Duncan Spencer fell in love with boats at the age of six. Eight decades later, that passion still carries him across open water—and through the remarkable stories of a life shaped by adventure, endurance, and reflection.
In My Boats: A Life by Sail and Oar, Spencer recounts sailing across the Atlantic five times in small boats, including a record-setting crossing in a twenty-footer, as well as ten journeys to Cuba and a lifelong competitive rowing career that continues to this day. With candor and insight, he writes not only of triumphs but also of the mistakes and hard-earned lessons that shaped his understanding of boat design and modern sailing.
Told in lyrical prose and rich detail, Spencer’s story reaches far beyond the water. He evokes a childhood marked by both privilege and trauma while reflecting on a life that intersected with many defining moments of modern history.
Spencer began his journalism career as a dictationist at the Washington Star and went on to cover wars, riots, the America’s Cup, and numerous trials and national calamities. He is the author and coauthor of four books, including one that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.