Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere

Anyone who has sailed small boats has surely experienced the romantic dream of crossing an ocean or even sailing around the world. But what was once fantasy can now be reality. With a growing glut of good used boats on the market, it’s possible to sail around the world in a boat that costs less than a car.
In this fascinating book, well-known boating author John Vigor turns the spotlight on twenty seaworthy sailboats that are at home on the ocean in all weather. These are old fiberglass boats, mostly of traditional design and strong construction. All are small - from 20 feet to 32 feet overall - but all have crossed oceans. Many have circumnavigated the world. And all are cheap.
Choosing the right boat to take you across an ocean or around the world can be confusing and exasperating, particularly if your budget is tight. Vigor sets out to remedy that in this book. He compares the designs and handling characteristics of 20 different boats whose prices on the secondhand market start at about $3,000. Interviews with experienced owners (featuring valuable tips about handling each boat in heavy weather) are interspersed with line drawings of hulls, sail plans, and accommodations. Vigor has unearthed the known weaknesses of each boat and explains how to deal with them. He rates their comparative seaworthiness, their speed, and the number of people they can carry in comfort. If you have ever dreamed the dream this book can help you turn it into reality.