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Self-Sufficient Sailor
This book is what the title says. It is the distillation of what the Pardey's have learned in 150,000 miles of sailing on board their two cutters, Seraffyn and Taleisin, and on scores of other boats they have delivered or raced. Lin and Larry tell how they have sailed in comfort and safety without large cash outlay- on a pay-as-you-earn-as-you-go plan and by simplifying.In its first edition, this invaluable text has seen nine reprints. Now Lin and Larry have updated and revised the information to make it current and a valuable edition to any sailor's library right up to the millennium.
- GenresTravel
317 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1997
9 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Larry Pardey
28 books11 followersSailor, boatbuilder, life-long ocean cruiser with wife, Lin Pardey.
AWARDS
Mauritanian Legion of Honour, as Captain of first American team to sail across the Sahara Desert in a land yacht, 1966.
Cruising Sailors to contribute most to the sport of Sailing – voted by readers of Sail Magazine 1990.
International Oceanic Award – presented by Royal Institute of Navigation sponsored by Little Ship Club 1996 – in recognition of Larry’s voyaging using traditional methods of navigation.
Ocean Cruising Club Award – for contributions to Seamanship for small boat sailing. Presented to Lin Pardey 1996.
Geoff Pac Memorial Award- to both Lin and Larry for fostering and encouraging ocean cruising in small yachts
Cruising World Hall of Fame-2000
Ocean Cruising Club Merit Award -To Lin and Larry for inspiring voyages including a west-about rounding of Cape Horn
Seven Seas Cruising Club Service Award – To Lin and Larry for their lifetime voyaging achievements 2004
Cruising Club of America Far Horizons Award – To Lin and Larry for life time achievements and contributions to seamanship 2009
Sail Magazines Top 40 Sailors who made a Difference – 2010 – As America’s first couple fo cruising, Lin and Larry have inspired countless sailors.
RECORDS
Smallest boat to have circumnavigated contrary to the prevailing winds around all the great southern capes, Only couple to have circumnavigated both east-about and west-about on boats they built them selves, using traditional means of navigation and having no engine.
AWARDS
Mauritanian Legion of Honour, as Captain of first American team to sail across the Sahara Desert in a land yacht, 1966.
Cruising Sailors to contribute most to the sport of Sailing – voted by readers of Sail Magazine 1990.
International Oceanic Award – presented by Royal Institute of Navigation sponsored by Little Ship Club 1996 – in recognition of Larry’s voyaging using traditional methods of navigation.
Ocean Cruising Club Award – for contributions to Seamanship for small boat sailing. Presented to Lin Pardey 1996.
Geoff Pac Memorial Award- to both Lin and Larry for fostering and encouraging ocean cruising in small yachts
Cruising World Hall of Fame-2000
Ocean Cruising Club Merit Award -To Lin and Larry for inspiring voyages including a west-about rounding of Cape Horn
Seven Seas Cruising Club Service Award – To Lin and Larry for their lifetime voyaging achievements 2004
Cruising Club of America Far Horizons Award – To Lin and Larry for life time achievements and contributions to seamanship 2009
Sail Magazines Top 40 Sailors who made a Difference – 2010 – As America’s first couple fo cruising, Lin and Larry have inspired countless sailors.
RECORDS
Smallest boat to have circumnavigated contrary to the prevailing winds around all the great southern capes, Only couple to have circumnavigated both east-about and west-about on boats they built them selves, using traditional means of navigation and having no engine.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 11, 2016
Helpful advice from two hardcore sailing purists whose goal was self sufficiency, NOT convenience, as they lived and cruised for over a decade on their 24' cutter-rigged sailboat.
They had no engine or electrical system; and therefore no refrigeration except for ice while in a port. No GPS, so navigation was by celestial and dead reckoning using sextant and wristwatch, and a radio receiver for periodic WWV time checks. Heating and cooking was by propane gas, lighting was by kerosene lanterns.
They managed the heavy anchor tackle the old fashion way, with a hand-operated chain windlass, and sometimes simply by brute force as when it was necessary to set an additional anchor using their dinghy.
To me their exploits sound more arduous than romantic; and they sometimes enjoyed the kindness of fellow cruisers and accepted a tow when maneuvering in port. But no doubt there is much satisfaction in taking on the challenges of long distance ocean cruising in a small boat and living to write about it.
"Build me straight, O worthy Master!
Staunch and strong, a goodly vessel,
That shall laugh at all disaster,
And with wave and whirlwind wrestle!"
Longfellow
They had no engine or electrical system; and therefore no refrigeration except for ice while in a port. No GPS, so navigation was by celestial and dead reckoning using sextant and wristwatch, and a radio receiver for periodic WWV time checks. Heating and cooking was by propane gas, lighting was by kerosene lanterns.
They managed the heavy anchor tackle the old fashion way, with a hand-operated chain windlass, and sometimes simply by brute force as when it was necessary to set an additional anchor using their dinghy.
To me their exploits sound more arduous than romantic; and they sometimes enjoyed the kindness of fellow cruisers and accepted a tow when maneuvering in port. But no doubt there is much satisfaction in taking on the challenges of long distance ocean cruising in a small boat and living to write about it.
"Build me straight, O worthy Master!
Staunch and strong, a goodly vessel,
That shall laugh at all disaster,
And with wave and whirlwind wrestle!"
Longfellow
April 28, 2014
A big thumbs up on yet another Pardey classic.
The key themes in this must-have for the sea library are:
1) Keeping costs down:
The Pardeys are famous for economical cruising and once again they do not disappoint. For example, they discuss:
* interesting advice on how to hitchhike on boats to gain sea miles and experience. If this is for you, there is some solid advice here on how to do it
* what kind of careers/jobs are most compatible with cruising based on what they have done and what they have seen others successfully doing
* the usefulness of keeping your boat under 30 feet to get out cruising earlier and stay out there longer.
They also keep costs down by…
* being prepared...for squalls, emergencies, fire, lightning, repairs and guests. In no particular order.
*keeping it simple
* and having the motto 'If you can’t repair it, maybe it shouldn’t be on board.'
Yep, these guys are hard-core. They cruise without an engine, electricity or flush toilet. And they probably could repair all of the above anyway. They also tell you about a few simpler system substitutes they have seen successfully used if this is the above is too intense for you.
2) Keep it fun and safe for everyone on board:
All sensible recommendations and discussions here:
* Everyone in the crew should be able to sail the boat.
* All equipment should be designed so that the weakest member of the crew can operate/use/carry it.
* Share tasks and do not stick one crew with all the crappy jobs.
The sort of things you’d think were kind of obvious. Apparently not. This section is written with the assumption that the wife will be the one getting stuck with the short end of the stick. Seems a bit like a 1950s labour division, and yet it seems like this is a surprisingly common scenario. Jimmy Cornell’s World Cruising Survey demographics show the greatest number of cruisers are in their 50’s, 60’s and beyond. So maybe this helps explain why it happens too often.
The Pardeys note that boats cruise longer, more safely and happily when everyone is well trained and individually confident in their own abilities to do all the tasks needed for their own boat.
3) The tough stuff of cruising:
Lest you begin to think that a life of Spartan simplicity and ‘bucket and chuck it’ toilets is one big holiday, the Self Sufficient Sailor finishes with direct and sensible discussions on guns, pirates, security and worse, how to get laundry done on a boat.
Things you need to consider and to make well informed decisions about before going cruising.
Conclusion:
Self Sufficient Sailor? Loved it. Nuff said.
The key themes in this must-have for the sea library are:
1) Keeping costs down:
The Pardeys are famous for economical cruising and once again they do not disappoint. For example, they discuss:
* interesting advice on how to hitchhike on boats to gain sea miles and experience. If this is for you, there is some solid advice here on how to do it
* what kind of careers/jobs are most compatible with cruising based on what they have done and what they have seen others successfully doing
* the usefulness of keeping your boat under 30 feet to get out cruising earlier and stay out there longer.
They also keep costs down by…
* being prepared...for squalls, emergencies, fire, lightning, repairs and guests. In no particular order.
*keeping it simple
* and having the motto 'If you can’t repair it, maybe it shouldn’t be on board.'
Yep, these guys are hard-core. They cruise without an engine, electricity or flush toilet. And they probably could repair all of the above anyway. They also tell you about a few simpler system substitutes they have seen successfully used if this is the above is too intense for you.
2) Keep it fun and safe for everyone on board:
All sensible recommendations and discussions here:
* Everyone in the crew should be able to sail the boat.
* All equipment should be designed so that the weakest member of the crew can operate/use/carry it.
* Share tasks and do not stick one crew with all the crappy jobs.
The sort of things you’d think were kind of obvious. Apparently not. This section is written with the assumption that the wife will be the one getting stuck with the short end of the stick. Seems a bit like a 1950s labour division, and yet it seems like this is a surprisingly common scenario. Jimmy Cornell’s World Cruising Survey demographics show the greatest number of cruisers are in their 50’s, 60’s and beyond. So maybe this helps explain why it happens too often.
The Pardeys note that boats cruise longer, more safely and happily when everyone is well trained and individually confident in their own abilities to do all the tasks needed for their own boat.
3) The tough stuff of cruising:
Lest you begin to think that a life of Spartan simplicity and ‘bucket and chuck it’ toilets is one big holiday, the Self Sufficient Sailor finishes with direct and sensible discussions on guns, pirates, security and worse, how to get laundry done on a boat.
Things you need to consider and to make well informed decisions about before going cruising.
Conclusion:
Self Sufficient Sailor? Loved it. Nuff said.
February 17, 2016
Depending on what you're looking for in a book, this book could get anything from 1 star to 5 stars. It's really a how-to book, filled with good information about sailing and living aboard a cruising sailboat. It's written by a couple who are clearly experts. From that perspective - having a wealth of good information, this is a good book and I'd recommend it to folks (like me) who are considering that lifestyle.
January 9, 2020
Dated, and Lin Pardey is on the verge of issuing a new edition (based on her blog), this book is just full of ideas to make life easier for the cruising sailor.
One example is having 6- or 8-inch toe rails. It would probably save a lot of items topside from going over the side just when you don't need them to.
The Pardey's credo is keep things as simple as possible, and use as small a boat as possible. It keeps things inexpensive & easy. Somebody once told me "Go small, go simple, go now."
Sections on:
How can I do it? - funds, getting experience, boat size, delivery crews
How can I handle it? - under sail, no engine, be prepared
Cruising is a Sharing Proposition - free the galley slave, train the crew, cruising people, watchstanding
If you can't repair it, maybe it shouldn't be on board - drag-free cruising, abandon ship kit, staying on board
Details that can make your yacht more efficient, simpler, and easier to maintain
Cruising isn't easy - curse of cruising, guns & pirates & thieves, sailing through the Red Sea, the case against the well-planned cruise.
One example is having 6- or 8-inch toe rails. It would probably save a lot of items topside from going over the side just when you don't need them to.
The Pardey's credo is keep things as simple as possible, and use as small a boat as possible. It keeps things inexpensive & easy. Somebody once told me "Go small, go simple, go now."
Sections on:
How can I do it? - funds, getting experience, boat size, delivery crews
How can I handle it? - under sail, no engine, be prepared
Cruising is a Sharing Proposition - free the galley slave, train the crew, cruising people, watchstanding
If you can't repair it, maybe it shouldn't be on board - drag-free cruising, abandon ship kit, staying on board
Details that can make your yacht more efficient, simpler, and easier to maintain
Cruising isn't easy - curse of cruising, guns & pirates & thieves, sailing through the Red Sea, the case against the well-planned cruise.
October 3, 2020
More an example of how it was done before money changed everything.
Read
August 7, 2008Loved this book.
Makes me dream of sailing adventures!
Makes me dream of sailing adventures!
June 14, 2012
Informative book on how to sail with out much supplies.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews