Boating: A Life's Journey

By: Terry Kimmel

Narrated by: Joshua Bennington

Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

This audiobook is a delightful light-hearted tale about boating. It is the memoir of a lifelong boater, written from the perspective of a person who has not made a living at sea but is just there because he enjoys being on the water. The audiobook has stories about his pets on board and about the people he meets traveling the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterways (GIWW). He traveled extensively for 10 years in a Grand Banks trawler. This journey has been just part of his lifelong boating adventures seeking that elusive boating paradise.

©2012 Terry Victor Kimmel (P)2013 Terry Victor Kimmel

BOATING MEMOIRS

What made the experience of listening to Boating: A Life's Journey the most enjoyable?

I FELT THAT I WAS LISTENING TO A FELLOW BOATER WHO HAS GONE THROUGH SOME OF THE SAME PROBLEMS AND ADVENTURES THAT I HAVE LIVED THROUGH. VERY ENTERTAINING.

What other book might you compare Boating: A Life's Journey to and why?

"FLY:NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AND WEST" BY TERRY REECE BECAUSE THAT BOOK WAS ALSO DONE BY JOSHUA BENNINGTON BUT IT WAS ABOUT A PILOTS MEMOIRS.

What about Joshua Bennington’s performance did you like?

JOSHUA BENNINGTONS PERFORMANCE GAVE THIS BOOK A DOWN HOME TONE.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

OH YES, I WANT TO VISIT SOME OF THE SAME PLACED AND THEN LISTEN AGAIN TO DR. KIMMELS STORY ABOUT THE AREA

Any additional comments?

I RECOMMEND BOTH THE AUDIO BOOK AND THE PAPER BACK

This book is a keeper

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dr. Kimmel's writing makes you feel like you are along with him as he explores the Southern US and the Caribbean while boating. You get to be with him to enjoy success and you feel for him as the mechanical failures keep happening.He describes the costs associated with boating which sound unpredictable. Boats cost too much, require a lot of repair, can strand you almost anywhere and bring a tear to your eye when they sink.

He writes that the happiest day for a boater is when you buy a new boat and the second happiest day is when you sell it. After listening to the book, I believe the author would do it all over in a heartbeat. The boat repair business sounds like a industry designed to allow the repairer to profit at a boat owners great expense. The repairers seem to promise prompt service and then do not deliver it. At one point the author measures the speed of a repair based on how many times the repairers eyes blink.If you like boating then you expect the pitfalls.

Dr. Kimmel describes each stop on his journey. A true boater sticks with his plan and the author does that and enjoys the fruits of his efforts. I feel like I am richer for what I now know about places I will never likely see. I never expected that I would listen to a book like this one but I began it because of the Narrator, Joshua Bennington. I have listened to his work on the book Adjuster Stories and he has the perfect voice to keep your interest. He did not disappoint me and I look forward to listening to him again.

What about Joshua Bennington’s performance did you like?

In a word---" Everything"

Any additional comments?

Take a chance like I did and you will enjoy the journey.

Well written but

They could have chosen a better narrator. This guy needs to find another line of work. The story was written well though.

WHAT DOES A TRUE BOATER DO

Would you listen to Boating: A Life's Journey again? Why?

Sure, I probably missed a lot and there were many stories I would like to hear again

What was one of the most memorable moments of Boating: A Life's Journey?

When his first boat sank at the dock!

What does Joshua Bennington bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He had a feeling for boating. I think be must also be a boater too!!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The bridge etiquette. At first I did not believe the author but I have since been informed that that etiquette at bridges is TRUE.

Any additional comments?

I found the author has done many of the same things I have done in boating over the years. It was interesting to hear he dealt with the same problem.

CRUISING THE ICW

What made the experience of listening to Boating: A Life's Journey the most enjoyable?

My wife and I listened to the book together. That was something we had never done before. We had always read a book and then talked about what we had read. Doing the book together was a lot of fun. The narrator was clear and the story was easy to follow.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Boating: A Life's Journey?

I liked when the author told about the rules of the road when in the ICW. Very true and very funny.

Which character – as performed by Joshua Bennington – was your favorite?

There were no characters but the author. It was a memoirs book told in the first person.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I like the story of the authors first boat and how it was towed into a Coast Guard Station and then his father told him, he could always get another one!

Any additional comments?

Another ICW book with a little different slant about his voyages in and out of the ICW. A different perspective of cruising with a lot of reminiscing.

Dentist with too much money

I’ve heard the adage about doctors and lawyers using their client fees to pay for their boats. Well, this book is about a dentist with an excess of time and money on his hands. Having said that, I enjoyed hearing his story. It took a while to grow accustomed to the narrator though.

Traveling the ICW over the years

Where does Boating: A Life's Journey rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is a good audio book but certainly not the best I have ever heard. What I liked about the narration was that it did not sound like a professional announcer but a real person.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Boating: A Life's Journey?

I liked when the author leaves the ICW and takes us for a ride to some of the out of the way places he has visited.

What does Joshua Bennington bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Joshua Bennington tells the story like I believe the author would be telling the story down at the dock to one of his friends.

Any additional comments?

A boaters book! Believable boating book.

JUST ANOTHER DAY ON THE WATER!

Where does Boating: A Life's Journey rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I love any stories about men and women who go for trips on their own boats. They are their own captains and crew and they are only looking for adventure. Grant it the adventures are small but they are giants in the minds of the adventurists.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the down to earth language the author used and the every day (on the dock) language the book was read in.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the story about his Zodiac. I had heard that they can become un-glued.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book brought back many memories of my boating days. Some of the same things happened to us. All are funny now but not when they happened.

Any additional comments?

I bought the new "Beach" version with out the color pictures because it was cheaper. I like hearing the audio version better. I would recommend the book for any one who has gone down to the water to play!

Good book for those who love to cruise in boats.

As a boater, I enjoyed this book, and could relate to many of his stories.

Boating a Life's Journey

If you could sum up Boating: A Life's Journey in three words, what would they be?

BOATS AND MORE BOATS

What was one of the most memorable moments of Boating: A Life's Journey?

I liked when the author reminisced about the way boating was only a few years back and how this or that has changed

What does Joshua Bennington bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator gave the audio book a conversational tone, all most like you were talking to the author and he was telling you his story down at the dock

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The story of the purchase of authors ideal boat and his dealing with the boat dealership. This must happen to a lot of boat buyers because it also happened to us

Any additional comments?

If you are a boater or like being on the water this book will entertain you and give you a smile