• As Long as It's Fun, the Epic Voyages and Extraordinary Times of Lin and Larry Pardey

  • By: Herb McCormick
  • Narrated by: Russell Stamets
  • Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (240 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
As Long as It's Fun, the Epic Voyages and Extraordinary Times of Lin and Larry Pardey  By  cover art

As Long as It's Fun, the Epic Voyages and Extraordinary Times of Lin and Larry Pardey

By: Herb McCormick
Narrated by: Russell Stamets
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.95

Buy for $24.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

To anyone interested in small-boat cruising and voyaging, the names Lin and Larry Pardey need no introduction. As world-girdling sailors who roamed the planet on a pair of small, engineless boats that they built themselves, the Pardeys established their hard-earned reputations by eloquently (and sometimes controversially) telling their stories through a series of best-selling books and manuals, and countless seminars and boat shows.

They have been called the first couple of cruising and have remained true to their mantra: Go simple, go small, go now. And after 200,000 miles of cruising under sail, they ve demonstrated that the dream of voyaging over the horizon is not only attainable, it s affordable. The children of modest, middle-class families, their message of accessibility into the world of cruising of taking your own floating home anywhere has proved irresistible to tens of thousands of sailors. Lin and Larry Pardey became cruising royalty not solely due to their impressive deeds but also through their rare ability to share what they'd learned across multiple media. Seemingly every offshore cruiser knows who they are and what they represent. Or do they?

In As Long as It's Fun, the biography of Lin and Larry Pardey, Herb McCormick recounts their remarkable sailing career from their early days in Southern California to their two circumnavigations to their current life in a quiet cove in New Zealand. Through interviews with their families, friends, and critics, McCormick delves deeply into the couple's often-controversial opinions, sometimes-tenuous marriage, and amazing list of accomplishments. As Long as It's Fun is as much a love story as it is a sea yarn, and, like all such stories, it s not without complications...which makes it not only a sailing tale but also a human one.

©2014 Herb McCormick (P)2014 New Street Communications, LLC

What listeners say about As Long as It's Fun, the Epic Voyages and Extraordinary Times of Lin and Larry Pardey

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    149
  • 4 Stars
    61
  • 3 Stars
    24
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    130
  • 4 Stars
    48
  • 3 Stars
    27
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    143
  • 4 Stars
    48
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

splendidly written, beautifully narated

What made the experience of listening to As Long as It's Fun, the Epic Voyages and Extraordinary Times of Lin and Larry Pardey the most enjoyable?

The narrator has a natural talent - great delivery. And the storytelling from the writer is first-rate.

Which scene was your favorite?

The sections describing their earliest voyages.

Any additional comments?

I've long been a fan of the Pardeys. I've read all of their books, and thus was familiar with aspects of this biography before I experienced the biography. Herb McCormick brought new insights and a fresh perspective. Excellent overall.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A fascinating memoir of an authentic life

I was interested in this book through the entirety of the presentation. The part about the Hiscocks was extremely touching and inspiring. This is a great book for listening to at work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great tale of two splendid lifetime on blue water

Lin and Larry Pardey have lived a life worth reading, and Herb McCormick tells is splendidly. Really enjoyed this.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A great tale inadequately told and poorly narrated

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

This book should be recommended as an introduction to the library of Pardey authored books, rather than a good standalone work. It outlines with far too little detail the globe trotting lifestyle of the couple, never giving enough detail as to all that happened or why. It reads more like an old Readers Digest condensed book, enumerating events without detail. It does, though, make one want to dig into the Pardey books to get the details of their adventures that this one is lacking.

What other book might you compare As Long as It's Fun, the Epic Voyages and Extraordinary Times of Lin and Larry Pardey to and why?

I'd compare it to Josh Slocum's books, to Two Years Before the Mast or to More Backward Faster.

What didn’t you like about Russell Stamets’s performance?

I felt his delivery was a bit thin, flat and I felt he mispronounced quite a few words.

Did As Long as It's Fun, the Epic Voyages and Extraordinary Times of Lin and Larry Pardey inspire you to do anything?

This book did inspire me to search out the Pardey authored books, search for the Hiscock books about their adventures and look for more information about many of the characters named in this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great stories. Poor performance.

Great stories were worth the insufferably poor pronunciations. Boring affect. Great read. Worth the price of entry.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thank you Pardeys

A well made biography of a couple dear to the sailing community. My only caveat is the need to speed the narration up 10% to comfortably listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Snore

This is about a couple’s life with lots of details of their income and endeavors, but very little of sailing adventures. I found myself skipping through chapters and finally giving up not finishing it. Extremely boring.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

Wonderful story. Thoroughly enjoyed it beginning to end. Well narrated also! Hats off to the Pardeys...makes me wish Ihad mine to do all over!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Read this if you've ever wanted to sail.

Perhaps the most intriguing story on sailing I've read. The Pardey's did everything with vigor and enthusiasm. Their story keeps you always wanting to hear the next chapter, yet delivers the best satisfaction next to being on the open water yourself.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great stories that inspire

The stories could have been interlaced a bit better given the years covered. I made my self pay attention instead of the reader keeping my attention. It helped to listen and follow the voyages on google maps. Inspirational to a few of us seeking to sail far.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful