Floating cities/books for currency?

[madcuddlar]

I am new to sailing with the exception of some experience when I was young 10-16 years old, in a 12 foot dinghy on small lakes. I am committed to becoming an educated/safe sailor (world traveller) and am currently a GIANT SPONGE FOR KNOWLEDGE. but let me start small--- I have a friend who boasts of A FRIEND who lives on board and sails the world with his wife. My friend tells me there are entire FLOATING CITIES (apparently hundreds of sailboats anchored closely/tied together in open waters) that use BOOKS for currency to trade/barter with for provisions and services. Is this true, has anybody experienced this with their own eyes? Thanks

[Irony17]

Hmmm????

[FSMike]

Wherever cruisers congregate they tend to swap books. Hundreds of boats in floating cities using books for currency? Your friend smokes some good stuff.

[mdbee]

Perhaps your friend was smoking something when he fell asleep watching Waterworld. Maybe he got the book part mixed up with the dirt stuff.

Originally Posted by madcuddlar

I am new to sailing with the exception of some experience when I was young 10-16 years old, in a 12 foot dinghy on small lakes. I am committed to becoming an educated/safe sailor (world traveller) and am currently a GIANT SPONGE FOR KNOWLEDGE. but let me start small--- I have a friend who boasts of A FRIEND who lives on board and sails the world with his wife. My friend tells me there are entire FLOATING CITIES (apparently hundreds of sailboats anchored closely/tied together in open waters) that use BOOKS for currency to trade/barter with for provisions and services. Is this true, has anybody experienced this with their own eyes? Thanks

[Omatako]

Agree with the smoking bit.

Swapping books is true and normally whenever I have swapped books with other cruisers we do it on an inch for inch swap. That is, I pile my books on top of one another and swap it for desirable titles that make up another pile the same height.

But I have never swapped (or seen swapped) books for anything other than more books.

[Bene505]

That's what happens sometimes when you get to friends of a friend.

In younger days, I went bar hopping in Maryland with a bunch of guys: me, a friend, his friend, then his friend and then his friend, finally then his friend. Six people acquainted like a string of people. The last guy was so different from me it was amazing.

Then again, didn't Louis and Clark communicate with the Indians through a string of 14 or 15 interpreters? So sometimes it works out great.

Regards,
Brad

[madcuddlar]

ok ok lets just leave it at.. you guys had him figured out at "sounds like your friend is smokin some really good stuff" !
but as a true friend I felt I needed to give this claim a TRUE test... thank you all!