Bargain Boats and Budget Cruising: The Fine Art of Selecting a Great Boat, Outfitting It, Living Aboard and Cruising It on a Minimal Budget

by Todd Duff

Bargain Boats and Budget Cruising is about how the ordinary person, one who does not have a trust fund or hundreds of thousands of dollars saved up, can still embark and see the world, or live-aboard a sailing vessel for extended periods in beautiful places without waiting for years and years to save up enough money before they can start, or without the need to work for decades to “retire” afloat. This book is for those who wish to go now; who want to live this exciting lifestyle immediately, rather than waiting any longer; dreaming of waving palm trees while standing on a distant shore. Or worse, trapped in a city in the middle of a continent working a job they hate, to pay for the house or apartment they need to work that job and pay for the vehicle they need to get to that job, plus insurance, utilities, and the myriad other annoyances that can hinder experiencing an incredibly simple, healthy, exciting, and fulfilling life.In Bargain Boats and Budget Cruising, accredited Marine Surveyor and long-time cruiser, Todd Duff, provides lessons learned from 40+ years of experience buying, selling, surveying, outfitting older sailboats, and taking them cruising the world. This book is not only a guide for making the long-term cruising lifestyle a reality but also a resource on what to look for when searching for that perfect bargain boat to take you away. These pages are packed with valuable information on how to avoid common mistakes and provide the reader with the tools needed to help make wise decisions in the boat-buying process.You'll find lots of details on the best places to find super buys on cruising boats, ways to zero in on that ideal vessel, negotiate for the best value, and how to outfit it for world cruising without going broke in the process. It is a primer on how the average man or woman can achieve the freedom of sailing the world's oceans on a minimal budget. Bargain Boats and Budget Cruising is a one-stop guide to making the increasingly popular lifestyle of world cruising available and possible RIGHT NOW, without the need to save for decades to make that happen.In this book you will • Reviews of over 40 outstanding cruising designs.• Why go world cruising and who is really doing it?• What's it like out there?• Where are the real bargains to be found?• Keys to negotiating for the best value on a boat.• What dangers and pitfalls to be aware of and how to avoid them.

306 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2021

Reviews

[Matthew Hoopes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did not disappoint

This is excellent book to start researching with. It moved along quickly and made sound points. I like how he made a point that there are always exceptions to something. The only let down was a very brief over view of steel sailboats as that is the direction I see myself heading.

[Frank Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

A view from an expert

Like the beautiful boats he describes, this is a well constructed book with valuable insights gained over a lifetime of sailing. Worth every penny if you’re thinking of buying a boat

[Brett Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A refreshingly optimistic take on the world with helpful information in abundance.