Customer Reviews

Sailing the Farm: A Survival Guide to Homesteading on the Ocean

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

 

 

Back in the 1970's with the new homesteading and back-to-the-land movement, there was a small and brief interest in "seasteading", a maritime equivalent. This book, along with The Solar Boat Book, is the best how-to book addressing this issue. Read it along with Annie Hill's Voyaging on a Small Income. Neumeyer discusses topics I've not seen elsewhere, such as food production at sea, trade goods, diet for maximum nutrition WITH minimum weight and space, weapons, etc. Right now there is a colony of sailors that live by this book intentionally adrift in the Sargasso.

What I especially liked about this book was the ingenius ideas the author came up with, ie, a simple solar still to convert salt water to fresh using just the sun's energy. He even has plans for a portable still that can be rolled up when not in use. A couple of my seakayaking friends are using them as a backup for freshwater needs. He also has a great plan for setting up a mini-greenhouse up in the bow of the sailboat to ensure a supply of fresh vegetables. Also ideas to use the time at sea to make in-demand items to sell whenever or if you pull into a port. All ideas can be folded down for portability and easy storage. Could work well in a hot, dry land environment as well as on the water.

An interesting book, but one wonders after reading if any of this every happened. It's mostly just a collection of recipes. A better and more complete vision is in "Sea-steading" by Jerome FitzGerald.
I'd recommend both!

This book set me in many different directions all that have had a positive effect upon my life. Since reading it I have experimented with sprouting, solar power, cheese making, both dairy and sprout cheese, wheat and barley grass growing and ingesting, living and growing food in in small area conditions, thermos bottle cooking, algae ,distillation, bread baking, seaweed in the diet etc. I truly wish there was more inspirational and useful books such as this it has really changed my life for the better.I hope you can find a less pricey version , buy, read, and experiment with these subjects !! Have fun!!!

A very interresting book and a lot of the things mentioned in the book are very usefull if you are willing to use your hands and if you are not a person who likes to keep up with the rest of the so cald modern cruisers.