Tightwads on the Loose
A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey
by Wendy Hinman
Narrated by Robin Karno
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Pub Date Dec 02 2019 | Archive Date Nov 28 2020
Salsa Press | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks
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Description
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 on 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 US 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 listen to the armchair adventurer or anyone afflicted with wanderlust.
A Note From the Publisher
Additional Book Format ISBNs:
978-0-9848350-0-3 Tightwads print paperback
978-0-9848350-1-0 Tightwads eBook
978-0-9848350-2-7 Tightwads Audio Book
Additional Book Format ISBNs:
978-0-9848350-0-3 Tightwads print paperback
978-0-9848350-1-0 Tightwads eBook
978-0-9848350-2-7 Tightwads Audio Book
Advance Praise
“Tightwads on the Loose is extremely amusing, written brilliantly with a sense of humor and from the author’s heart, with inspired chapter names that will give a hint of things to come. After the necessary introductions are made, the listener is pulled into an adventure that will take him to exotic locations, vividly described with color and insight. I can’t think of a better actor than who could have brought this story and characters to life. She reads with eagerness, passion and comedic talent, infusing every moment with emotions and a sense of urgency. She is perfect for Tightwads on the Loose as she is blessed to be able to reach a large range of voices and accents. This way, the listener is completely immersed into this thrilling adventure.”
--Audiobookblog https://theaudiobookblog.com/2020/07/09/tightwads-on-the-loose-review/
“I just finished a whale of a tale and I want to recommend it to you. Although it [Tightwads on the Loose] is primarily a recounting of their adventures, the author is at her best when she describes her marriage and how the joys and pains of the voyage help her grow as a person and how they affect her relationship with her husband. I love an author who looks outward to notice the waterfalls and dance festivals, but at the same time looks inward to describe the personal transformation taking place, taking note of the way they both impact and are impacted by the people and places they experience. The book is a joy to read. I cannot wait to start her second book, Sea Trials. Enjoy Tightwads on the Loose. You will thank me.”
--Marianas Variety https://www.mvariety.com/cnmi-local/74-editorial/7697-bc-s-tales-of-the-pacific-tightwads-on-the-loose
Praise for the book in general:
Winner of the Journey award for best true-life adventure story. Selected a Readers Favorite and a top travel book for women. Selected for study in the literature program at Western Washington University.
“A light-hearted tone and unaffected style make this an entertaining tale.”
--San Francisco Book Review
“Tightwads on the Loose is the charming true story of a couple whose big dream is to circumnavigate the Pacific Ocean was not deflated by a small budget. Hinman’s self-effacing style and eye for the hilarious make the seven-year, 34,000-mile tale a pleasure to read.”
--Sailing Magazine
“Dreams of freedom and adventure: For most people, they remain just that — dreams. For certain others, like Wendy Hinman and Garth Wilcox, such dreams are the stuff life is. In 2000 the couple set sail from Puget Sound for a Pacific Odyssey in their 31-foot cutter, Velella. Seven years later, the couple returned home. Along the way, they logged some 34,000 nautical miles, touched 19 countries, endured typhoons, experienced close calls with freighters, potential pirates and phantom night vessels, swam in snake and crocodile infested waters and made do without refrigeration and Internet. A compelling read, Tightwads on the Loose: a Seven Year Pacific Odyssey flows as an adventure narrative with a “you are there” flavor. Ms. Hinman had done plenty of professional writing before the voyage: She’s as competent with the written word as she is at sea. And she clearly has a sense of humor — a necessary, conjugal survival tool within the confines of a 31-foot boat small enough to prevent her husband from standing straight up.”
--Mike Dillon, Magnolia News
“Lively, thoughtful and entertaining, Tightwads on the Loose offers a realistic glimpse into the ups and downs of living the cruising dream. Armchair sailors can enjoy the ride, while aspiring voyagers will appreciate Hinman’s honesty. She aptly demonstrates that like most worthwhile pursuits, long-distance voyaging is far from easy, and that’s a large part of what makes it so satisfying.”
--Three Sheets Northwest and 48 Degrees North
“Alternately hilarious, exciting and thought provoking, Tightwads on the Loose tells what happens when two people with very disparate personalities set out in a too small boat with a too small budget. Tightwads on the Loose will take you on a glorious romp around the Pacific.”
--Elsie Hulsizer, author of Glaciers, Bears and Totems and Voyages to Windward
“In this e-age of shoddy, sloppy sea yarns, it is nice to discover a wordsmith who cares how the words fall upon the page. Wendy Hinman does. She crafts each sentence with care. She is a pleasure to read. I enjoyed this book right from the title. Funny, too!”
--Cap’n Fatty Goodlander, author of numerous books about wandering under sail, a featured columnist in All At Sea and an Editor-at-Large of Cruising World magazine.
“Enjoy a wild ride with Wendy Hinman’s Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey. The pragmatist and the dreamer (at one point Wendy likens herself to Tinker Bell) make entertaining travel companions, and the places they visit capture the imagination.”
-- Janna Cawrse Esarey, author of The Motion of the Ocean
More than 160 positive reviews on Amazon and a consistently strong seller.
Marketing Plan
Consistent appearances at national and international boat shows in multiple locations each year due to strong name recognition as a dynamic public speaker, as well as frequent presentations at libraries, schools, book clubs, yacht clubs, and community organizations. A strong record of radio and TV/video interviews and a reputation for offering engaging interviews full of amusing snippets from her voyages. Comfortable with online presentations and teaching as well, as the situation may require. Regular contributor to a variety of publications.
Active on social media. Inquiries welcome at info@wendyhinman.com
Available Editions
| EDITION | Audiobook, Unabridged |
| ISBN | 9780984835027 |
| PRICE | $24.95 (USD) |
| DURATION | 12 Hours, 17 Minutes |
Featured Reviews
Catlin P, Reviewer
I was thrilled to see a travel book in the audio category! And the fact that it's about a sailing adventure makes it even more unique. Wendy Hinman narrates her own story of her travels with her husband around the Pacific with humor and historical tidbits (many relating to WWII). It's a great mixture of lifestyle, culture, sailing minutia, and personal experiences. The cruising life is definitely a different life, and this book shows the good, bad and the ugly, but does so in a way that still makes it sound like a fun adventure. I loved that she shared the details of the cultures and history of each port of call, because it gave the book much more depth. I really enjoyed listening to this book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in travel and/or sailing in the Pacific.
Colleen M, Reviewer
Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey, by Wendy Hinman, narrated by Robin Karno
Initial impressions. You might think that a seven year odyssey might get dull at some point, about a 1/3 of the way into the book I'm still in awe of Wendy Hinman's excitement and her colorful description of her adventures. Chapter 10 (of the NetGalley Advance Read Copy) describes visiting Fiji and it sounds incredible, to spend several weeks being a connoisseur of swimming spots with natural slides, waterfalls and swimming spots and markets full of fresh fruits, veggies, smells (with the best of the days bounty beautifully wrapped for the village chief).
After completion. This book was released in December 2019, this book should be a GoodReads Best Of for either Memoirs or Humor or BOTH! I'm not a boater and have only been on fishing boats or pontoon boats or canoes; but this release was a fabulously entertaining book regardless of the readers boating experience.
The last 1/4 of the book was just as exciting as the earlier chapters, in a completely different way. I'm so glad that I stumbled upon this audio.
Robin Karno did an excellent job narrating the audiobook. There were many different accents she provided and it provided additional depth to these travels.
This book was read courtesy of NetGalley Advance Read Copy; thank you to the author/Wendy Hinman and NetGalley!
Kate M, Reviewer
Thanks, Netgalley for the copy of the audiobook.
I love adventures, but I live a pretty unadventurous life. This book gave me a chance to travel alongside Wendy and Garth around the Pacific ocean, with all the highs and the lows. I learned so many new things about people living in the Pacific, history, nations. Each chapter was loaded with new places, details and observations. I think what also made this story so relatable as the author and her husband were travelling on a budget, saved to buy a boat for years and worked sometimes to fix their boat while travelling. I enjoyed the book and the message that comes along with it - alternative life is not easy, but it is a fuller life!
Lucy F, Reviewer
I enjoy memoirs & the story of a sailing adventure sounded great!
In this audiobook, we journey with Wendy & Garth on their sailing adventure, travelling over 34,000 miles round the Pacific. The journey lasts over seven years, during which time they are living in very cramped conditions on a 31-foot boat – bought to fit their budget, not so much Garth’s large frame!
The story is full of humour, tales of kindness and many challenges that they face on the way. There are vivid descriptions of the culture they encounter & the many encounters with local people. There are moments of humanity when the local people and/or the sailing community pull together to help people in need (there are of course the negatives such as being over-charged in the Philippines for being American) – the book really does show the highs & lows, the “good, the bad & the ugly”.
The narration is so well-suited to the story that I thought it was being narrated by Wendy herself – the narrator has a very conversational tone rather than it sounding as if she is reading a book!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this audiobook free from the publisher via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the publisher & author for the opportunity to listen to it, all opinions are my own.
#TightwadsontheLoose #NetGalley
Alison S, Reviewer
What a delightful story.
I loved every second of it. The narrator was wonderful. She made the book come alive so much so that I went and purchased the e-book of this story just so I could relive the adventure again (and get the spellings of the places to look them up on Google Earth.)
I would recommend this to any armchair traveler who needs a break and an adventure.
Nicki E, Educator
This narrator was great! She is expressive, has a good cadence and can even do the accents and dialects well.
The story itself is very interesting. It covers the Wendy and Garth's entire relationship, their fondness of sailing and increasing abilities and knowledge while living in Seattle and then during their 7 year circumnavigation.
I loved the insights into foreign lands and peoples that I will never have a chance to visit myself. Some of the anecdotes were very humorous while others were thought-provoking.
I will admit that occasionally the "sailing speak" , which regularly went over my head, would cause my eyes to gloss over, and I was glad that I was running and could still feel like I was being productive.
My only real complaints were the frequent political statements and jabs at the western world, in particular the US and its leaders.
Greg A, Reviewer
It was a great adventure by the author and her husband. It’s fun to know the ups and downs as well as the funny things little things along the way. Great story telling as well
Sarah M, Reviewer
A wonderful entertaining listen. I have walked my dog for miles listening to the adventures of Wendy and Garth at sea. A great narrater telling a fantastic reminiscence of their journey around the word in a small boat. Great fun.
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