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Today, I'm featuring reviews of three sailing-related books....
HOW NOT TO BUY A CRUISING BOAT | by Deb and TJ Akey
>>How
Not to Buy a Sailboat<< is a great resource for anyone who is
thinking about buying a cruising boat. The authors candidly share
their experiences, both the good and the bad, so that aspiring
cruisers can benefit from their hard-earned lessons. I've followed
Deb and TJ's blog for years and always admired their practical,
down-to-earth, and accessible writing style, which is also reflected
in their book. You'll feel like you're sitting down with them over
sundowners while they share their adventures and misadventures and
give you tips and advice on what to do and, more importantly, what
not to do when looking for a cruising boat.
Deb
and TJ take you through the nuts and bolts of the buying process from
considering a “for now” boat to learn on; identifying what type
of cruiser you are; what to look for in your cruising boat; dealing
with brokers, sea trials, and surveys; maintenance considerations;
and when to walk away. They also share some of their favorite blog
posts which give you insight into the personal realities inherent in
the cruising lifestyle.
GET RID OF BOAT ODORS | by Peggie Hall
There are a lot of challenges involved in boat ownership, one of which is getting rid of the stink that can often emanate from the head (bathroom). >>How to Get Rid of Boat Odors<< is a comprehensive guide which covers the ins and outs of marine sanitation systems, including how to get rid of those unpleasant odors.
I have the dubious honor of being in charge of our marine sanitation system (we have a Jabsco manual twist and lock toilet and a 25 gallon holding tank). To date, I've only had to deal with minor issues, like replacing joker valves, but, inevitably, something is going to go terribly wrong one of these days and I'm sure this book will come in handy. The author covers a wide range of topics including what's legal in terms of marine sanitation systems in the States; different types of systems; installation of a new
system; common issues and troubleshooting; maintenance; and, of course, how to deal with those pesky odors.
Find out more about Peggie and her book at Amazon
VOYAGING ON A SMALL INCOME | by Annie Hill
Once upon a time, we stalked Annie Hill. Okay, it wasn't the real kind of stalking, you know the kind that gets you a restraining order. We knew that Annie had a sister ship to the boat we had in New Zealand (a Raven 26) and when we were making our way to Whangarei, we spotted her moored on the river. We waved like crazy people at her and she was kind enough to wave back.
Here's what her boat, Fantail, looks like. If you look closely, you can see that she's converted it to a junk rig. After reading >>Voyaging on a Small Income<<, I want a junk rig too.
Find out more about Peggie and her book at Amazon
VOYAGING ON A SMALL INCOME | by Annie Hill
Once upon a time, we stalked Annie Hill. Okay, it wasn't the real kind of stalking, you know the kind that gets you a restraining order. We knew that Annie had a sister ship to the boat we had in New Zealand (a Raven 26) and when we were making our way to Whangarei, we spotted her moored on the river. We waved like crazy people at her and she was kind enough to wave back.
Here's what her boat, Fantail, looks like. If you look closely, you can see that she's converted it to a junk rig. After reading >>Voyaging on a Small Income<<, I want a junk rig too.
>>Voyaging on a Small Income<< does exactly what it says on the tin – if offers practical tips and real-life examples of how to live and cruise on a sailboat on a modest budget. But it also does much more, providing insight into Annie and (her then husband) Pete's early days in their marriage and cruising life in Britain, the building of s/v Badger, and their day-to-day life on board her.
Annie shows how it is possible to
have a rich and fulfilling life while living frugally. She covers a
range of topics including a frugal mindset and philosophy;
provisioning and cooking; different types of rigs; organization of
space in a floating “tiny home”; anchoring and more. Although >>Voyaging on a Small Income<< was first published in 2001, the
lessons Annie shares on simplifying your life while cruising are
timeless.
You can read more about our adventures making our way to Whangarei here.
Find out more about Annie and her book at Amazon | Goodreads | Website
Note: I won copies of >>Voyaging on a Small Income<< and >>Get Rid of Boat Odors << courtesy of Saving to Sail (a site dedicated to learning how to make money online, while sailing the world) and voluntarily chose to leave an honest review.
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| Image via The Graphics Fairy |
Have you read a good book lately? One of the best ways you can thank an author is to leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. One of my New Year's resolutions is to try and be better about leaving reviews, especially for indie authors.
What books have you been reading lately? Have you read any of the sailing books featured here today? Do you leave book reviews?
Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi
I like to leave reviews. I have a bunch of them on eBay written about a decade ago when I was blowing all my hard earned money on Marilyn Manson music and memorabilia. ~grin~ Smooth sailing to you, my dear.
ReplyDeleteI try to leave reviews, especially for authors I know. But I could do better at it.
DeleteI've seen so many couples buy a boat for one reason or another and not realize what they are getting into. They often spend a lot of money and then hate boating. You do really need to do your research before you buy a boat. I would love all these books, even though we are power boaters. Many of the issues are still the same.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ♥
I've seen a lot of those same couples too. Such a shame when you see their dream shattered by the realities of it all. There are far more similarities between power boaters and sailboaters than differences.
DeleteThose books sound like the perfect fit for anyone living aboard a boat!
ReplyDeleteThey definitely are :-)
DeleteThanks for the shout out. We've had some wonderful feedback from people who almost bought disaster boats but were able to see them for what they were after reading our book. We're happy that so many others have avoided the pitfalls we encountered in our search for a cruising boat.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for your kind words,
Deb
SV Kintala
www.theretirementproject.blogspot.com
You're very welcome and they're well deserved. Your book should be on the must read list for anyone looking to buy a cruising boat.
DeleteNope, I haven't read any of your featured books, but I'm not likely to ever be in a boat again, either. (sigh) I did read two other books over the past couple days, though, and yes ma'am, I wrote a review for both of them. Reviews matter sooooooo much to writers, so I make a point of writing a review for everything I read.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize how important reviews were until I started getting into writing my own book. I try to leave them, especially for indie writers.
DeleteI may buy a boat someday...still waiting to win the Powerball ;)
ReplyDeleteWinning the Powerball would be really ice. Although I wouldn't enjoy the publicity, but I guess I could learn to live with it :-)
DeleteI've read lots of good books over the last year, and am sadly behind on writing reviews. I finish one on the road, need to fill the silence in the car, and then time gets away to write the reviews.
ReplyDeleteThe same thing happens to me. I have good intentions about writing reviews, but then get caught up in the next book.
DeleteI would so much like to read How not to buy a cruising boat, but I’m really, really afraid to find out we’ve got it all wrong... having just bought a cruising boat a few months ago! On the other hand, I bought our first boat on a whim, and it turned out to be the best first boat in the world!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean - sometimes, it's better not to know what mistakes you've made. :-)
Delete