In exotic locales, work can float finances

How to pocket a paycheck in paradise

Financial Freedom Afloat, by Charles Tuller. Seaworthy Publications, Inc., 507 Sunrise Dr., Port Washington, Wisconsin 53074. www.seaworthy.com  Copyright 2000. Illustrated, 241 pages. ISBN 1-892399-06-7.

     There are some books which possess timeless content backed up with real life information, and as soon as the public becomes aware of them, they become instant classics. Financial  Freedom Afloat, by Charles Tuller, is one of those books. It is an instant classic because it not only gives practical and realistic information on working while cruising, it also presents it in a very clear, understandable, readable way with no pretentions, and no stone left unturned. 

     The basic premise of this book is that the cruising lifestyle not only benefits from the money from work, it is enriched & broadened by the work experience itself. Tuller includes his own experiences of working while cruising, but lets the stories of three other couples, each different in their backgrounds & financial picture, illustrate the points he makes in his book.  

     Financial Freedom Afloat covers every possible marketable skill that a person could have and explains tried and true, and innovative, ways to make those skills work for a cruiser. He provides good examples of real people who succeeded, or failed, at a particular job or business. At the end of each chapter he summarizes the pros & cons of doing each particular type of work.

     Finally, what some consider worth their weight in gold, are the appendices included at the end of the book. Each aspect of work that can be done while cruising has a related appendix which includes the names, phone numbers, addresses and websites of businesses and organizations that can provide further information or services to get started in a particular field. Tuller truly did his homework, much to the readers' advantage.

     The bottom line is this: the dream of cruising is a do-able one- but so many people feel they have to save up for years in order to break free and not have to work. But setting off to cruise can become a reality much sooner if instead one planned to work while sailing around the world. Not only would it be possible to cruise longer, thanks to added cashflow, but a person can also learn more about local culture, meet local people and perhaps even learn a new language. This book is highly recommended for anyone SERIOUSLY considering cruising and who has at least one marketable skill.