This novel by Gorre Vidal is set in Alaska, particularly the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The stories are set at sea in wartime. The title comes from the name for a particular type of strong wind found in the area.

In their father's absence, 13-year-old September and her younger brother Ivan disobey his orders by taking the boat out on their Alaska bay, where they are caught in a terrifying storm called a williwaw.

“Clouds come floating into the blue sky, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to the sunset sky.” “Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” Williwaw is nothing but only for us to enjoy just sitting at home in the beauty of rain and sunshine.

Williwaw Winds is a tale of disaster at sea inspired by the authors sons true story. Jake Bergren, only 16, has a bad attitude as he begins his first-ever crab fishing trip in Alaskan waters. Hes angry: toward his dad for caring more about his sister than about him toward Freddy, the crewman who forever taunts and teases him toward himself for running away from brotherly responsibilities at home toward God for allowing his sister to suffer after her accident When violent winds threaten their fishing boat, Jakes priorities suddenly change. Is he strong enough to help the crew save their boat? Is he brave enough to jump into their tiny life raft? Will they survive the 100-knot winds? Did the Coast Guard hear their May Day call? Will he ever see his family again? An inspiring tale. Keeps you on the edge of your seat as you watch a boy come of age. --Boyd Sutton, Former Editor, The Wisconsin Writers Journal By itself, the tale is a sea story worthy of Jack London, but like The Sea Wolf, there is much more here than a yarn of misadventure there is a depth of spirituality in her writing that isnt heavy-handed or preachy, but serves as a reminder of the grace of God in extremis If there is any failing in Bairs tale, it is that it is far too short a time to spend in Jake Bergrens world. --Rick Olivo, Reporter, The Daily Press, Ashland, Wis.

"An amazing story of Arkansas soldiers and their struggle in the Aleutians. A must read book for those who want to learn about a forgotten part of that great war told from a soldier's point of view." -Major General James A. Ryan The Adjutant General Military Department of Arkansas

If someone told you that a force-4 puff of wind could lift a 1-1/2 ton sailing yacht right out of the water and make it go faster than the true wind speed, you might not believe him. So begins David Keiper's story of how he designed and built the 31-foot sailing yacht WILLIWAW, then logged almost 20,000 miles of cruising around the Pacific.Keiper tells his own story, and the precision of his telling - he seems to have logged every wave, squall, and leak - pulls you into the adventure. Read, and you are there, thrilled as the hull surges up to sprint on its foils; impatient as the sea goes flat in a dying wind; resourceful as yet another life-threatening crisis arises hundreds of miles from the nearest land. How was it done? The answers are here.Design and construction details are not the end of useful information in this book. The author (with readers in tow) faces infectious diseases on remote islands, creates ways to pay for extended voyages, and solves the thorny problem of recruiting female crew (yachting doesn't have to be a predominantly male sport, nor should it be). Oh... and there are recipes for tasty cooking at sea.Hydrofoil Voyager is rich with hard-earned insight on how to design, build, and sail your own hydrofoil sailboat. By "living" through trials by sea, you absorb the lessons as they come. You confront the problems along with the author and nail down solutions... or you tough it out and hope.In this new 2012 edition, a color cover, additional maps, annotations and an appendix are added with a prequel short story written by the author prior to the publishing of the original book. A note that since this has been published posthumously the quality of the images lifted from the original book does not match that of the original publishing but since it has been out of print for a number of years this re-publishing is primarily to allow a new generation of hydrofoil enthusiasts to enjoy the story of Dave Keiper's WILLIWAW.

Account of author's solo expedition through the Northwest Passage aboard the yacht "Williwaw", from Greenland to the Bering Straits.