The Sailing Life: A Look at the Reality of the Cruising Lifestyle

Written by Bob Bitchin

Narrated by Bradford Rogers

Bob Bitchin has a unique perspective from which to describe The Sailing Life.

As founder and editor of the highly successful magazine Latitudes & Attitudes, he surveys and comments on the good and the bad, the funny and the sad, the practical and the theoretical of the sailing scene. This collection of his editorials and other writings is full of useful advice, keen observations and, yes, some outrageous comments as only Bob can put them on paper.

Readers of his bestseller, Letters from the LOST SOUL, will be delighted with this unique guide to the Sailing Life. Like Latitudes & Attitudes, Captain Bob is down to earth, irreverent, and always entertaining.

• Language: English
• Publisher: FTW Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798987965931

Bob Bitchin

Adventure has been a way of life for Bob Bitchin since the early sixties, when his name was coined by the comedy team of Cheech and Chong (his birth-name is Robert Lipkin). He worked as a traveling companion and bodyguard for famous motorcycle daredevil Evil Knievel, promoted motorcycle shows, and created Biker Magazine and Tattoo Magazine in the 70's and early 80's. He also worked as editor of many of the motorcycle magazines of that era, and wrote for other publications as diverse as Forbes, Penthouse and New Look. During that time he rode his motorcycles across the country over 30 times, and around Europe as well. He was the founding president of the Motorcycle Press Association in 1978 and co-founder of A.B.A.T.E., a national organization of motorcyclists.In December of 1973 He and riding partner LACO Bob Lawrence, President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Hells Angels co-created the very first Toy run, which now takes place in thousands of cities world-wide.In the early 70's he met Alan Olson, Captain of Stone Witch, which was a 74' square rigged topsail schooner that sailed out of San Francisco. He signed on for a 3 month sail to Guatamala to see if the sailing life was for him. Stone Witch was the flag-ship for GreenPeace, and had no engine, ran kerosene running lights, and had four 21' oars for propulsion. This sail changed his life, and soon, while we rode all over the world on Harley's, he lived aboard various sailboats that he would buy, fix up, and sell. For over thirty years he lived aboard sailboats and cruised most of the Pacific and Central America.In 1986 he sold BIKER and TATTOO magazines to Easyriders and started sailing full time. For many years he sailed the Pacific Coast of Mexico and Central America on his Formosa 51, the first Lost Soul, and then on another 51' ketch, named Predator, with numerous trips to the Hawaiian Islands and back. Then, in 1990 After fixing and selling seven boats he bought the 68' staysail ketch Lost Soul and this would be his home for the next 17 years.He kidnapped Jody, the bartender at the Portofino Marina Yacht Club, and they took off to explore the South Pacific. As it turns out, they cruised all over the South Pacific, and then sailed thru the Panama Canal to the Atlantic, and sailed the Med, The Caribbean and everywhere they ever dreamed of going. They were married on board Lost soul at the Portofino Marina on their return from their world voyage.In 1996 he created Latitudes & Attitudes Magazine which became one of the largest publications on sailing and world cruising. In 2005 he created the television show Latitudes & Attitudes, which was the first and only nationally televised show about the sailing lifestyle. The show aired nationally for 5 seasons (65 episodes) and has been in syndication world-wide. Shows can be viewed at www.seafaring.com.Currently Bob & Jody are publishing Cruising Outpost.Bob now divides his time between Publishing, writing, world cruising, doing seminars on sailing and writing novels. He has written eight books. Biker to Sailor, Letters From The Lost Soul, The Sailing Life, Brotherhood of Outlaws, BIKER, Emerald Bay, King Harbor and Starboard Attitude..Bob has two children, six grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren and still sails all over the world whenever he gets the chance. He and his wife Jody live in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, between the Middle and North Forks of the Feather River, overlooking Lake Oroville, in Berry Creek, California