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Sell Up and Sail
The third edition of Sell Up and Sail includes new materials as well as full updates on all topics. A four page spread of beautiful color photographs has also been added.
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 20, 2014
How do you move from dreaming about cruising to actually doing it - and what's it really like to live aboard a yacht?
Best Part: The authors' dry delivery style is quite engaging. You get a strong impression of what having drinks at the taverna with them would be like - a lot of fun!
Though it does discuss repairs and some technical topics, really the focus of the book is on the stuff of 'life aboard'. With a palatable ratio of info-to-anecdotes that makes it an enjoyable read.
Wishes: The book I borrowed is copyright 2001. It looks like there is a 2005 edition on Amazon. Still, I wish there was a more recent edition. A more up to date and comprehensive tome to invest in (a real biceps builder) would be The Voyager's Handbook, by Beth Leonard. It's got the soft stuff as well as a ton of technical detail too.
Conclusion: Sell Up & Sail gives a feel for what cruising was like 10 and 20 years ago - and how things have changed. Apparently it's a lot more crowded and harder to find isolated spots in the Med these days. Since I won't know what I'm missing, I guess I won't be too devastated.
But things have changed and up to date info is pretty crucial to get - for instance, the Gulf of Aden is listed in this book as a perfectly fine route to sail. Of course, this just ain't currently so. Don't leave home without getting up to date info on crucial safety topics like this!
And the sections on communications equipment and electronics really speak of a bygone age. Technology and brand names have moved on, everything's changed.
So while it was a fun historical romp and I'm glad I borrowed it to read, it's probably not the first investment to choose for an up to date cruising library. I'd look forward to looking at an updated edition of this in the future, however.
Best Part: The authors' dry delivery style is quite engaging. You get a strong impression of what having drinks at the taverna with them would be like - a lot of fun!
Though it does discuss repairs and some technical topics, really the focus of the book is on the stuff of 'life aboard'. With a palatable ratio of info-to-anecdotes that makes it an enjoyable read.
Wishes: The book I borrowed is copyright 2001. It looks like there is a 2005 edition on Amazon. Still, I wish there was a more recent edition. A more up to date and comprehensive tome to invest in (a real biceps builder) would be The Voyager's Handbook, by Beth Leonard. It's got the soft stuff as well as a ton of technical detail too.
Conclusion: Sell Up & Sail gives a feel for what cruising was like 10 and 20 years ago - and how things have changed. Apparently it's a lot more crowded and harder to find isolated spots in the Med these days. Since I won't know what I'm missing, I guess I won't be too devastated.
But things have changed and up to date info is pretty crucial to get - for instance, the Gulf of Aden is listed in this book as a perfectly fine route to sail. Of course, this just ain't currently so. Don't leave home without getting up to date info on crucial safety topics like this!
And the sections on communications equipment and electronics really speak of a bygone age. Technology and brand names have moved on, everything's changed.
So while it was a fun historical romp and I'm glad I borrowed it to read, it's probably not the first investment to choose for an up to date cruising library. I'd look forward to looking at an updated edition of this in the future, however.
August 29, 2020
A bit dated, but I still found some good info in this book
November 9, 2008
I have mixed emotions about this book. I read the back and skimmed through it at the bookstore, and from this and the table of contents it sounded like a very handy reference to help prepare for our upcoming sailing trip. Thus, I began reading it with some anticipation of a wealth of valuable knowledge.
What I discovered was that the authors are from the UK, sail a 70+ foot converted steel barge (which they motor an increasingly large deal of the time), and are approaching their 80s and thus have a far different idea of what they want out of sailing than I do.
As the authors were from the UK, I found large sections from many of the chapters which weren't even vaguely relevant to me. For a while I read every word of every chapter, out of curiosity, but ultimately learned to quickly skim these sections. If I had not started skimming, it is doubtful I would have finished the book.
I read the fifth edition of Sell Up & Sail, with many sections recently rewritten from the standpoint of getting old on a sailboat. This was an interesting perspective, but I think I would have personally more enjoyed earlier editions of this book. I'm not particularly concerned with which model of washing machine to put on a 70+ foot sailing barge, or the justifications for motoring more than sailing. One of the authors also made a point of insulting the "Greens" every few paragraphs, to the point that I began to lose respect for his intelligence at times -- if he were an American, it felt like he would be a staunch Republican, though toward the end of the book he did make it clear he was not impressed with Bush.
That said, there was plenty of excellent information found in this book that made it worth reading. I found Chapter 16, 'Cruising Grounds', the most interesting, though it only focused on the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. I also found some relevant gems in Chapter 5 "Above Decks", Chapter 6 "Below Decks", and Chapter 7 "People, Pets and Pests", though as noted earlier they are dealing with floating spaces far large than any boat I'd ever consider. Chapter 10 "Victualling, and Other Domestic Considerations" was also helpful, skipping irrelevant sections due to our maintaining a primarily vegan + seafood diet.
The book is billed as a work that has convinced countless individuals and families to take to the permanent cruising life. I was not left inspired by it, myself, though perhaps in part because I'm already inspired by the lifestyle in general. I do not intend to take this book with us on our trip. That said, I do feel respect for the authors in maintaining a lifestyle they clearly enjoy so much for three decades, and am glad they took the time to put together the book. I found many perspectives in the book that I am sure I will continue to reflect on once we're underway.
What I discovered was that the authors are from the UK, sail a 70+ foot converted steel barge (which they motor an increasingly large deal of the time), and are approaching their 80s and thus have a far different idea of what they want out of sailing than I do.
As the authors were from the UK, I found large sections from many of the chapters which weren't even vaguely relevant to me. For a while I read every word of every chapter, out of curiosity, but ultimately learned to quickly skim these sections. If I had not started skimming, it is doubtful I would have finished the book.
I read the fifth edition of Sell Up & Sail, with many sections recently rewritten from the standpoint of getting old on a sailboat. This was an interesting perspective, but I think I would have personally more enjoyed earlier editions of this book. I'm not particularly concerned with which model of washing machine to put on a 70+ foot sailing barge, or the justifications for motoring more than sailing. One of the authors also made a point of insulting the "Greens" every few paragraphs, to the point that I began to lose respect for his intelligence at times -- if he were an American, it felt like he would be a staunch Republican, though toward the end of the book he did make it clear he was not impressed with Bush.
That said, there was plenty of excellent information found in this book that made it worth reading. I found Chapter 16, 'Cruising Grounds', the most interesting, though it only focused on the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. I also found some relevant gems in Chapter 5 "Above Decks", Chapter 6 "Below Decks", and Chapter 7 "People, Pets and Pests", though as noted earlier they are dealing with floating spaces far large than any boat I'd ever consider. Chapter 10 "Victualling, and Other Domestic Considerations" was also helpful, skipping irrelevant sections due to our maintaining a primarily vegan + seafood diet.
The book is billed as a work that has convinced countless individuals and families to take to the permanent cruising life. I was not left inspired by it, myself, though perhaps in part because I'm already inspired by the lifestyle in general. I do not intend to take this book with us on our trip. That said, I do feel respect for the authors in maintaining a lifestyle they clearly enjoy so much for three decades, and am glad they took the time to put together the book. I found many perspectives in the book that I am sure I will continue to reflect on once we're underway.
February 7, 2009
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes sailing or, even more so, to anyone who is considering living aboard. There is an interesting test in the book which is designed to determine your liveaboard compatibility. Also, this book reminds you that you don't need to be wealthy to own a boat or live on one. It's a realistic look into the liveaboard life.
October 18, 2008
Shaun's got me reading this as he's desperate to convince me to sail around the world with him someday. We'll see...
August 6, 2011
"Almost thou persuadest me"
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews