Chit Chat/Reviews

Look who's talking about A Sail of Two Idiots:

“It was the best of dreams, it was the worst of dreams, it was an age of consulting the nautical experts, it was the age of landlubber foolishness, it was the epoch of determination, it was the epoch of despair, it was the season of hurricanes, it was a spring of beachcombing…” Read more.

If you dream about chucking it all away and sailing toward an island life, read this first.

SAILING SPOKEN HERE PRESENTS: MOVING ONTO THE WATER SERIES PART III

by Renee Petrillo

(includes video).

Amazon Reviews

Chris Doyle, sailor and popular writer of sailing cruising guides, books, and charts for over 20 years writes:

Renee Petrillo packed up her home and husband, bought a boat and went cruising, despite having almost no experience in matters nautical. A Sail of Two Idiots tells the story in an entertaining and engaging manner, while at the same time enumerating the mistakes made and the lessons learned in the hopes of helping a similar-minded person avoiding some of the pitfalls. I am sure it would be helpful to that target audience, but it is also a delightful read for anyone who likes cruising yarns, and what a refreshing change to read about sailing cruise where the woman is the skipper.

Thanks to Spike & Rhonda for two wonderful emails:

Hi Renee,

My wife and I just finished your book. We loved it and followed along with it on Google earth. It was like we were there. We saw pictures of lots of the things you talked about. My wife and I are selling off everything we own and have been for the last 4 mo. We are moving aboard a 37 foot mono hull to live in the Caribbean and hope we can do it by Jan. of 2013.

Again, we loved your book. It was an adventure we took together and will always be with us.

*******************************

We have been looking and looking on Amazon for another book that we can read and follow on Google earth. So far we have been unable to find any that look like they will be as much fun as yours.

It may sound silly but we miss reading your book, following the locations on Google, stopping and talking about what we would have done and then making notes on the places we want to visit when we go.

It really was an adventure we took together. Thank you again and we will call you when we come by for that Sundowner.

Spike and Rhonda Kelly

"It doesn't matter where we sail, just that we sail together, and that way the wind is always with us."

Amazon Reviews

Jilly:
"A. I'm almost done reading, and I don't really want the adventure to end
B. Then I remember, it hasn't ended, because I know what you're up to these days, and know where to get the updates ... lol ...[Island Babble]
C. If I ever had any regrets about not chucking it all and sailing off on a catamaran, they have certainly evaporated! Man, that's hard work!! Girl, you are made of much sturdier material than I (and also you are much younger!) Kudos to you and Mike!!"

Radio Interview from April 14, 2012 on www.WorldofBoating.com

Carla A. (Dominica): As a non-boater, I didn't think I would have gotten through this book....but once I started it had me in a tight grip...I couldn't put de book down...took it everywhere I went! Not only a good guide but a great adventure and journey and even greater accomplishment is sharing it!

Hi Renee and Michael, I just finished reading your book (in two days and I am not a reader!!) and I just thought I would email you and congratulate you on your journey! I was enthralled by your experiences and could not put it down! You guys have taken the path which I have always dreamed of. You've inspired me to try my hardest (and fastest) to make that dream a reality! If I ever make it down to St. Kitts on a sailboat, I feel I owe you a beer simply for the joy you've given me by sharing your experience. Take care!! -Matt S.

Around the World Radio interview on VIDEO or PODCAST (4/26/2012)

Hi Renee,

Your book is wonderful! Your voice is individual, and that's huge in the publishing arena. Knowing you and Mike are alive after such a sailing experience, I will say I laughed until I cried reading page 244. I laughed now and then way before that page, but at that point all the emotions derived from your story culminated to comedy. Now, I think you should write a movie script from that book and call it the "Adventures of Popeye the Sailor Girl...." Move over Johnny Depp!

Maureen (Illinois)

Satisfying Retirement said: If you have any salt water in your veins, and know what a spinnaker is this may be the 285 pages that get your feet (and the rest of you) wet.

The Nautical Mind chose A Sail of Two Idiots as their "Staff Pick"! Also see the Nautical Mind's blog: Renee Petrillo Escapes the Rat Race

A successful book signing in St. Kitts! Read here for more.

Renee, I need to buy you a drink because your book was fantastic. I felt like I was right there with you the entire time. I am not a sailor and have only been a guest on sail boats here on the Chesapeake Bay but OMG I actually felt your rocking on the boat. What travels and experiences you have for the rest of your lives.

I found your book so interesting and informative. I loved your "Lessons" and "What Broke" sections. Again, not being a sailor I still found your information on how to fix things and where to purchase items and your advice on everything made sense to me. You write as if you are talking. Do you know what I mean? You did not write for sailors but for everyone. That was a good thing. You are such a good writer!

I learned so much about the other Islands also. Your descriptions of walking around Saba, Statia and Montserrat were so vivid. I would like to go there.

Sharon (Maryland)

Idaho Senior Independent: The hard-won lessons are set against the backdrop of the beautiful Caribbean – for every massive dose of on-board idiocy, there’s a beautiful moment that will make you long to buy a boat of your own. In author Renee Petrillo’s warm, humorous and honest tone, A SAIL OF TWO IDIOTS is a must-have for armchair travelers, snowbirds, retirees, and everyone who has longed to chuck it all for a better life. It’s a guarantee seasoned sailors will be gobsmacked.

The Bradenton Times Captain's Favorite: Product of the week!

Duckworks: The Petrillos [Author's Note: Michael's last name is actually Puceta] figured their way around the crucial lessons of living aboard and the life lessons of working through stressful situations with your marriage, your sanity, and your boat intact. What results is a funny tale for armchair travelers – and for seasoned sailors, a gobsmacking moment of idiocy on every page.

Hi there. My name is Howard J., from Tallahassee, FL and over the past two weeks every time I'd stop in books a million I'd read a couple of chapters of your book ( for free and put it back on the shelf). After a couple of visits I realized it was a pretty dang good book, so feeling guilty of reading for free, I bought it. You'll be proud to know it will go in my personal library of my favorite sailing books and I've got a bunch.

I've told a few of my sailing buddies that they should read your book and dang if they aren't cheaper than me...they just want my book and I ain't giving it up. They can go read it for free too at the book store and experience the guilt.

Seriously, I thought your book was great and it was (is) great fun...I'm still reading it.

On the back cover, I saw your blog and came for a visit. Love the GIS map of the island. Not sure my old CAL25 would live up to crossing the gulf stream, but might have to upgrade to something that will. Keep plugging away with the blog...good stuff. Thanks for a good read. Save us a spot at the bar...we'll be right down. Howard & Carla

Great Book! Well written for those of us who don't know port from starboard. Exciting stories of anchors draggin' but not this book. It carried me along like a swift current of enjoyment. Lessons learned from this book might just save you THOUSANDS. Tom S.C. Jr. (FL, USA)

I just finished your book, and it was a blast to read! You did a great job of capturing the crazy balance between the spirit of adventure and the never-ending battle to prepare for the unexpected (boat repairs, weather, etc.) My biggest laugh came from the story of Mike tripping and going head over heels off the boat. That cracked me up when I read your blog originally, and I laughed just as hard reading it again now. It’s fantastic that you are now a published author. It’s also fantastic that you two are still alive to tell one hell of a story! What’s the next book going to be? Mark L (GA, USA)

I got the book last week from Amazon and I have been reading it ever since! I LOVE IT!!! Congratulations on writing such a great read - you have a wonderful writing style and it's a joy to read. I just wanted to say hi and let you know how much I'm enjoying it. I will pass it along to my husband, mom and my mother-in-law when I'm done! Hope all is well with you both - thanks again for the laughs! Melanie Wolfe (RI, USA)

Catamaran Guru says: ...Mike and Rene [Renee] bought their boat from us and we helped out on a few occasions while they were learning their boat and taught them a few sailing techniques. She chronicles the whole process from dreaming to buying to living-aboard and eventually selling the dream boat. The book is funny and has some good tips for beginners...

The Growing Boulder Show radio interview from June 16, 2012. Not only is there audio, but a fun synopsis of the interview, including photos and author/book details.

Practical Sailor chose A Sail of Two Idiots for its summer read and had this to say about it to its suscribers:

My husband and I have been planning (your trip) for years and hope to finally make the journey in 5 years. Unlike you, if we sold our house today we'd get $0. ha ha! We're half way through your book and loving every chapter. I'm sure when we are done and ready for the journey we'll have lots of questions! We visit the Caribbean every January and we can not wait. Thanks again for such a great book! Allison & Scott H. (WA, USA)

Caribbean Compass says: A Sail of Two Idiots is a combination textbook and adventure story told in a breezy, folksy style from a female captain's perspective....Her story is full of lessons and laughs. Wannabe or newbie cruisers will learn a lot, and old salts will grin at familiar situations both good and bad.

Hi Renee,

I am enjoying your book so much, I save it until I have the perfect time to read it! Thank you for honesty, fabulous humor, and truly interesting tales of your sailing adventure! Can't wait to experience the island and visit all the sights that you've posted. Best wishes ! Jill F. (MI, USA)

Amazon Reviews

Hi Renee,

My husband and I have been planning (your trip) for years and hope to finally make the journey in 5 years. Unlike you, if we sold our house today we'd get $0. ha ha!

We're half way through your book and loving every chapter. I'm sure when we are done and ready for the journey we'll have lots of questions! We visit the Caribbean every January and we can not wait.

Thanks again for such a great book!

UPDATE: I just finished your book - such a great resource!!! Thank You! We wish you guys nothing but the best of luck and can't wait for the second installment of your book!!

Allison & Scott H. (WA, USA)

Dear Renee,

I have thoroughly enjoyed your book. And, was pleased when I found you're blog. Just to discover you were leaving the island you worked so hard to find - curious.

What I particularly liked about your writing was the level of detail plus personal observations. Then, best of all, was when you would sum up a paragraph with a pithy and witty remark, several times only a syllable, but perfectly fitting given the situation.

I hope you begin another blog about living in the keys, which must be fascinating as well.
Philip G (WA, USA)

Author's Note: We involuntarily left St. Kitts due to changes in work status. The blog I created and authored for 4 years, Island Babble, has been taken over by a newbie to St. Kitts (although original posts remain). I started a new Key West blog, The Babbling Conch, in September 2012.

As of November 13, 2012: Book ranking at Amazon:

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#1 in Books > Travel > Caribbean > General
#2 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Water Sports
#2 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Sailing

Renee and Michael,

I'm a Marine pilot currently deployed to Afghanistan, and just finished your great book. I didn't want the book to come to an end it was that entertaining! I'm a huge fan of the caribbean and anything tropical, so your book easily took me away from the middle east and transposed me to the islands- what a great way to end the day! While reading the book, I thought many a time that cruising the islands wouldn't be a bad adventure to partake in(of course after the Marine Corps). Thanks for your stories and advice, now the book will be sent back to my girlfriend in San Diego so she can get the same entertainment and maybe take a hint of our future plans. Attached is a pic I took during downtime on our flightline. Take care! p.s. I drive through Jacumba all the time when headed to the East from SD- when that was revealed in the book, I thought, hey I know that area!
-- Capt Steed USMC VMM-161 Greyhawks

A Sail of Two Idiots written by a Renee Petrillo...they did it. Sold it all...bought a sail boat and went where it's warm all the time! Great story and some of the lessons this couple learned about long distance sailing and living aboard. Renee calls in from Key West! Radio Interview, November 24, 2012 - AUDIO.

DREAMS, GOALS AND A PLAN: As we straggled around, killing time [at the Toronto Boat Show], before heading home, we came upon the booth "A Nautical Mind". Being an avid book collector, I was delving through the treasures, when I heard someone tell Leanne, that's a MUST READ book. Saying that to Leanne, normally, is like saying "that's a steak you MUST try", to a vegetarian! But in this moment, someone was giving us the nudge we needed, to stop TALKING about our dream, and start PLANNING!

The book was "A Sail of Two Idiots". If you're a sailor, who dreams of the Caribbean, you must read it, before you start planning. If you're a sailor who is sailing, or has sailed the Caribbean, you must read it, for the chuckle, and the memories. If you're anyone who has ever dreamt big, you too MUST read it! It's a story of two "Idiots" (sorry Renee and Mike) who left Arizona, after selling everything. They had no sailing experience, but BIG dreams. They bought a boat, and headed for sunny skies. Their lack of experience shines through in their first 10 minutes at sea, when they run aground on their way out of harbour! Long story short, it gets better from there, and they end up spending more than 3 years roaming the seas! It was a great book, that suddenly lent legitimacy to our plan! I remember thinking "we can do this". When I was done the book I sought out the author, Renee Petrillo, on line. I sent her an email, with compliments, and a litany of questions. She responded with detailed answers to every question, and at the end, the most important advice I've received throughout this journey. She said "just set a date. You'll never have enough money."

The words seemed simple, and scary. But they were words of truth. In life we worry ourselves to death. We worry if we have enough. We worry if we have too much. We worry if we will screw up. And when we succeed, we worry how we'll better that success. Yet, when the chips are down, none of what we worry about, helps us. Somehow, we always find a way to make it work!

Mariner Chesapeake says:

This book chronicles that well because mistakes were made and readers certainly benefit from the knowledge this pair gained... We think you’ll enjoy this romp and recommend it highly.

Sailing for South Africa picked A Sail of Two Idiots for its Book of The Month (March 2013):

The author has a wonderful knack of making the reader feel as though on the boat with her, enjoying the sights and sounds, experiencing the highs and lows. It is delightfully written. There is a chuckle on almost every page, and a ‘lesson’ designed to prevent sailors with similar ideas from making similar mistakes. Other ‘idiots’ - no adventurers and dreamers - out there will derive a great deal of comfort and encouragement from the exploits of Renee and Mike.

Paul Talbot Review: This book is a story of a couple’s decision to bail out of the rat race and jump into a catamaran to sail into the Caribbean and around the Bahamas. It is also a guide to help someone dealing with the same mid-life crisis impulses to make the decisions that need to be made. So it is both entertaining and practical...her positive approach helps to explain and reassure. In the end, they may not be the “idiots” Ms. Petrillo implies.