Customer Reviews

Cruising 101: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Paradise

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Offers a very different, very fresh view of cruising, and covers subjects that most "how-to-cruise" books do not.

Amy & Kevin had the dream that many of us share: To escape the daily grind and go cruising. They did it in a way that the small boat sailor can really relate to. They didn't buy a 40ft floating palace, and circumnavigate. On a very limited budget, they refurbished a late 60s Cal 30, and headed for the Sea of Cortez, were they spent 16 months, on a budget of about $250 a month.

The book is divided into two parts. The first part is pretty brief, and describes their preparation and their first 101 days of cruising. It is significant because it details because it is about their difficult transformation from land dwellers to real cruisers. It offers a very honest portrayal of the emotional, physical and monetary realities of making such a drastic change in one's life. The second, much longer sections covers a number of subjects including setting reasonable expectations and attainable goals, finding and equipping your budget cruiser, dealing with on-board relationships, provisioning and cruising etiquette. The chapters on expectations, goals, relationships and etiquette are really refreshing, because they are generally not covered by other "how-to-cruise" books. There coverage of boat selection and preparation is a bit unusual, because they do not take the "equip the boat with every modern convenience" approach, but rather deal with things in terms of planning and implementing realistically for your individual needs.

This is the book I wish I had had before I started cruising. That Amy and Kevin choose the Sea of Cortez as their cruising grounds was certainly a plus for me, but most of their advice applies everywhere.

The book is only 191 pages, and was a very easy, quick read. I enjoyed the authors's style and attitude. I have added this book to my list of essential reading. Highly recommended.

101 is not so much a primer for preparing for your first longterm cruise as it is a guide for avoiding the emotional pitfalls of such a life style change. After nine years in the Sea of Cortez I have seen many sink into "the vasty deep" (Shakespeare) of marinas, booze, bankruptcy and divorce. Don't do that--read 101 instead!

This is the book that most of us need. It is not a book about sailing around the world or what to do when your Inmarstat XG4000 goes down while hove-to in a Force 10 gale in your steel hulled Amel Super Maramu while your husband plays with the electric in-mast furling system on your carbon fibre ketch rig.

It is for the rest of us who want to sail somewhere for a while and enjoy the life. Cruising 101 is the simple account of one couple's experiences and lessons learned while preparing and venturing on a 14 month cruise to Mexico. If there were more books like Cruising 101 I bet more people would go cruising.

Like most of us, the authors originally planned a circumnavigation, but unlike so many of us, snapped back to reality and realized that a world cruise was simply not going to happen. Instead of giving up on the cruising idea, they set their sights somewhat smaller and far more realistic.

Cruising is far easier and accessible than some would have you believe (particularly yacht brokers). While Cruising 101 is not really a true cruising manual, it does provide some analysis on valuable lessons learned. I love the "disposable cruising" philosophy. Cruises don't end because an autopilot breaks down, or because a shroud breaks, they end because of the people on the cruise and the authors devote much of their book to the psychological impacts of cruising. Relationships is an often overlooked topic in the other cruisng books. (I looked up "match made in heaven" in the dictionary and there was a picture of Larry and Lynn Pardey. Their situation is one in a million)

Critics of this book say that the authors are "inexperienced" and perhaps not qualified to write about cruising. Well, 14 months on a boat is way more experience than the rest of us. This is a beginners book...A book that most of us need. Sure, read Slocum and Hiscock and the Pardeys. But realize that cruising is ALL that they do and they have been doing it their ENTIRE LIVES. Read this book and you will realize that if you want to, you can sail away too.

Basically this book was a dissapointment. Written by a well meaning but hapless couple who seem more interested in putting down stakes in a live-aboard community than cruising. I knew going in that there would be scant information on the technical aspects of sailing and cruising but I was at least hoping for some enlightenment on on-board living. It is replete with lame advice like 'try to shop around for the best fuel prices' and other obvious tidbits. The live-aboard etiquette section was quite interesting although the description of the lifestyle seemed more like squatters than cruisers. If your goal is to get on a boat and go places and do things, this book is not your cup of tea.

...then make this one of them. I think I've read that many, and my attitude is that if I can get ONE good idea from a book, then it's money well spent. The one good idea I got: that the most important thing to care for on a boat is the relationship between those who sail her. I read this entire book in about three hours, and it was three enjoyable hours. On the other hand, it only scratches the surface when it comes to describing the basics of cruising, let alone doing it comprehensively as one might expect from the title. For those of you who see the blurb on the back from the editor of Latitudes & Attitudes, don't let that scare you off. These authors seem to be people who respect other cruisers and the traditions of the sea. There is no sense of the "biker" mentality. Those people contemplating cruising should read everything they can. Once you've finished Pardey, Roth, Marchaj, Cornell, Rousmaniere and Toss, pick this up as well.

This fast read is not solely about sailing, it is about life and how to live it to the fullest---without spending a lot of money.

Beginning their adventure aboard a small sailboat, the authors write with insight and sensitivity of what it takes to leave their safe life at home for the unknown. There are many humorous anecdotes, exposing the couple's own mistakes. Continuing their trip despite their setbacks, this book parallels life's own lessons. Initiative and persistance seem to be the underlying theme.

For the sailor there are bonuses by reading the book. Like practical ways to outfit your own vessel. And how to be better prepared for your own sailing adventure.

Couch potatoes beware! After reading CRUISING 101, you might just be motivated enough to seek your own life's ambitions.

Superb! Nice to know there are options in life, and books like this to help you see the alternatives. Like Dove, Travels With Charlie and Tania Aebi's Maiden Voyage, Cruising 101 set me to dreaming! More importantly, Sullivan & Donnelly made me realize that not only is the cruising lifestyle accessible to anyone, but the lessons learned will work for any "alternative lifestyle" . . . as well as offering powerful insights into life in general.

As an experienced cruiser preparing for another long term cruise I found Cruising 101 to be one of the few books I consider a must have. There are plenty of techincal references out there and Cruising 101 fills in the emotional and attitude related issues related to cruising. Any one of the many suggestions in the book is well worth the price of the book. For would be cruisers this is the perfect book to give to friends and families. It expresses the amazing reality of the cruising lifestyle. For dreamers like me it is a shot of encouragement to hurry and get out there.

I think the book is overpriced for the large print in all 192 pages. It has some great ideas for those that have never moved into new situations. The first half of the book and a good part of the rest seems talk about dealing with stress. If stress is the main issue of cruising then this is the book.

I found this book both charming and frustrating. The authors generously share both their love of cruising and what they've learned from doing it. But as writers they often use 3 metaphors when 1 would do and pad their sentences with too many adjectives and verbal cliches. The effect on me, the reader, is that instead of being drawn deeper into the wonderful experiences they are sharing I feel pushed away by all the verbal noise. But there is lots of good advice in this book for couples on how to be clear about each other's cruising expectations. And low income dreamers will find plenty of useful tips on how to buy a boat on a budget.