Incredible Voyage of Bill Pinkney, The

On June 9, 1992, Captain Bill Pinkney sailed his boat, Commitment, into Boston Harbor after completing a 22-month solo circumnavigation of the globe, a voyage covering 27,000 miles. The first African-American to sail around the world, Captain Bill’s journey is made that much more special by what he chose to do with it: send an inspirational message to school children about dreams, education and above all, commitment.

Bill Cosby narrates this chronicle of Pinkney’s adventure on the high seas, during which the communicated with students in Boston and his native Chicago via satellite, ship-to-shore radio and home video dispatches.

Pinkney’s travels took him from Boston to Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Brazil, South Africa, Tasmania and Uruguay, then back to Bermuda and Boston. His communiqués with the school children not only taught them sailing basics such as calculating latitude and longitude, but also presented them with a valuable lesson in perseverance and dedication.