2 Books but which?

[wambam]

Hi all. . .I am torn between which book to buy: "The Cruising Life: A Commonsense Guide for the Would-Be Voyager", by Jim Trefethen, or "Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat" by Mark Nicholas. I watched Mark's videos and they look very good. Jim's book is several years old; Mark's a couple years.

I will, within the next few months, buy a Catalac 9M for my wife and me to live aboard and am frantically searching/browsing for all info. re. the financial nuts and bolts of my future life-style so as to be well-enough prepared on that side of it. That is a whole different field to be researched as opposed to when one simply offshore cruises and then going back to one's bricks and mortar house.(which we are selling soon)

Has anyone an opinion re. either of these books or, perhaps, advice re. another book on the subject? Thank you very much for sensible advice.

[xeon_tsd]

I recentrly read Jim's book and would reccomend it... BUT I actually reccomend reading as much as you can get your hands on.. different perspectives, and different subjects get covered. I buy used off amazon typically for a few bucks each.
Plus reading is good for you!

[Stu Jackson]

I would think the first thing to do would be to try to reduce your amount of "frantic." You're idea is to get away, not to get all wound up.

When folks ask me which books to buy, I suggest they look at many and see which one they like. If half the folks say Book #1 and the other half says Book #2, where does that leave you? And some might suggest Books #3 through #34!!!

Much of your future life will be spent making decisions.

Use those techniques now in your book purchasing decisions and you'll do just fine.

Good luck.

[zeehag]

i have read zero living aboard books--the book living aboard i finally saw recently--was published in 1978--lol--i moved on board in 1990 and that book was recommended for my reading enlightenment--i refused to read it--i finally read some passages--that book is sooo lame.

sorry, guys--if you are going to do something, read a lil and do a lot. i found the survivors writings of their failures a lot more helpful than the living aboard books. more interesting as well.



now i will be beat to death here..LOL

[witzgall]

Jim's book is great, alot of it is focused on the basics of choosing a boat, when the reader is assumed to know little about them. The financial advice is a bit dated - the current economy is very different then the one when Jim wrote the book.

Another book to consider, with little in the way of financial advice (maybe none?) is Beth Leonard's "The Voyager's Handbook".

However, that book is focused on long distance cruising, something the Catalac is not often considered as appropriate for. You only mentioned living aboard, not actually sailing anywhere?

Chris

[wambam]

Originally Posted by witzgall

Jim's book is great, alot of it is focused on the basics of choosing a boat, when the reader is assumed to know little about them. The financial advice is a bit dated - the current economy is very different then the one when Jim wrote the book.

Another book to consider, with little in the way of financial advice (maybe none?) is Beth Leonard's "The Voyager's Handbook".

However, that book is focused on long distance cruising, something the Catalac is not often considered as appropriate for. You only mentioned living aboard, not actually sailing anywhere?

Chris

Although I can see Jim's book has lots worthwhile in it, the financial climate having changed so much has put me off of it.
I saw Beth Leonard's book but am reserving it for after we are well settled in aboard. My plan is to cruise the South of England to the Med. during a year from when we do settle in; then prepare for the run to the West Indies and from there up the East coast to visit friends in N.C.

Meantime I have just ordered Mark Nicholas' book: "Essentials" from Amazon.

[bobconnie]

Don't know about England. but the librarys here in the USA have pretty much all these books either in stock or online! ya might try looking there first to see if they are anything ya want to have in your collection !! I guess over the years we have had a dozen or so ! but now with the Kindle, and the online librarys, we don't need to carry all the books aboard !! (saved a bunch of room !) just a thought

[Stingo]

+1 - what zeehag says.

But if you must read, get your fingers walking through a few of Lin & Larry Pardy's book.