Joshua Slocum was the first man to sail alone around the world. It was a feat that made him the "patron saint" of small boat sailors everywhere. His voyage, retold in Sailing Alone Around the World, took place from 1895 to 1898. It made Slocum and his little boat Spray forever famous. Rod Scher received his M.Ed. from the University of Oregon. A longtime boating enthusiast, writer, and former English teacher, he is currently VP of Technology for Class.com. He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska.