Women at the Helm, a memoir by Jeannine Talley (1937-2022) is an in-depth account of two women who set sail with the intention of sailing the world’s oceans.

Jeannine Talley had always sought adventure. Being married and having children had no appeal for her. At the age of 35 she decided to realize her dream. Jeannine had always loved being on the water and decided that sailing would fulfill her adventurous desires. She enrolled in sailing classes and bought her first sailboat, a sloop. She worked toward her goal and later met a like-minded woman, Joy Smith, who owned a 34-foot cutter-rigged sloop, Banshee.

After exhaustive preparation, the women, both in their forties, set sail aboard Banshee in March, 1985 from Catalina, California bound for Mexico. Throughout the book, they never appeared to be on any schedule. Their purpose was to thoroughly soak in the atmosphere of their various ports-of-call. At times they had another person with them, which was challenging on a rather small boat, but it did relieve watch routines.

From Mexico they sailed to the South Pacific, making their first landfall in the French Marquesses. At one point Jeannine says, “Sailing to a different country isn’t luxurious, it’s a lot of work. You have to learn to appreciate the good moments, the new sights, meeting others like yourself who are captivated by the adventure, the small rewards along the way.” This memoir covers mostly the South Pacific. They spent lengths of time discovering the various countries, their history, meeting people along the way, sometimes renting a car to travel overland. At one point they rented a car and trailer for an extensive camping trip in New Zealand.

Women at the Helm covers the first four years of their extended cruise. I very much enjoyed reading their adventures in those places where my husband and I cruised aboard our 40-foot sailboat, Impunity in 1989-1990. Although we were on a much tighter schedule—our journey lasted fourteen months—we experienced many of the same joys, hardships and observations that Jeannine and Joy did.

I enjoyed this memoir and admire the author’s observations and insights of the countries they visited. Even people who have no desire to take such an adventure would appreciate learning about the different cultures these two women encountered. I was impressed with their knowledge of sailing techniques and their courage to pursue their dreams.