What is Reddit's opinion of Buy, Outfit, and Sail?

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Here’s what you need to successfully sail around the planet:

Money helps Knowledge is nice Hard work is mandatory

You can get a good boned boat for ultra cheap and fix it up so long as you don’t mind living without a few luxuries, sure refrigerators are nice but do you really NEED one?

The reward is complete and utter freedom

Also pick up this book, it tells you how to do it without selling the farm.

Fatty Goodlander is a master of improvisation. They were lucky to have him on the radio! If you haven't already, check out some of his books. As an experienced sailor, I received his book "Buy, outfit and sail a small vessel around the world" and a bottle of rum in return for pulling a Canadian boat off of shore in Charleston. There's a lot I already knew, there were some neat tricks I never thought of, but overall it was a fun read. http://www.amazon.com/Outfit-Sail-Capn-Fatty-Goodlander-ebook/dp/B00638SJII

As someone who has bought and (mostly) outfitted a boat (Watkins 36cc) for bluewater cruising for around $8k (It will probably be closer to 15k by the time I get the rest of my safety equipment) I think its definitely possible but it will be ALOT of work, time, and stress (well worth it in my opinion, tho).

You will most likely have to buy a boat that has one or more major problems/flaws that you will have to fix yourself. Research the boat before you buy, chat up the local sailors at marinas and boat yards (they're loaded with advice and good stories!), be prepared to spend weeks of your time sanding, fiberglassing, painting, repairing, replacing, etc, etc.

I also highly recommend you read Buy, Outfit, and Sail by Fatty Goodlander. The book is basically a how-to on sailing around the world safely for as cheap as possible and really helped keeping me motivated when I got discouraged with my project.

It's hard work but definitely within reach! Good luck!

Hi! First off, welcome! We're glad you're here! My perspective is from the US; the UK may be a bit different.

As for sailing being a male-dominated hobby: You're right. It's becoming less so, but for whatever reason the yacht club, like the golf club, is a bastion of old white men. That's not to say that you can't have a great time and learn a lot from those dudes. But my advice is: bring/make female friends. Strength in numbers.

That said: university sailing teams are a lot more balanced, in my experience. If you're looking for something a little more evenly split, that's a great place to start.

Anyhow. Best way to learn sailing is to sail. Best way to sail a lot is to crew for local club racing. You'll learn a lot, fast, and the more you race, and the more boats you race on, the more you'll learn. Racing isn't the only way, but it's the fastest and best, in my opinion. http://bmyc.uk/racing/ for more local info for ya.

As far as careers go: I would say focus on 1) minimizing or eliminating student debt; and 2) picking a career that doesn't care where you are in the world. Computer programming is a nice pick, but there are plenty of others. Having a large pile of money is helpful; in its absence, learn to be flexible and resilient.

I'd also recommend learning how to work on boats. Shipyard labor rates are about $110 USD / hr where I'm at, and every hour you can do your own work is $110 you don't have to make up somewhere else.

nota bene: I know plenty of women who are commercial sailors, and some who are (& were) captains. The older the are, the harder they had to fight for their right to be there. It's getting better, but sailing is very skeptical of change.

Recommended Reading: * How to Inexpensively and Safely BUY, OUTFIT, and SAIL a Small Vessel Around the World, by Cap'n Fatty Goodlander (no, really, seriously) * Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere, by John Vigor. A touch outdated, but will teach you what to look for. * Sam Holmes Sailing, to see someone sailing across the Atlantic - without the aforementioned giant pile of money.

There are a number of women in The Ocean Race and Vendee Globe that you might want to look up - check out their bios and writeups, and hey, you might even email them and say hi. Can't hurt!

Again, welcome! Hope you have a blast!

People associate boats with expense but it's actually pretty cheap if you buy one second hand and put in the elbow grease. There are islands that are effectively non controlled by states like the chagos and you can flit from country to country as you like. I highley recomend these books by Fattly Goodlander he started as a penniless teenager and gives you a step by step guide for how to live on a boat with little money. Really basically anyone as long as you are able bodied, even a penniless millenial on minimum wage can do it with a little cleverness. He also gives advice for how to support yourself once you are out sailing.

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Buy outfit and Sail How to frugally get a boat outfit it and sail around the world

Chasing the Horizon His memior of doing just that.