Confessions of a Long-Distance Sailor
Confessions of a Long-Distance Sailor by Paul Lutusby Paul Lutus
Shares rank 17 of 25 memoirs by recommenders
Recommended as a vivid snapshot of the sailing world in the eighties and a fantastic read. Critics find the first chapter self-congratulatory and poorly written.
Recommended as a vivid snapshot of the sailing world in the eighties and a fantastic read. Critics find the first chapter self-congratulatory and poorly written.
4 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 75%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 3 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Snapshot of eighties sailing world
“Another snapshot of the sailing world, in the eighties.”
Comment from 8 Oct 2026 in “Living off-grid: Hundred Rabbits” Fantastic read, remembered for years
“I read this many years ago, it is fantastic.”
Comment from 11 Aug 2026 in “Confessions of a Long-Distance Sailor”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
First chapter self-congratulatory and poorly written
“The first chapter was so simultaneously self-congratulatory and also poorly written that I just gave up.”
Comment from 8 Oct 2026 in “Living off-grid: Hundred Rabbits”
Other memoirs people recommend
The four most recommended other memoirs, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Careless Peopleby Sarah Wynn-Williams | 106 | 24 | 82% | 12 | — | Approved |
| Man's Search for Meaningby Viktor Frankl | 13 | 2 | 87% | 9 | — | Approved |
| Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!by Richard Feynman | 11 | 7 | 61% | 6 | — | — |
| Down and Out in Paris and Londonby George Orwell | 9 | 1 | 90% | 8 | — | — |
| Confessions of a Long-Distance Sailorby Paul LutusThis page | 3 | 1 | 75% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
3 of the 4 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“The first chapter was so simultaneously self-congratulatory and also poorly written that I just gave up.”
“Another snapshot of the sailing world, in the eighties.”
“I read this many years ago, it is fantastic.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.