Back when I was a kid, cruising was not about buying stuff, keeping up with the Joneses, or being cool. It was mostly about being there and doing it. Most everyone out cruising was on a budget, no one had fan clubs or followers, and companies were not handing out gear to Influencers. To tell the truth, most cruisers were considered social aberrations and, as such, were of no interest to just about anyone.
My first introduction to cruising was Robin Lee Graham’s articles in National Geographic. Just the fact that Graham showed it could be done, planted the seed for me.
While Robin Knox-Johnson was not so much a cruiser, his goal-oriented sailing certainly caught my attention. His “A World of my Own” is a must read for just about anyone with a boat; especially the parts concerning the logistics of doing a non-stop circumnavigation.
Of course, everyone has already read “Dove” and ” A World of my Own”, so here’s a few books you might not have read of the non-consumerish ilk that will be a lot more helpful for the VolksCruiser than the cruising gruel being served up by well-off YouTubers…
“First Voyage” by Bruce MacDonald, subtitled “a Circumnavigation in the 1970s”, is a great book and paired with their “Second Voyage”, is an excellent primer in how to cruise on a budget.
“Blown Away” by Herb Payson is often found in used books stores and is well worth the price of admission.
“Taken by the Wind” by Mike Jacker, with its subtitle of “Memoir of a Sailor’s Voyage in a Bygone Era”, pretty much says it all if you were around for the mid-70s.
All of these books go a long way to prove that cruising is doable. The boats and gear they used are still around and available for not a lot of cash.
Sure, the cost of food and suchlike are too high, ghetto-like marinas are unaffordable, and marine trades are a good example of piracy still being a factor just about anywhere you’d care to sail to. Face it, none of us are all that happy with living in these modern times. Then again, take a note from the Mennonites; embrace being a social aberration, and treat 2024 like you were in 1974 and see how it works for you.