Get Real, Get Gone: How to Become a Modern Sea Gypsy and Sail Away Forever

by Rick Page

Finally, it is wise to remember what our good friend and adventurous Cape Horn sailor Peter Cookingham says: Teach your spouse everything you know and be nicer to her than you were on land because not only should she be able to pick you up if you fall overboard, she will have to want to as well!

Get real! – this is not the movies and you are not Bruce Willis. Not even Bruce Willis is really Bruce Willis and you need your body in good shape in order to move your mouth to restaurants.

In Lin and Larry Pardey’s excellent book Storm Tactics, there is a quote from veteran Coast Guard rescue swimmer Mario Vittone. Mr Vittone says, “In my line of work, I have pulled dozens of people off their boat for the last time. Never have I seen (or heard of) anyone needing rescue from a vessel that was properly hove-to with or without a para anchor”. The key words here are ‘never’ and ‘properly’. If you have followed the advice in this book, you already have a boat that will heave-to ‘properly’. Wouldn’t it be great to practice the technique until the word ‘never’ also applied to you?

There are two possible exceptions to this rule. James Wharram catamarans and Jim Brown trimaran designs are both aimed at the budget boat builder. The Wharram design can be easily beached to carry out routine maintenance and has a big following amongst budget sailors. All the other drawbacks of multi hulls still apply so, while Wharram catamarans and Brown trimarans are both great vessels, I do not recommend them as a good choice for your first boat.

Recommended Reading The Boat Owner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual by Nigel Calder The Complete Ocean Skipper by Tom Cunliffe 20 Small Sailboats That Will Take You Around the World by John Vigor The Cost Conscious Cruiser by Lin and Larry Pardey Sailing the Farm by Ken Neumeyer Seaworthiness: The Forgotten Factor by C A Marchaj Voyaging on a Small Income by Annie Hill Storm Tactics by Lin and Larry Pardey Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M Pirsig

Recommended Gear For details and reviews of all the gear we recommend in this book, see our website www.sailingcalypso.com or click here.