NEW BOOK COMPARES
INEXPENSIVE SAILBOATS

Sea lovers constantly dream of sailing the high seas in a huge, impressive vessel. What they may not know is that they can cross an ocean in a sailboat that costs less than a car.

Choosing such a boat can be perplexing, especially without some sort of guide. John Vigor, a well-know boating author, provides that guide with his newest book—20 Small Sailboats To Take You Anywhere, available from Paradise Cay Publications. The book is for sailors on a budget and gives an objective viewpoint on affordable sailboats whose prices on the secondhand market start aroudn $3,000.

Vigor, in his upbeat and humorous tone, compares the designs and handling characteristics of 20 different sailboats from 20' to 32'. The criteria for selection were that the boats had to be seaworthy enough to go affoshore and small enough for two people to easily handle. He also rates each boat’s seaworthiness, speed and the nunmber of people it can comfortably carry.

With interviews throughout the book, he provides personal accounts and valuable tips for those who want to sail their “gently used” vessels. Authors Lin and Larry Pardey, who have traveled all over the world in sailboats that were less than 30' long, advise sailors to “Go small, go simple, go now!” The argue that smaller vessels are better for couples who don’t want to spend a ton of money and hire additional crew members to help sail their boats.

Along with 20 Small Sailboats To Take You Anywhere (160 pages, paperback, $19.95), Paradise Cay offers many other marine-related books, videos and art prints. Visit their website at www.paracay.com.

From Paradise Cay Publications, P.O. Box 29, Arcata CA 95518-0029. Phone: 800-736-4509.