In 1982, retired geography professor Marvin Creamer set out to do what hadn't been done for thousands of years, if indeed it had ever been done at all.  Creamer wanted to show that ancient mariners—the Norse, the Polynesians, and others—could have crossed the widest of oceans, indeed, may have sailed around the world, without using any instruments other than their brains and their senses. 

And so, in the middle of winter, Creamer set off into the frigid, stormy Atlantic from Cape May, NJ, bound for South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, the Falklands, and then—he hoped—back to Cape May.

This book is the account of that journey. More than merely the story of a man, it is also the story of a hardy—and occasionally fractious—crew and of the sturdy boat that carried them around the world. The book is based on interviews with family, colleagues, friends, and crewmates. In addition, Sailing by Starlight benefitted from numerous discussions with subject matter experts: sailors, physicians, meteorologists, psychologists, adventurers, oceanographers, boat designers, and more. With the invaluable help of the Creamer family, the author was able to examine hundreds of journal entries, notes, snippets, photos, and manuscripts to help chronicle one of the greatest voyages in history.