Bringing E Home

About the Book

On July 15, 1982, fourteen sailors left the African nation of Cape Verde on the century-old Schooner Ernestina (once a Gloucester fishing vessel, an Arctic exploration ship, and a Cape Verdean-American packet boat). They arrived 41 days later in Newport, Rhode Island, a voyage of 3,400 miles. Under Captain Marcos Lopes’s leadership, the crew of seven Cape Verdeans and six Americans made the repatriation voyage entirely under sail, steering by the stars. The cook prepared meals from live animals brought on board. During the journey, which included weeks of becalmed seas, unexpected squalls, and close encounters with freighters, the crew learned to survive and thrive in the tight quarters of the 105-foot vessel.

Bringing E Home is the day-to-day journal of a crew member.

About the Author

Stephan J. W. Platzer has been sailing since childhood, on crystal-clear Alpine lakes, relaxing waters off Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, and threatening seas around Greenland and Cape Horn. When the crew for the 1982 repatriation voyage of the Schooner Ernestina was being organized, he was recruited to serve as radio operator for the trip, providing a vital communication link during the historic voyage. When not steering or climbing up and down the rigging to secure the radio antenna, he kept a daily journal of the voyage. A research chemist by profession, Dr. Platzer resides in Western Massachusetts. If he is not in the lab, he can usually be found on the Connecticut River, hoping to instill in his children and friends his love of a wind-filled sail.