Reddit reviews The Voyager's Handbook: The Essential Guide to Blue Water Cruising

http://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Handbook-Essential-Guide-Cruising/dp/0071437657/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452207362&sr=8-1&keywords=voyagers+handbook

Bought that and it was delivered last Saturday

it is like the cheat code walkthrough for how to buy a boat and sail it a month, a year or forever.

I didnt think the book could be this good. It really is.

In spite of the hostility you're likely to receive here (we get this question weekly), if you're highly industrious, a quick study, and have enough money, what you want to do is absolutely possible.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. Sailing itself is easy. It's everything else that takes serious time and dedication to learn - basic first aid, provisioning, customs, teak maintenance, sail repair, navigation, engine maintenance, radio protocol, anchoring, storm tactics, basic fiberglass repair, marine electronics and energy management, weather forecasting, etc. The list goes on and on. Every skill you develop makes your trip safer, faster, cheaper, and more comfortable.
   
   
2. Circumnavigation is utterly foreign to most people. Solo circumnavigation even moreso. This isn't something to talk about with your friends/siblings/parents. If you're serious about it, just get on with it. You can tell them a few weeks before you push off. Otherwise, they will try to steer you away from it. You don't need that stress.
   
   
3. Solo sailing offshore is dangerous. You've got to want this badly enough to (seriously) risk your life. I'm not trying to dissuade you, as I very nearly left on a solo circumnavigation myself. Just understand that you need to be able to stand up and say "I might die doing this, but I need to do it anyway."
   
   
4. It's expensive. Plan on at least $50,000 for a seaworthy boat, $25,000 in bluewater gear, and at least $15,000/year with cash in a catastrophe reserve. The sooner you want to get out, the more expensive it gets. Cost and complexity (time) increases with speed and comfort.
   
   
5. It can be miserable for long periods of time. Laying at anchor in big weather can be just awful. Everything rolls around on you. It's hard to cook. It's hard to sleep. You have to be ready to jump into action at any time - anchor drag, another boat dragging down on you. Sailing in heavy weather can be shockingly rough. Sleep deprivation and loneliness can really get to you.
   
   Having said all that, if you have the money and the drive, the rewards are immense, and unique. We do these things for a reason, right? :)
   
   I would actually start by buying an older keelboat (1970 - 1980) between 20-30' and sailing the hell out of it. Pick some projects, and see them to completion. Try to sell the boat at a profit. All of this will teach you what's important to you in your bluewater boat, and you'll be able to narrow your list down on your own.
   
   The longer you spend developing the required skills, the safer the trip will be. The tradeoff, of course, being that it takes that much longer before pushing off. There is always the risk that life interferes, and that you never push off. Like sailing in general, everything's a compromise.
   
   You may want to get and read this book: The Voyager's Handbook
   
   My $0.02CAD.

I recommend the Voyager’s Handbook by Beth Leonard... taught me a lot and will stay on my future boat!

The Voyager's Handbook: The Essential Guide to Blue Water Cruising https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071437657/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rmgEDbWHN8RN5

If you haven't already check out this book. It offers a very, very comprehensive view on the sort of things you need to know for sailing around the ocean, what type of boat to buy, and how much everything will cost. It should give you a pretty good estimate of how much money you need to save up.

It's going to run you about $20k a year to cruise around on a 40' catamaran, assuming that you work on a budget and don't expect too many frills (e.g. no water maker, freezer, washer/dryer, etc.) So you're going to want at least $500k after you buy your boat and make any necessary repairs/alterations. So you're probably going to need at least $600k total. You're going to have to make a choice between saving a boatload and completely retiring in 20 years, or saving a boatload and semi-retiring in 10-15 years.

I read dozens of books before starting the voyage (perhaps half sailing stories and the other half practical books), but this one was probably the most helpful in terms of understanding what voyaging was all about. http://www.amazon.com/The-Voyagers-Handbook-Essential-Cruising/dp/0071437657

Good luck and swing by my IAMA at 1pm EST if you have any more questions!

1. Very, very few houseboats are designed for the open seas. But plenty of cruisers are.
   
   
2. Cruising is a code word for 'fixing your boat in exotic locations' so eventually you will learn how to fix everything. Many people start knowing very little. A lot of people seem to start by buying a fixer-upper and then learning to fix a lot of stuff before they ever set sail.
   
   
3. Are you going to sail solo? or have a small crew? Do you need stable, long term relationships? Or is hanging out with a wide variety of interesting strangers fine? You'll be able to communicate when at port.
   
   
4. Are you doing ocean crossings or coastal cruising? Are you sailing solo or with a crew? How long is your boat? Are you going anywhere near pirate territories? How skilled are you as a sailor? Is your boat really ocean worthy? Sailing is not super dangerous, and people tend to try to plan their crossing to avoid bad weather. But there is always a risk of bad weather, pirates, etc. You can control those risks to a degree but never eliminate them.
   
   You might watch this series:
   
   https://www.youtube.com/user/WhiteSpotPirates
   
   Which features a young, single female solo sailor with limited experience. It is, to some degree, an example of how to do everything wrong and still succeed.
   
   By way of contrast, S/V Delos is an example of a larger, more experienced crew on a much larger boat:
   
   https://www.youtube.com/user/briantrautman
   
   This is a pretty good YouTube channel that will give you an idea of the many, many things you can repair on your boat,
   
   https://www.youtube.com/user/madsdahlke
   
   A well regarded book if you get serious is:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Handbook-Essential-Guide-Cruising/dp/0071437657/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1458677598&sr=8-8&keywords=cruising
   
   Ultimately, there are many ways to cruise, and you need to design the style that works for you. And then be very realistic about funding, planning, etc.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Voyagers handbook by Beth Leonard
http://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Handbook-Essential-Guide-Cruising/dp/0071437657/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459294127&sr=1-1&keywords=voyagers+handbook

It looks like a non-affiliate link according to this.

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For a cleaner URL: amzn.com/0071437657

The voyagers handbook covers A LOT if you're planning to travel.

https://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Handbook-Essential-Guide-Cruising/dp/0071437657