoy this book. The adventure comes across as amazing, frightening, exhausting but worth doing. Brilliantly written Wendy I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. Well worth a read.

Trudi Dorman

Easy read, great story, would be superbly beneficial to other sailors or want to be sailors.

Really enjoyed reading this book, it is well written and full of description, fun, drama and giggle in between. An awesome adventure that is well documented and detailed enough to be useful to fellow sailors. Sometimes hard to believe it is a true story!

C. Link

An Unusual Perspective

Another series of sailing adventures- including some personal thoughts and experiences to fill in the regular itinerary report. Some honest recounting of the pitfalls endured and I admired the guts of the crew to venture off the beaten track to some fascinating and sometimes dangerous destinations.

Sinc

What a fantastic journey, what a book!

A must read. The highs the lows and everything in-between. You can feel every wave, emotion as if you were there traveling with them. What a fantastic voyage, once in a lifetime experience they must have had. Fantastic information for future travellers too, It makes you want to take to the helm yourself. If you haven't read it yet don't hesitate.

Steve Cliff

Couldn’t put it down

Not a book that I would normally read, but I really enjoyed every page. I particularly revelled in the excellent descriptions of the many and varied places visited, which transported you to them.

Jean Hurford
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Failed to start the session because headers have already been sent by "/home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/vendor/joomla/application/src/AbstractWebApplication.php" at line 364. (500 Whoops, looks like something went wrong.)

RuntimeException

HTTP 500 Whoops, looks like something went wrong.

Failed to start the session because headers have already been sent by "/home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/vendor/joomla/application/src/AbstractWebApplication.php" at line 364.

Exception

RuntimeException

in /home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Storage/NativeStorage.php (line 447)
  1. if ($this->isActive()) {
  2. throw new \RuntimeException('Failed to start the session: already started by PHP.');
  3. }
  5. if (ini_get('session.use_cookies') && headers_sent($file, $line)) {
  6. throw new \RuntimeException(
  7. sprintf('Failed to start the session because headers have already been sent by "%s" at line %d.', $file, $line)
  8. );
  9. }
  11. if (!session_start()) {
NativeStorage->start() in /home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/src/Session/Storage/JoomlaStorage.php (line 313)
  1. $this->setId($session_clean);
  2. $cookie->set($session_name, '', ['expires' => time() - 3600 ]);
  3. }
  4. }
  6. parent::start();
  8. // Try loading data from the session
  9. if (!empty($_SESSION['joomla'])) {
  10. $this->data = unserialize(base64_decode($_SESSION['joomla']));
  11. }
in /home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Session.php -> start (line 396)
  1. {
  2. if ($this->isStarted()) {
  3. return;
  4. }
  6. $this->store->start();
  8. $this->setState(SessionState::ACTIVE);
  10. // Initialise the session
  11. $this->setCounter();
in /home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Session.php -> start (line 327)
  1. * @since 1.0
  2. */
  3. public function has($name)
  4. {
  5. if (!$this->isActive()) {
  6. $this->start();
  7. }
  9. return $this->store->has($name);
  10. }
Session->has() in /home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/src/Session/Session.php (line 194)
  2. $name = $args[2] . '.' . $name;
  3. }
  4. }
  6. if (parent::has($name)) {
  7. // Parent is used because of b/c, can be changed in Joomla 6
  8. return parent::get($name, $default);
  9. }
  11. /*
Session->get() in /home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/src/Application/CMSApplication.php (line 627)
  1. */
  2. public function getMessageQueue($clear = false)
  3. {
  4. // For empty queue, if messages exists in the session, enqueue them.
  5. if (!\count($this->messageQueue)) {
  6. $sessionQueue = $this->getSession()->get('application.queue', []);
  8. if ($sessionQueue) {
  9. $this->messageQueue = $sessionQueue;
  10. $this->getSession()->set('application.queue', []);
  11. }
CMSApplication->getMessageQueue() in /home/wendy_ls/public_html/plugins/system/cache/src/Extension/Cache.php (line 238)
  2. // Boolean short–circuit evaluation means this returns fast false when $isSite is false.
  3. return $isSite
  4. && $isGET
  5. && $app->getIdentity()->guest
  6. && empty($app->getMessageQueue());
  7. }
  9. /**
  10. * Get the cache controller
  11. *
Cache->appStateSupportsCaching() in /home/wendy_ls/public_html/plugins/system/cache/src/Extension/Cache.php (line 382)
  1. *
  2. * @since 1.5
  3. */
  4. public function onAfterRespond(AfterRespondEvent $event): void
  5. {
  6. if (!$this->appStateSupportsCaching() || $this->getCacheController()->getCaching() === false) {
  7. return;
  8. }
  10. // Saves current page in cache.
  11. $this->getCacheController()->store($this->getApplication()->getBody(), $this->getCacheKey());
in /home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/vendor/joomla/event/src/Dispatcher.php -> onAfterRespond (line 454)
  1. foreach ($this->listeners[$event->getName()] as $listener) {
  2. if ($event->isStopped()) {
  3. return $event;
  4. }
  6. $listener($event);
  7. }
  8. }
  10. return $event;
  11. }
in /home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/vendor/joomla/application/src/AbstractApplication.php -> dispatch (line 99)
  1. $dispatcher = $this->getDispatcher();
  2. } catch (\UnexpectedValueException $exception) {
  3. return null;
  4. }
  6. return $dispatcher->dispatch($eventName, $event ?: new ApplicationEvent($eventName, $this));
  7. }
  9. /**
  10. * Method to run the application routines.
  11. *
AbstractApplication->dispatchEvent() in /home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/src/Application/CMSApplication.php (line 363)
  2. // Send the application response.
  3. $this->respond();
  5. // Trigger the onAfterRespond event.
  6. $this->dispatchEvent(
  7. 'onAfterRespond',
  8. new AfterRespondEvent('onAfterRespond', ['subject' => $this])
  9. );
  10. }
CMSApplication->execute() in /home/wendy_ls/public_html/includes/app.php (line 58)
  2. // Set the application as global app
  3. \Joomla\CMS\Factory::$application = $app;
  5. // Execute the application.
  6. $app->execute();
require_once('/home/wendy_ls/public_html/includes/app.php') in /home/wendy_ls/public_html/index.php (line 51)
  1. // ... die
  2. die();
  3. }
  5. // Run the application - All executable code should be triggered through this file
  6. require_once __DIR__ . '/includes/app.php';

Stack Trace

RuntimeException 
RuntimeException:
Failed to start the session because headers have already been sent by "/home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/vendor/joomla/application/src/AbstractWebApplication.php" at line 364.

  at /home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Storage/NativeStorage.php:447
  at Joomla\Session\Storage\NativeStorage->start()
     (/home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/src/Session/Storage/JoomlaStorage.php:313)
  at Joomla\CMS\Session\Storage\JoomlaStorage->start()
     (/home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Session.php:396)
  at Joomla\Session\Session->start()
     (/home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Session.php:327)
  at Joomla\Session\Session->has()
     (/home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/src/Session/Session.php:194)
  at Joomla\CMS\Session\Session->get()
     (/home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/src/Application/CMSApplication.php:627)
  at Joomla\CMS\Application\CMSApplication->getMessageQueue()
     (/home/wendy_ls/public_html/plugins/system/cache/src/Extension/Cache.php:238)
  at Joomla\Plugin\System\Cache\Extension\Cache->appStateSupportsCaching()
     (/home/wendy_ls/public_html/plugins/system/cache/src/Extension/Cache.php:382)
  at Joomla\Plugin\System\Cache\Extension\Cache->onAfterRespond()
     (/home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/vendor/joomla/event/src/Dispatcher.php:454)
  at Joomla\Event\Dispatcher->dispatch()
     (/home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/vendor/joomla/application/src/AbstractApplication.php:99)
  at Joomla\Application\AbstractApplication->dispatchEvent()
     (/home/wendy_ls/public_html/libraries/src/Application/CMSApplication.php:363)
  at Joomla\CMS\Application\CMSApplication->execute()
     (/home/wendy_ls/public_html/includes/app.php:58)
  at require_once('/home/wendy_ls/public_html/includes/app.php')
     (/home/wendy_ls/public_html/index.php:51)