John Kretschmer is a professional delivery skipper with over 200,000 bluewater miles.

With the used boat market growing and becoming more complex, here is the book that all boat buyers have been waiting for: John Kretschmer's Used Boat Notebook has long been one of the most popular features in Sailing Magazine where Kretschmer provides a hard hitting, detailed review of a well-known boat each month. In this new collection, Kretschmer dedicates each chapter to an individual boat, providing the same fine details and updated information that made his magazine column a success. The thoroughly researched reviews of the 40 most popular boats include owner insights, a guide to common problems and suggestions on where to find parts, advice and support. There are plenty of books that offer general information on what to look for in an offshore boat, but only this book focuses on the specifics a prospective buyer is looking for.

A collection of 40 of John Kretschmer's Used Boat Notebook columns, a popular boat review feature in Sailing Magazine. The focus is on boat specifics, providing the detailed information and hard-hitting reviews that a prospective boat buyer is looking for.

In Twenty Affordable Sailboats to Take You Anywhere you will find in-depth reviews of twenty affordable, comfortable, and seaworthy sailboats. These boats range in size from 30-38 feet, an ideal size for the cruising couple, yet big enough to accommodate an occasional cruising hitchhiker or two. All of these boats were once prominent offerings, designed by some of the world s leading naval architects and produced by reputable manufacturers. These boats are still readily available in the used boat market."Gregg has done a fine research job here, one pleasingly devoid of flim-flam. It's a truly helpful tool for those of you wading with trepidation into the murky waters of boat-buying."John Vigor, Author, Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere"This book is a must for the boat shopper looking for an experienced vessel."Bob Bitchin - Founder/Editor, Latitudes and Attitudes

Written as a notebook, My Secret Boat is a collage of stories, poems, dreams, and sketches. Among Burkard's subjects are childhood, the sea, family, alcoholism, love. We follow the narrator on a journey as he explores the images, characters, and incidents from his past. Identities merge and even become contrary.

John Kretschmer is sailing's practical philosopher – as much a doer as a thinker. And that is the overarching theme of this chronicle of a sailing life. Often amusing, sometimes poignant, occasionally terrifying but always inspiring, his deeply personal account is a welcome reminder of the good life waiting at sea. With hundreds of thousands of nautical miles under his keel, John's adventures have taken him several times around the world, with challenging crossings of the Atlantic and the Pacific, a narrow escape from a coup in Yemen, an unlikely deliverance from a coral reef off Belize as well as more serene, introspective passages where trade winds are blowing and stories are flowing. His crew has included CEOs, actors, writers, teachers, kids – in essence, everyone. John's narrative is interwoven with practical tips and advice in seamanship, but also, and just as importantly, his hard-won insights about making the most of our lives. He truly believes we find out who we really are, and what we are capable of, far from the shackles of land, when we find a place where time changes shape – days may merge into one another, but minutes are memorable. To live adventurously is to live more fully, and that is the life John Kretschmer continues to live. In this book he shares his simple profundities that will inspire those who live to sail, and those seeking something more rewarding from life.

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, and all are cheap. Choosing the right boat to take you across an ocean or around the world can be confusing and exasperating, particularly with a tight budget. Vigor sets out to remedy that in this book. He compares the designs and handling characteristics of 20 different boats whose secondhand market prices 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.