Tightwads on the Loose – A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey opens with a map of the Pacific Ocean that showed the voyage of the sailing vessel Velella starting and ending in Seattle. Soon the reader is immersed in the plans of Wendy and her husband, Garth, to set sail on their open-ended adventure. And we wonder how long an introvert, whose motto is always be prepared, can live in such tight quarters with an extrovert whose motto is let’s just wing it.

These are not rich dot-com people on a yacht. Nor are they trust fund hippies, or newly retired people with a nest-egg, hence the title. But they are practiced sailors who believe in themselves and each other. Later in the book, Wendy made a statement about why it felt important to take the leap (and the risks); leave behind the meetings, deadlines, and emails; and set sail across the Pacific: “Perhaps the path of least resistance, while it offered a temporary respite from the struggles of life, ultimately held no great opportunity for growth, which was what made life most interesting.”

And risks there were! The reader departed Seattle with them — against the tide. And then there were the shipping lanes to traverse in the fog; the breakdown of equipment needed to keep them alive in said fog; those squalls and mountainous waves, alternating with a total lack of wind. Then they endured scorching tropical heat; polluted harbors; and the possibility of pirates, fishing nets, rocks, and coral reefs. Did I mention the typhoons? The author shared events in a detached, dispassionate way that belies the sheer terror you would expect one to feel. Having sailed in gales, I found myself inserting my own fear and drama into their many near-death experiences.

Yet the dangers were offset by countless magic moments and encounters. As they sailed from island to island in the South Pacific, they sometimes sailed naked through silence under silvery moons in perfect winds and temperatures. At each stop they were met with friendly, generous locals. Their days were filled with new friends, hikes, snorkels and dives. They enjoyed the camaraderie of fellow sailors, and found themselves immersed in the international racing scene. Also, while they did not set out on a “history cruise,” they encountered artifacts of World War II on almost every island. Details of those discoveries added interest and context to the account.

In desperate need of equipment repairs and the funds to pay for them, Wendy and Garth took jobs on a U.S. Army base in the Marshall Islands. As they moved off Velella, worked at their jobs, and explored the island we learn the inside story about life on Kwajalein and those who lived there. Two years later, with their boat seaworthy once again, Wendy and Garth set sail for Japan via Saipan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Okinawa. Very few blue water cruisers visit this part of the world, and tourists rarely get to see the remote harbors where Velella stopped. This sets Tightwads on the Loose apart from most sailing narratives and adds value to the reading experience.

Finally, the couple starts the arduous journey from Japan back to Seattle. They are faced with sailing 5,000 miles at the pace of a fast walk, with limited capacity for water or fuel, even food, and, of course, the possibility of a typhoon. They would have enough of everything —if all went well. This last, long voyage provided ample time on watches for Wendy to ponder what ‘reality’ would be like for them back in Seattle. After surviving the dangers of their ocean quest, how would do they do back on land and in day-to-day working life?

This is good ol’ straightforward storytelling that doesn’t require literary flourish to be captivating. Just imagine spending 24/7 for months on end with your spouse in a 31’ foot sailboat. Just imagine that your world is always moving or changing in one way or another. Now imagine immersing yourself into post-9/11 America only to discover how much everything has changed when you finally return to your home-port.

Tightwads on the Loose; a Seven Year Pacific Odyssey vividly details the highs and lows of life at sea and at port. It will definitely appeal to those who are curious about sea voyaging. Armchair travelers will find a diversity of cultural experiences, historical details, and adventures for their entertainment and education. Come on board and sail away with the intrepid Wendy Hinman and her humorous and ingenious insights about life at sea.
Winner Chanticleer Journey Award

“In her first book, Tightwads on the Loose, author Wendy Hinman tells us the story of an amazingly funny journey that she embarked on with her husband without any of them knowing that it will result in a Seven Year Pacific Odyssey.

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 don’t want to give away any of the story as I hate spoilers, but I’ll say that I enjoyed Wendy and Garth’s adventures tremendously, cheering them on forward, feeling their pain and understanding their confusion when they heard on the radio about the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center… From the first time they cast off, to the moment they return to the United States in a post-9/11 World, the events in Tightwads on the Loose are worthy of a travel TV Series.

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.

Tightwads on the Loose is a perfect opportunity for those looking for a good book that blends travel with adventure to learn about distant parts of the World and about how a couple’s love for the sea transformed into the journey of their lifetime.

If you are still staying inside to protect yourself and your family, Tightwads on the Loose will compress seven years of adventure on the high seas into 12 hours of entertainment.

I hope to see Wendy’s second book released in audiobook format as soon as possible.”

Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey by Wendy Hinman is a memoir of the adventure of a lifetime. When Wendy met Garth in Washington D.C., she was fascinated to learn that he had sailed around the world with his family and lived like Robinson Crusoe after they bumped into a reef in Fiji that left a whale of a hole in their boat. Always adventurous, she had taken sailing lessons herself when her father bought a sailboat and had spent weekends and vacations sailing the Hawaiian Islands and the Chesapeake Bay. Wendy and Garth became a couple and dreamt of life at sea but after getting married, they settled down to pursue their own careers. After ten years, they finally decided to realize their dream of a tropical escape which resulted in a seven-year odyssey in the Pacific Ocean. This is their story.

Wendy Hinman's Tightwad on the Loose is a first-hand account of living in a 31-foot boat and going on a 34,000-mile voyage in the Pacific for seven years, with only the barest of necessities. A lot of people dream of setting the business of living aside to fulfill their dreams, but only very few really do it. Wendy and Garth belong to this special breed of people. And by writing Tightwad on the Loose, Wendy Hinman brings her readers with her while she relives their fascinating journey. Reading this book feels like being involved in plotting the trip and going with them on their sometimes exhilarating, sometimes frustrating trips to Mexico, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Kwajalein, Saipan, China, Hong Kong, Philippines, and Japan. And as they return to their old lives, her feeling of dislocation is contagious. This book is the next best thing to going on a seven-year odyssey itself!
Winner, Readers Favorites best book

Plot/Idea: 8 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Prose: 8 out of 10
Character/Execution: 9 out of 10
Overall: 8.25 out of 10
Assessment:

Plot: This rollicking, life-embracing memoir of adventure on the high seas is pure, fast-paced reading enjoyment. From one port to the next, there's plenty of action, good humor, and moments of excitement.

Prose: Hinman's sunny enthusiasm for her subject matter and skillful, briskly-paced prose make the reader feel like a co-adventurer on her incredible journey.

Originality: Though similar travel memoirs are certainly available, Hinman's appealing blend of adventure, frugal living, and marital negotiations in close quarters bring authenticity and freshness to her story.

Character Development: Hinman's cheery, good-humored, and often self-effacing depiction of her life at sea makes her feel like the party guest with all the best stories. Not one to shy away from the gritty or stressful realities of long-term travel, she manages to inspire while telling the wholehearted truth.

Date Submitted: August 30, 2017

“Wendy Hinman is an accomplished storyteller. Tightwads on the Loose, her memoir, will captivate you.” Cruising World Magazine