About the book
About the Book
I didn’t plan this journey.
I just dropped everything, packed a bag, and bought a one-way ticket, assuming I’d "figure it out." It wasn’t an escape. It was a pursuit—of something I couldn’t even name back then.
This book is the record of that pursuit.
The years 2000–2011. A world before Instagram, budget flights, and "live" updates. An era when photos vanished along with stolen cameras, and stories lived only in your head—until someone finally wrote them down.
This isn’t a travel postcard.
It’s a story about working on yachts that sink into absurdity more often than they sail according to plan. About people you’re better off not meeting—and those you couldn't survive a single day without. About decisions made without a Plan B and consequences that hit faster than you can think.
About how to:
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stay sane while locked in forty feet of space with a nudist captain
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pet a caiman and keep your hand
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and why there are things you simply shouldn't do—even if "everyone else is doing it"
This is not a guidebook.
It’s a collection of stories that begin where common sense ends—the kind that stay with you for a lifetime.
If you’re looking for comfort, you won’t find it here.
But if you want a reminder that the world isn’t always safe, but it’s one hell of an interesting place—
welcome aboard.
Guide to Ocean Hitchhiking
About the book
The Unfiltered Guide to Ocean Hitchhiking is a practical, honest guide for people who are curious about sailing but don’t come from a sailing background. It is written for first-time crew and hitchhikers who want to understand what actually matters at sea — before committing to a boat.
This book covers what many first-timers discover too late: how life on board really works, what questions to ask, what to look out for, and how to avoid common misunderstandings. It explains everyday realities such as space, routines, responsibilities, safety, and crew dynamics, without romanticising or discouraging the experience.
It also shows how to find a boat: where to look, how to approach captains, and how to assess whether a particular opportunity is right for you. Whether you want a short passage, a longer adventure, or just the experience of sailing, this guide helps you start in a more informed way.
Written from real experience, this book gives clarity, confidence, and better judgment so your first voyage — and the adventures that follow — can be fun, safe, and memorable.
"Turquoise water. Palm trees. Freedom. And a quiet assumption that you need millions in the bank to live like this."
That image isn’t wrong—but it’s not the whole story.
This is not your typical sailing manual. You won’t find chapters on complex knots or meteorological charts here. Instead, this book is a brutally honest field guide to the unpolished reality of yacht hitchhiking. Written by someone who crossed two oceans starting with zero experience, it bridges the gap between the Instagram fantasy and the practical challenges of living in a "floating box."
Inside, you will discover:
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The Money Myth: Why "free" passage doesn't mean no responsibility, and why the most luxurious boats are often the cheapest for crew.
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The Psychology of the Head: Why the toilet is the most important piece of equipment on board (and how to avoid a biological disaster).
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Red Flags: How to spot a dangerous captain or a failing boat before you leave the safety of the dock.
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The Sea-Legs Reality: Why the ocean makes you a philosopher, but nausea makes you a nihilist.
"Boats forgive ignorance. They don’t forgive indifference."
If you’ve ever dreamed of sailing away but didn't know where to start—or who to trust—this book is your map. It’s designed to replace luck with judgment, ensuring that when you finally step on board, you’re not just a passenger, but a valuable part of the system.
The horizon is waiting. Are you ready for the reality check?
Readers reviews:
Agnieszka Lichtańska
For me, a revelation. I envy meeting nice people in your life, although bad things have happened to you, so it's not all that beautiful and colorful. Congratulations on courage in changing the world next to you, because people prefer to change the whole world or nothing, instead of changing something in their garden. And what I lacked probably not enough about life in a given country and too little about food, but depends what who likes, so congratulations and I look forward for continuing.
Metkatravels
Kamila I just read your book. You are great and you have become my inspiration. I want to sail too, I have never tried but now, I'm planning to follow you now. I am waiting for the second part of the book !!!
Jana
I finished! Gee, it was hard for me to tear myself away from the book every time. I would read in one breath. When I got to the end I just said "nooo, is it over?" (I read on the phone and didn't really know how many pages the book had) Definitely sooo inspirational book especially for women who like traveling. Waiting for the next part!
Anka
When you buy tickets compulsively and mainly travel solo, you inevitably meet the craziest, most traveled - most unique people in the world. Psychopaths with great passion and love for the world. I met Kamila in the Philippines, when at dawn a peasant Masjid was walking around the hostel, waking everyone up and inviting to his birthday. We gathered a large group of completely strangers and went to island hopping (such jumping on small, paradise islands with a catamaran). I remember talking to her for half a day in English (and since it was birthday party, there was a lot of cheap Filipino rum - so conversations went from sand on the beach to the problems of the universe). It wasn't until afternoon when we found out that we were from the same country. She was standing then with Thomas, the troll through whom I changed all my intricately arranged plan to the Philippines (I was still arranging the action plan as I was going somewhere) and spontaneously came to Palawan with him. They stood together in turquoise water, pointed at me with their fingers, gestured vividly until finally I heard a beautiful, Polish, sulphurous "kurr ... are we both from Poland and no one knows about it ?!" 😂😂😂 A beautiful memory, a beautiful time 😂 Kamila is a person whom I envy with all my strength and I support with all my strength. When I met her, she had been on the road for 10 years. Yes, 10 years. Today it's probably about 14 ✨ She broke through the most inaccessible rains and jungles, saw things that I can only dream of. I don't know where she hasn't been yet. This amazing woman finally wrote a book !!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ I recommend it to everyone! Well done Kamila!!! I am so proud of you and congratulate you with all my heart! I hope to meet again at some end of the world someday ❤️
(in May 2020 it will be 20 years since I travel. Kamila)
Agnieszka
She was always different. In her childhood, she did not want to watch fairy tales, only the Sonda program and language learning programs, although she did not understand anything and she did not care what language they were giving. She loved to paint with her hands on wrapping paper and the prettiest image (although it was not deliberately created) was a sailboat. Under the influence of church teachings, she fell into devotism and read only religious books in the first classes of tprimary school. Fortunately, it passed after the religion was mooved to school. For the sake of peace I took her for trampoline classes (... sure she will quit soon ...) and she was the only girl and trained for several years, only changing the discipline to acrobatics. She got herself to high school of sports championship, and during that she suddenly revealed organizational and business talents achieving tangible financial benefits. She left abroad for work for a while and it remained so. An avid reader with thousands of read books went to the other side of the mirror the fruit of which is in front of you. I read three times and could not tear myself away, even though I knew most of the stories from our conversations. You must read this 😀😀