Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey

· Author's Republic · Narrated by Robin Karno
5.0
1 review
Audiobook
12 hr 17 min
Unabridged
Eligible
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About this audiobook

Everyone dreams of tropical escape. But what happens when you escape for too long? Imagine spending 24 hours a day with your spouse in 31 not-so-square feet . . . for years; crossing the Pacific Ocean on two gallons of fuel; and tossing spaghetti marinara around your living room, then cleaning it up while bouncing like ice in a martini shaker. Tightwads on the Loose tells the story of Wendy and Garth, lured to sea by the promise of adventure. They buy a 31-foot boat that fits their budget better than it fits Garth's large frame and set sail for an open-ended voyage, never imagining they'd be gone seven years, or cover 34,000 miles at the pace of a fast walk. They live without most “necessities” and learn that teamwork and a sense of humor matter most as they face endless "character-building opportunities." They make a long-anticipated visit to the island where Garth had been shipwrecked as a teenager, only to find it had become a penal colony. An electronic catastrophe in the Solomon Islands leaves them without navigation equipment, which forces them to trade their free-wheeling lifestyle for one that seems straight out of a '60s sitcom: jobs at a U.S. Army base in the Marshall Islands. In Asia, they dodge typhoons and ships that threaten to turn their home into kindling. Finally they endure a grueling 49-day nonstop ocean crossing. None of this prepares them for their arrival "home" to a post-9/11 America which leaves them wondering what had changed more, them or the world.
Tightwads on the Loose offers a fun read to the armchair adventurer -- or anyone afflicted with wanderlust.

Ratings and reviews

5.0
1 review
Caroline Price
November 25, 2020
Wendy Hinman has written a fascinating book, beautifully narrated by Robin Karno, about her seven year voyage with her husband Garth, in a 31 foot second hand boat They set sail from the USA and ended up doing a roundish trip of over 31,000 miles! They faced fair weather and extremely foul weather (typhoon season - very scary) . Waited endlessly for Wendy's dad to actually turn up on the right date for a rendezvous and to read her emails properly. They made friends all over the world and survived serious danger. Not only did they survive but so did their marriage because they both have a sense of humour. My travelling days have been over for a long time but the urge to travel hasn't faded. This book has been a real pleasure to listen to, travelling the easy way - all the adventure without the risk. A wonderful, wonderful book for people like me who have never lost the urge to wander. Very highly recommended.
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About the author

Wendy Hinman is an adventurer, speaker and the award-winning author of two books, Tightwads on the Loose and Sea Trials. Tightwads on the Loose a popular travel adventure book about the 7-year, 34,000-mile voyage she took with her husband aboard a small violently rocking sailboat where she alternated between feats worthy of Wonder Woman or Suzy Homemaker. It's full of humor and armchair thrills. Winner of the Chanticleer Journey Award and Readers Favorites awards for Best Non-fiction Adventure. Her second book, Sea Trials tells the gripping story of her husband Garth's family in a tireless quest to sail around the world despite daunting challenges including a shipwreck, rebuilding a boat on a remote island, and threats from wild weather, pirates, gun boats, mines and thieves, a broken rig, scurvy and starvation. It is a story of grit and determination. Sea Trials has been named a Kirkus Best Book of 2017 a Foreword Reviews Best Book of the year as well as a Readers Favorite winner. http://wendyhinman.com. Robin Karno is a talented narrator of various types of stories. A fabulous collaborator, she has a pleasing voice, great comedic timing, and a talent for capturing the flavor of the voyage and the accents of the cultures that a traveling duo visit in their 34,000-mile journey around the Pacific aboard a small sailboat in the hit book, Tightwads on the Loose.

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