The Single Handed Sailor Blog

dustin reynolds blog

Celebrating 16 years

Sixteen years ago, on a night that feels both distant and vividly close, an accident left me grappling with unimaginable physical and financial challenges. The weight of being in debt to the tune of $500,000 coupled with the trauma that cost me 2 limbs and nearly my...

Going back under the knife

Going back under the knife   I’ve gone a bit off the radar since returning home. Mostly I have been working on my writing and public speaking. Stand up comedy has really helped with this. I have also stated mentoring other sailors including the person who bought...

The dolrums

 I was warned by several sailors about the depression and difficulty returning home after cruising the world. Everything I’ve been doing for the last 8 years has suddenly came to an end and I feel like I’m in the doldrums. I’ve found doldrums all over the world....

I sailed around the world, now what?

Dried leis The time has come where the leis have dried up, the free drinks are less frequent, and the questions have shifted from my trip to what is next. This situation is remarkably similar to the one I experienced shortly after my bankruptcy when I 1st made the...

Closing the Loop

Preparing for the 2000 mile passage home was not that different than any other except loved ones were going to be there waiting for me. I only stocked up on food for a 2 week trip with the exception of hoarding all the confit de canard on Nuku Hiva. After 7.5 years of...

I’m sailing home

T.S.Elliot wrote “We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the 1st time.” It was about 10 years ago I decided to become the 1st double amputee to sail around the world alone. I had...

Cruising Marquesas

 It was a tough decision to make a pit stop in the Marquesas on my way home. After spending 7 years sailing around the world I was definitely fatigued and anxious to get home. Like most people Covid had its negative effects on me. For most of my trip there was some...

22 days and 3,000 miles at sea

Sailing to the sunset My 1st ocean passage was just over 7 years ago. It was just 940 miles between Hawaii and Palmyra and for the most part was an easy downwind sail with no surprises. On my next long passage I experienced a storm a few days out of American Samoa...