The Cruising Life: A Commonsense Guide for the Would-Be Voyager
by Trefethen, Jim
CAD $29.95
2nd ed. According to the author, mastering the art of living on a boat means mastering the art of living well–it takes much more than knowing which anchor to choose. His witty and wise outlook makes this an entertaining guide to matters nautical. He addresses the financial realities of finding and buying the right boat, saving enough money to quit your job and sail away, and the practical concerns of managing seamanship, onboard finances, and the cruising lifestyle.
Ross Wilson –
Well priced, very good treatment of the cruising lifestyle including pros and cons of sailing with your spouse, money management, right boat to choose and essential gear etc. etc.
Ontario Sailor –
This is the second edition of this popular book for those who want to go cruising, with some major revisions in sections on establishing and feeding the kitty or cruising budget, and on communications and the Internet (cell phones, satellite phones, email). But some of the other chapters only needed minor revisions, like reasons to go cruising, (don’t try to escape your troubles), making the decision to go and types of cruisers (retired, sabbatical, working, etc) that you will find traveling the world’s oceans. Over the 15 years between editions, the author’s life turned upside down, from cruising with his two young children from Massachusetts to New Zealand, then selling the boat and living ashore in New Zealand for a decade, to buying another boat and shoving off again. The book offers advice on what to look for in a cruising yacht (integral keel, known design) and suggests not buying too big or too early. There are more dreamers now, because of the 2008 recession, but the author says it’s easy to sail away over the horizon.