Customer Reviews

Chasing the Horizon: The Life and Times of a Modern Sea Gypsy

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

The wife and I read all three books by Capt.Gary Goodlander,the last"the Collected Fat"was the best in her opinion.I have been in contact with Fatty and he is very real and he and his wife and daughter live a life of their own choosing.We have a 26' one off,fixed keel,sloop named the "Wild Card"she was named by the man who built her,well before 1989,we will never sail her again with out thinking of the Goodlander's.If you are a sailor or a dreamer this book was written just for you!

When it comes to capturing the most wonderful adventures imaginable afloat, this author is by far the most captivating. It's kind of like Angela's Ashes set on a boat floating down the Mississippi river. The family is so far out! I especially like his sister & it seemed so nice of him to include some of her own writing in the book. If you like cruising or living aboard boat stories. Don't miss this one!

For all the Captain Fatty fans out there, this is a must read. Great background on what makes him such a great character, a steadfast sailor and a hilarious writer. It's laugh-out-loud funny. And is highly recommended for every occasion except night-time reading while you wife is trying to sleep.

Thought provoking, interesting, always fun. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

When you think of the cruising lifestyle, when you imagine the craziness of it all, when it's margarita time ...

Cap'n Fatty is a real guy, but he's also an icon and a local hero on St. John, where I used to live. His writing is irreverent and scattered, perfect for the kind of stories he tells. This book spends quite a bit of time on his childhood and his father, who obviously had a huge impact on his own character development. He divides the book up by which boat he was living or working on at the time.

I'd love to meet his daughter - I bet she's an interesting girl too.

I've heard there's a newer version with pictures and such - I have the old somewhat low budget version. When you read it, you can imagine him holed up for hurricane season in South America, trying to keep the beer cold and pounding out a lifetime of adventure on some beat up typewriter. This guy lived a big life. Both exemplary and cautionary, he's a model for those of us who dream of doing the same.

Highly recommended for armchair sailors, beach bums, counterculture creatives, anarchists, cruising sailors and their families, etc.

A cherished volume in my library, with lots of scribbles and underlines at my favorite parts.

My problem with Cap'n Fattys Books is I either read them too fast or his books are about 1000 pages too short. Chasing the horizon was interesting, funny and a down to earth telling of the adventures of the Goodlanders.

Sea adventures do not get any funnier then this.
I almost got thrown off the boat while cruising the Isle de saints because I laughed so hard at night. Fatty is indeed a real guy and his wife is a saint. It is one of those books you can pass around and reread 10 times. For 10+ bucks you can't go wrong heck it is cheaper then a fuel filter.

I bought this book after reading the other reviews, and because I enjoy Fatty's column in Cruising World magazine so much. What a disappointment. Crude, crass, misguided, I don't know where to start. I threw it out after reading a few chapters and scanning the rest to see that it didn't improve. Well, everyone is entitled to his own opinion, read it for yourself if you like.