Who builds a boat in the desert?

A sailor (or sailors, in this case) who needs cheap digs with few distractions.

If you've read any of her sailing books or articles you already know Lin Pardey can write. This particular book is about Lin and Larry Pardey's four years ashore in the 1980s while building Taleisin, a new boat.

Their respite, chosen primarily for the sake of economics, was an abandoned stone cottage 60 miles from the sea and most conveniences. Lin tells with a mix of joy and pride how they transformed the cottage into a home while battling packrats, snakes, flood, fires and assorted other dangers.

There's good humor and charm in her descriptions of eccentric but lovable neighbors, the environment and the challenges of a decidedly different way of life than they were accustomed to.

If you love boats and sailing, you'll be intrigued by the detail on the building of the 29-foot sailboat. But even those who don't give a hoot about that will find much to enjoy in this different kind of memoir and the adventures of a couple of modern pioneers.

Lin is the author of 11 books. She and Larry have sailed more than 200,000 miles and have created a number of instructional videos on sailing. They now live in New Zealand but continue to cruise part of the year on Taleisin.

[ visit the author's website ]