Sailing America: A Trailer Sailor's Guide to North America [Paperback]

Lawrence W. Brown (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Seven Seas Pr (June 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 091516096X
• ISBN-13: 978-0915160969
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,693,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars should have been so much more, January 7, 2005

By 

---- Neil H. "A Trailer Sailor's Library" (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sailing America: A Trailer Sailor's Guide to North America (Paperback)

Read this book and you will learn how to tow your boat all across the united states, while getting in precious little sailing. There is a guide at the back with short suggestions on possible sailing locations. I was excited to find this book, since Larry Brown's "frugal yachting" seems to have a devoted audience. But I was dissappointed. It could and should have been so much more.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction., June 14, 2011

By 

A. Jangula - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sailing America: A Trailer Sailor's Guide to North America (Paperback)

My background in sailing has been in dinghies on a single lake thus far. Trailer sailing sounded fun to me and I was happy to find this book and others like it, since it showed I was not the only one who the concept appealed to. (I know of no one personally that does this)

The book is geared toward someone on a budget, willing to camp in a 15 ft sailboat. That is actually what I planned to do and was happy to find out I wasn't crazy (or at least I'm not alone). It gives a few reviews on some 80s sailboats in the 15ft range but that sort of thing is readily available online now. Where the book is still useful is in giving practical ideas and a basic introduction to the "nuts and bolts" of trailer sailing. I'm glad I read the book, as much for enjoyment as for information. Part of the focus is on the type of experiences that can be had, and that is the part of the book I got the most out of.

For its time, this would have been a perfect guide. It has addresses of visitor's bureaus and such. Now, the internet exists and I would call this book a fun introduction rather than a guide.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dream becomes reality, January 10, 2009

By 

Sam (TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sailing America: A Trailer Sailor's Guide to North America (Paperback)

Sailing America is a rare kind of a book. Yes, it is dated. Yes, America has become a more dangerous place since its publication, and yes, America has totally fallen for consumerism and is paying the price for it now. While it has become a different country, the contents of Sailing America still has a true ring to it. Sailing America should not be viewed as one long trailer-sailor expedition. Rather, it's a collection of possible sailing destinations, from which a trailor sailor may select the ones closest to home, if frugally inclined, or the one that promises the greater adventure, if time and sufficent funds are available. What readers have to understand is that Mr. Brown has made his living as a teacher, and as such, he has had the privilege of taking summers off to pursue sailing. While teachers have their summers off, they also earn correspondingly less money than other professionals with similar degrees. Folks, there is always a trade-off. As a friend of mine is fond to say: you can have time or you can have money, but to have both is difficult. Thus, Mr. Brown's sailing has been of the frugal type. In Sailing America, he didn't use a big SUV as a towing vehicle, but a small 4-cylinder Toyota bus. Neither was his boat impressive--mostly a small West Wight Potter 15, which nowadays can be had for a few thousand dollars on the second-hand market. Mr. Brown's family, himself, his wife, and two daughters, also camped a lot on their low-budget trips to make them affordable. If you are into money,glitzy things, big SUVs, big yachts, and expensive hotels, then this book is not for you. However, if your budget is located in the lower middle class/working class environment and you have been smart enough to not get trapped by credit card companies and been able to avoid a huge morgage and big car loans that will enslave you forever, then Sailing America is truly an inspirational book whose contents can become reality. Thus, you may fall in love with sailing, but do not fall in love with expensive boats, cars, houses, or other budget-crippling gadgets. If you can do that, you will love this book. Fair winds from a low-budget sailing aficionado.