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12 boredom-busting freebies and discounts for boaters

With many folks stuck inside at the moment, sailing content creators and the boating industry have come together to offer some awesome freebies and discounts. It’s a great time to be brushing up on your boating knowledge or simply escaping with a salty book or documentary.

Consider supporting small marine businesses. We know money is tight for many people right now (so absolutely no pressure!) but if you have the ability, please consider supporting a small marine business. Whether it be renewing a magazine subscription, ordering parts from your local chandlery, or contributing to your favorite podcast on Patreon, every bit helps.

READ YOUR WAY TO DISTANT SHORES

1. 3 free issues of Good Old Boat Magazine.

Planning to work on boat projects this season? Good Old Boat is THE magazine for detailed, step-by-step projects and they’re giving away their next three issues for FREE! 

2. Lin Pardey books

The legendary Lin Pardey has made most of her ebooks available for $3.99. Titles like Cruising in Seraffyn, Seraffyn’s Oriental Adventure, Taleisin’s Tales, and Seraffyn’s European Adventure are pretty well required reading for anyone who dreams of cruising. If paperback is your thing, there’s a another special: $10 per book or $50 if you buy all six. Lin Pardey’s latest book, the fully revised and expanded 3rd edition of Self Sufficient Sailor has also been reduced on Kindle from the new release price of $22.95 to $9.95.

3. Pacific Yachting Magazine archives

Pacific Yachting Magazine has made the last five years of its digital archives available for free.

PLUNGE INTO SAILING DOCUMENTARIES

  

4. Sail In film festival

Attend a sailing film festival for free from the comfort of your own home. Sail In is making films available for a limited time every Monday and Thursday.

5. International Ocean Film Festival

The IOFF is offering free screenings that you can stream from home. Immerse yourself in films about blue whales, sea turtles, salmon and the people protecting them.

BRUSH UP ON YOUR BOATING SKILLS

6. 40% off your boating license.

If you’ve been procrastinating, NOW is the time to get your boating license!!! BOATsmart! is offering 40% off its exam/license in the US and Canada. Sign up for our newsletter or send us a Facebook message to get the promo code.

7. Boat Galley Courses

Whether you’re looking to reduce the number of trips you make to the grocery store or dreaming about future cruising, you’ll find these courses jam packed with useful information. Having cruised over 11,000 miles, Carolyn Shearlock is the queen of the galley and an expert on all things living aboard. The Boat Galley’s courses are now pay-what-you-can – free, half price or full. Courses include: Eating Well With A Tiny Fridge (regularly $19), VHF Radios: Everything You Need to Know (Regularly $29), Get Ready To Cruise The Bahamas! ( Regularly $39), Unwritten Rules of the Cruising Life (Regularly $29),  BUNDLE: Bahamas + Unwritten Rules (Regularly $49).

8. Stocking Up Sanely course.

If you’re planning on cruising (or just staying at home for another month) you won’t want to miss Fit2sail’s FREE “Stocking Up Sanely” course. Couldn’t we all use a bit of sanity right now? Also stay-tune for their next course the “Self-Sufficient Galley”.

9. Talk it out with Totem

The intrepid family behind Sailing Totem is offering Totem Talks, free video counseling group chats for cruisers. There are so many questions in the cruising community right now: What will the impact of coronavirus be on cruisers? What if you were planning to cruise this year? What if you need to sell your boat in another country? With over seven years of cruising experience, Behan and Jamie have a wealth of wisdom to offer and are making themselves available to answer your questions. Normally the entry level for their coaching is $300 for three months, so this is a great way to tap into their expertise.

10. Marine weather with Peter Isler

Two-time America’s Cup winner, Peter Isler, is reaching landlocked sailors on their couches in a series of webin­­ars called Web Wednesdays (offered through the American Sailing Association). His webinar on weather is 50% off at $15 (or $10 for ASA members).

11. Safety at Sea Videos

Safety at Sea is one of the most respected offshore courses. Created by the Storm Trysail Foundation, the Safety at Sea video series is ordinarily reserved for Safety at Sea Seminar participants, but you can now watch them a home for free!

12. Kids bonus! A nautical children’s book about solitude

“Buoy lives in the middle of the sea, far from land and people. Some might think that Buoy would be lonely, but for him, the sea is home.” Bruce Balan has reduced the price of the BUOY, HOME AT SEA eBook to 99 cents on Amazon (from $5.99).

Looking for more? Check out our favorite sailing vlogs, blogs, podcasts, and boat games.

Do you know of another freebie or discount that should be on this list? Leave us a comment below.