Get Real, Get Gone: How to Become a Modern Sea Gypsy and Sail Away Forever...

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 2,273 ratings

Price: 15.04

Last update: 02-24-2025


About this item

The idea that you have to be rich to travel the world on your own yacht is so universal that it goes largely unquestioned. The ubiquitous images of rich men on super-yachts sipping Martinis only help cement this image. This book hopes to change all that.

Rick's recent appearance on Ben Fogle's New Lives in the Wild chronicled his budget lifestyle and adventures aboard Calypso, and introduced the idea of budget sailing to a whole new audience - an audience who may have never considered the possibility that such a dream could be made a reality, on such a small amount of money. This book is for them and for any experienced sailors who want to cast off the yoke of consumerist yachting and get back to what really matters at sea.

If you are not rich, but dream of seeing our beautiful world from the deck of your own boat, this book is packed full of practical and spiritual advice to help you cut through the endless marketing and identify what it is you truly need to become a modern sea gypsy and sail away on the greatest adventure of your life...

Photos and diagrams referenced in this audiobook can be found on sailingcalypso.com.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Trevor Bilquin
    5.0 out of 5 stars This Book WILL Change Your Life, if You Let It
    Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2024
    The author writes in an engaging, humorous, direct style that both informs and entertains. Much more than this, the best possible recommendation that I can give is that my wife and I used this book and its sequel, "Stay Real, Stay Gone" to leave our jobs and start living aboard a 34 foot sailboat. We are currently in Scotland, and we absolutely love our new way of life. IF you do what Rick suggests, and employ ALL of his recommendations and strategies, your life will absolutely change for the better. I am living proof that you, with Rick's help, can actually achieve your dreams. If you're even thinking about buying the book, buy it.
    Customer image
    Trevor Bilquin
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    This Book WILL Change Your Life, if You Let It

    Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2024
    The author writes in an engaging, humorous, direct style that both informs and entertains. Much more than this, the best possible recommendation that I can give is that my wife and I used this book and its sequel, "Stay Real, Stay Gone" to leave our jobs and start living aboard a 34 foot sailboat. We are currently in Scotland, and we absolutely love our new way of life. IF you do what Rick suggests, and employ ALL of his recommendations and strategies, your life will absolutely change for the better. I am living proof that you, with Rick's help, can actually achieve your dreams. If you're even thinking about buying the book, buy it.
    Images in this review
  • Some random guy
    5.0 out of 5 stars This book is my new map to life!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2023
    This book was recommended to someone else on a Reddit thread (on the r/liveaboard sub)..

    WOW! What an amazing, accessible read. Rick's writing style reads like you're having a conversation with him, which makes the whole book feel super accessible.
    Also, there is a lot of semi-technical data on: boat selection, boat outfitting, and financial advice to assist anyone in reframing their mindset to sail off in to the "wobbly blue stuff" and never return. Basically, how to check out of the consumerist rat race, and seek to enjoy a like full of travel, and adventure! It's true, if you follow Rick's advice, there won't be a newly leased luxury car every three years in your future, but is that really the purpose of life on this mortal coil? Is the function of our existence to accumulate more disposable goods made in a far away land that are obsolete every few years? Or is there possibly another way to live that involves actual problem solving, and more rewarding behavior? If you think the latter is true, but can't imagine how to get there, this is your road map to how to do it NOW, not "when you're ready" (Hint: You'll never be "ready".)..

    I'm at a turning point in my life where sailing the world for a few decades is actually quite possible, but Capn Page shows you how to do it on a minimal budget - be frugal, avoid debt, let compounding interest work for you, and learn to do your own minor repairs.

    I also recommend his second book - Stay real, stay gone. It expands on all of the principles and lessons of the first book, but with the same easy to read writing style.

    Absolutely one of the books with the largest influence on my life's trajectory I've ever read. If you're thinking about liveaboard life, please read this.. Perhaps read it twice.
  • Jeremy G
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great book...
    Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2023
    Leaving the 9 to 5 and sailing...welll, wherever I choose, is a future goal of mine. I would very much like to achieve this with my wife, so the final chapter was gold! : ) The advice in this book has been immensely helpful and I look forward to putting it into practice.
  • Adam
    5.0 out of 5 stars A witty, conversational, no-frills guide to boating on a budget
    Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2023
    The person who introduced me to Rick Page’s Get Real, Get Gone was absolutely adamant that this was a critical addition to any watery wanderer’s bookshelf.
    I had set my sights on traveling the world slowly, with the sea as my medium. With aspirations of buying my own boat, I was (and still am) constantly on the lookout for new sources of information and experience to learn from, and Get Real, Get Gone is up there with the best.
    Whether you’re an experienced sailor or just starting out, Page’s sharp, conversational, opinionated and accessible writing is not just a confident voice of experience, it’s also a delightful, entertaining read.
    Page will help you hone in on what’s important to insist on, and what’s important to let go of, if you hope to turn to life on the high seas as a sustainable, practical lifestyle. Aimed at the budget sailor (i.e., most of us!) Page’s no frills, no nonsense approach to not just sailing, but to consumerism and self-reliance in general, helped me focus and keep my eyes on the prize – as well as taught me a few things about shopping around for boats.
    Highly, highly recommended!
  • Another Reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars Learned a Lot, and Enjoyed the Read
    Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2021
    This book is well written and packed with info. I am not planning the type of sailing life that Rick Page lives, so I didn’t necessarily expect to finish the book. But it was a great read, so I did finish in one sitting. [Big disclaimer, I know nothing and am at the “thought about sailing all my life but just now signed up for ASA 101... on a lake” stage.]

    He does such a great job of describing the decision processes around the boats he chooses and how he sails, both practically and philosophically, and didn’t get more technical than he had to, that I learned one heck of a lot that I feel I can use. For one thing, his discussion of rudder types was eye opening. I now know that the kinds of boats I’ve been window shopping online are the exact inspiration for his term “yogurt cup.” (Mumble, mumble, ben-a-toe thir-tee-dot-one for example, cough cough.)

    He also has some real talk about what a bunch of additional convenience features may cost you in... inconvenience!

    He is very clear about the WHY behind all his decisions and the fact that boat ownership doesn’t mean you HAVE to circumnavigate or even do passages — and especially not before years of other experience. So maybe a yogurt cup would end up being ok for weekends on the (warmish water, large enough to sail but never out of sight of shore) local lake. (The author also has some words about people rationalizing their emotional decisions, haha.) The point is, now I’m better informed to going into any exposure to boats because the author doesn’t just tell you what, he tells you why. In compelling and yet succinct detail. Great, engaging read, packed with interesting ideas. Looking forward to his next book.

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