Sell Up and Sail

Sell Up and Sail

By Bill and Laurel Cooper

Historical Significance

First published in the 1980s, Sell Up and Sail is widely regarded as a pivotal manifesto in the literature of modern maritime nomadism. Bill and Laurel Cooper moved beyond the typical cruising travelogue to provide a rigorous, pragmatic blueprint for the transition from land-based life to permanent residence at sea. Bill Cooper, a former architect, brought a structural and business-like discipline to the subject, while Laurel Cooper detailed the logistical and psychological complexities of long-term maritime domesticity.

The work is historically significant for its role in formalizing the "liveaboard" movement, treating the decision to sail away not as a whimsical escape, but as a deliberate and manageable life shift. It remains an essential reference for its uncompromising views on vessel selection—favoring robust, heavy-displacement craft—and its early advocacy for extreme self-sufficiency. For the collector of 20th-century nautical literature, this volume represents the definitive academic foundation of the blue-water cruising lifestyle, influencing a generation of sailors to treat the ocean as a primary, rather than secondary, residence.

Key Maritime Themes

• The Economics of Cruising: Detailed analysis of the financial transition from terrestrial assets to maritime liquidity.

• Psychological Adaptation: A scholarly look at the mental discipline required for confined-space living and long-range isolation.

• Vessel Specification: Technical arguments for robust, simple, and high-displacement hull designs suitable for permanent voyaging.

• Self-Sufficiency and Marine Engineering: The philosophy of onboard maintenance and the rejection of unnecessary technical complexity.

• Provisioning and Logistics: The systematic management of supplies and health during extended passages in remote waters.

Geographic Relevance

For the New Zealand maritime community, Sell Up and Sail has long served as a fundamental text for those seeking to depart NZ for the vast reaches of the South Pacific and beyond. The Coopers’ emphasis on heavy-weather preparedness and independent repair is particularly resonant for sailors departing from New Zealand ports, where the immediate challenge of the Tasman Sea or the Southern Ocean demands a high degree of technical competence. This book has historically informed the "blue-water" ambitions of many New Zealanders, providing a bridge between local coastal experience and global ocean-going reality.

Condition

Used paperback in very good condition. Published in 1994. 335 Pages