If you DO NOT own a boat, what are you waiting for? A sign? Okay, here's your sign: Saltwater covers over 71% of the earth's surface. That means if you had a boat, you could be, at this very minute, wet.

You might also be broke, permanently deformed from living in spaces the size of a Tupperware bread box, and have a dent in your skull from banging your forehead into the companionway hatch.

You may also be divorced.

Hard Aground with Eddie Jones is a collection of boating columns offering a "stuck up" look at the underside of cruising and the frustrations "land-cuffed" sailors experience when our plans for coastal exploration and tropical destinations run aground on the shoals of family, finances and failing health.

These columns first appeared in Carolina Cruising and Coastal Cruising Magazine, plus a number of other boating publications—all of which went out of business. Hope you enjoy the book.