Changing Course: A Woman's Guide to Choosing the Cruising Life [Hardcover]

Debra Ann Cantrell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 19, 2000

"Men are from Mars, women are from Venus" - like other best-selling clich?s, this one loses meaning with each repetition. But nowhere are the differences in planetary origin between men and women more evident than in the cramped, sometimes uncomfortable or downright scary confinement of a small boat at sea. In its review of "Sailing - A Woman's guide, Sailing" magazine pinpointed some of the differences this way: "ask any couple living aboard an average-size cruising boat: men troubleshoot; women problem-solve. Men need to know what; women need to know why. Men prefer to learn by doing, figuring out things as they go along; women are more comfortable figuring out how things work before swinging into action". Those differences of a[[roach are commonly and dramatically evident in a couple's initial choice whether to pursue the cruising at all. Typically the man proposes and the woman disposes, and regardless of her choice, the marriage or relationship may or may not survive the consequences. This scenario is becoming ever more common as our means increase along with our work weeks, our discontent, and the visible role models offering a seafaring alternative. The author faced the dilemma herself when her husband proposed living on a boat. She would lose a career she loved (and with it, she feared, her self-esteem), the psychological sanctuary of a home in which she'd invested her creative energies, her support network of friends and family, even her prized lily garden -everything, in short by which she'd defined herself. The more she pondered the implications of choosing to embrace her partner's desire to go cruising, the more she wondered about those who had gone before her. What happened to them, and what became of their lives?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Changing Course is first and foremost a primer in rational decision-making. The focus of the book is the question: to cruise or not to cruise, a question Cantrell considers most difficult for women. [But] the book is helpful regardless of who wants to go and who hangs back." - Points East; "Changing Course is aimed at the process of making this major decision about your life. Cantrell's professional skills as a counselor and educator are well exercised in this volume. Above all, she offers reasonable answers about challenges and risk-taking, Many readers will find a safety net inherent in her approach to cruising..." - 48[degrees] North; "Ask any couple living aboard an average-size cruising boat: men troubleshoot; women problem-solve. Men need to know what; women need to know why. Men prefer to learn by doing, figuring out things as they go along; women are more comfortable figuring out how things work before swinging into action." - Sailing --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

Women who have lived the cruising life share their advice, tell their stories, and relive their adventures

What if your life partner's dream is your nightmare? Debra Ann Cantrell faced just that dilemma when her husband proposed living and cruising on a boat. She would lose a career she loved and, she feared, everything by which she'd defined herself. She wondered how others before her had made this decision, and what had happened to them, and decided to explore the process of life change by studying more than 100 women, over a five-year period, whose partners had proposed the cruising life. Changing Course is the first decision-making guide written specifically for women considering leaving their careers, friends, and everyday life to join their partners at sea, and it offers valuable guidance for anyone considering a major lifestyle change.

"So your partner wants to go cruising, and you don't know what you want. Whether you find the idea appealing or appalling, you're probably struggling with the thought of leaving behind a home, community, family, and friends you love. You may face a variety of fears and concerns, some of which you feel you can talk to your partner about and some you haven't admitted to anyone but yourself. You wish you knew more about what cruising has to offer and others' experiences dealing with this major lifestyle change. You are not alone. Changing Course is the first book that honestly evaluates the transition to life afloat."--Beth Leonard, author of The Voyager's Handbook

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 186 pages
• Publisher: International Marine Publishing (July 19, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071360875
• ISBN-13: 978-0071360876
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #692,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Sailing > Excursion Guides
  • #85 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Miscellaneous > Women in Sports

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Holds Barred, August 27, 2001

By 

Harriet (Naples, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Changing Course: A Woman's Guide to Choosing the Cruising Life (Hardcover)

Because my husband and I plan to go cruising within the next couple of years, I have tried to read everything I can get my hands on concerning cruising from a woman's perspective. Most of what I've read was either written by men extolling the virtues of cruising for women, or they were scary travelogues by women about huge waves, wet bunks, and life-threatening injuries. Deb Cantrell's book tells it like it is from a wide variety of female perspectives. She shows both the good and bad about cruising from the women who have done it, some more successfully than others. Instead of being a cruising "how to", she focuses on what is to be gained, as well as what one risks losing, by taking the plunge. I am especially grateful for the section on fears, as I now know that many of the fears I have about this lifestyle change are shared by women of all ages. The author also provides valuable insights and suggestions for dealing with those fears in ways to which women can relate. But the most special aspect of this book is the fact that it draws on the experiences of women of all ages, economic circumstances, and sailing skills. The rich diversity of comments and experiences makes this a truly invaluable resource for the cruising "wannabe" and the more reluctant among us. Without belaboring the point, I can't imagine being realistically prepared to move aboard and cruise without having read and reread this book until it's tattered.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A GOOD COURSE, October 1, 2000

By 

Richard Cook "RichardSC" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Changing Course: A Woman's Guide to Choosing the Cruising Life (Hardcover)

Ms. Cantrell's survey of 107 women , both surprised and overwhelmed me. The woman pared down their lives to spend varying lengths of time living aboard a sailboat with their partners, discovering paths and places that cannot be experienced in life on land. I bought this book for its sub-title, -A Woman's Guide to Choosing the Cruising Life. I was going to present it to my wife, as a part of my gentle persuasion, hoping it would help me to encourage her to begin to feel the excitement I feel about the prospect of spending a part of our lives together on a boat.

The next day on my way out to ride the bus to work, I grabbed it and began to read. If I had been walking while reading, I would have been stopped in my tracks. I have read a lot of magazine articles about sailing, places to sail, and places not to sail and passed some of them on to my wife with hopes that she would brush up against some of my enthusiasm.

However, Changing Course gave me a different and more robust excitement about the prospect of the two of us casting off the land and sailing, 'round a bit. As I read, I was unable to restrain my excitement and found myself constantly interrupting her to read some of the wonderful parts and passages. This concise little book will answer most questions about the fears and mysteries of cruising the oceans of the world and living a different and more rewarding life with the one you love.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guys, January 8, 2002

By 

D Paul "D Paul" (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Changing Course: A Woman's Guide to Choosing the Cruising Life (Hardcover)

When you asked what your wife thought about buying a bigger boat and sailing away, was your suggestion received enthusiastically?

If not, YOU NEED THIS BOOK! It is worth its weight in gold. It will answer all her questions, and it will give you a better understanding of her point of view, and let you know what you need to change about yourself to help get her on board.