Finding the best sailing books suitable for your needs isnt easy. With hundreds of choices can distract you. Knowing whats bad and whats good can be something of a minefield. In this article, weve done the hard work for you.
Reviews
1. A Voyage for Madmen
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A Voyage for MadmenDescription
In 1968, nine sailors set off on the most daring race ever held: to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe nonstop. It was a feat that had never been accomplished and one that would forever change the face of sailing. Ten months later, only one of the nine men would cross the finish line and earn fame, wealth, and glory. For the others, the reward was madness, failure, and death.
In this extraordinary book, Peter Nichols chronicles a contest of the individual against the sea, waged at a time before cell phones, satellite dishes, and electronic positioning systems. A Voyage for Madmen is a tale of sailors driven by their own dreams and demons, of horrific storms in the Southern Ocean, and of those riveting moments when a split-second decision means the difference between life and death.
2. Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die: Sailing Experts Share the World's Greatest Destinations
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Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die Sailing Experts Share the World s Greatest DestinationsDescription
Landlubbers joke that sailors are always wanting to head off to the ends of the earth, but Chris Santella takes that life-changing desire very seriously. In this, the third installment in his immensely successful Fifty Places series, Santella assembles a crew of the worlds greatest championship racers and professional adventurers and persuades them to disclose their favorite destinations around the globe.Interviewees include some of the best-known men and women in the sport: Tom Whidden and Gary Jobson (members of the winning 1987 Americas Cup crew), Jeff Johnstone (of J-Boats), award-winning sailing writer Lin Pardy, and many others. The amazingly diverse places theyve selected range from clubby East Coast ports (Marblehead, Annapolis), to idyllic tropical refuges (Ilha Grande, Brazil; the Polynesian atoll of Mopelia), to some of the most hair-raisingly treacherous waters on earth (Cape Horn).
Coastlines around the worldeven Antarctica and the Arcticare represented, and the chosen spots include some spectacular inland waters, such as the Bras dOr Lakes and the North Channel of Lake Huron. For each of the 50 places, the sailor recommending the venue spins an entertaining yarn about his or her experience there, and each description is accompanied by a "make you want to go there now" photograph.
3. Sailing: The Basics: The Book That Has Launched Thousands
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Quickly and easily master the sailing fundamentals you'll need to get out on the water.4. The Complete Sailing Manual, 4th Edition
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DKDescription
An essential reference book for sailing enthusiasts, now in its fourth edition with a foreword by quadruple Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie.
Learn the basics of sailing, master navigation, and maintain your boat with The Complete Sailing Manual, written by instructor and former British national champion Steve Sleight. This authoritative text has clear, annotated diagrams and photographs that answer questions about any sailing situation with thorough coverage of all aspects of sailing and boat ownership. Look up how to rig a dinghy, tie basic knots, or save someone who fell overboard.
Revised and updated to include the latest developments in equipment, safety, and activities, including foiling, long-distance cruising, and high-speed, apparent wind-sailing, and newest technology such as modern performance systems and electronic navigation. All rules, regulations, and best practices are also up to date.
From the novice to the experienced sailor, The Complete Sailing Manual is the perfect book for anyone interested in sailing.
5. The Annapolis Book of Seamanship: Fourth Edition
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Simon SchusterDescription
Completely revised and updated to address changes in technology and safety standards, this new edition is the definitive guide to the art and science of sailing.The art of sailing, maneuvering, and preserving a ship or a boat in all positions and under all reasonable circumstances. With the addition of the words, and some unreasonable circumstances, too, this definition of seamanship is as valid today as when the first edition of this book was published in 1983. The aim remains to advise you the sailor on essential gear, skills, and behavior that enhance your pleasure and safety.
This edition of The Annapolis Book of Seamanship is an extensive update. Much of the text is new or revised, and there are many new photos. Throughout, the book stresses the skills and attitudes that comprise what the author calls The Seamanship Ethos. The first four chapters cover the boat, basic sailing skills, sail trim, and weather, with the first of many Hands On sections with their tips.
The topics of health (including seasickness) and on board safety follow, with lessons learned from on-water tests and studies of boating accidents. We look closely at the elements of piloting, navigation, and electronics, including Digital Selective Calling, the US Coast Guards emergency communication system.
Moving on to the arts of traditional seamanshipanchoring, heavy weather, and emergenciesthere is much on modern equipment and skills, again based on experience. The book ends with boat maintenance and the traditions that make sailing the beloved pastime it is. Appendixes include best practices for protecting the marine environment and bringing up children under sail.
6. Sailing Made Easy
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The book is the most comprehensive education and boating safety learn-to-sail guide to date. Incorporated in the textbook are useful illustrations and exceptional photographs of complex sailing concepts. There are also quizzes at the end of each chapter, and a glossary to help those new to sailing to navigate their way through the extensive nautical terminology.7. Sailing For Dummies
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For DummiesDescription
Interested in learning to sail but feel like youre navigating in murky waters? Sailing for Dummies, Second Edition introduces the basics of sailing, looks at the different types of sailboats and their basic parts, and teaches you everything you need to know before you leave the dock.In Sailing for Dummies, Second Edition, two U.S. sailing champions show you how to:
- Find and choose a sailing school
- Use life jackets correctly
- Tie ten nautical knots
- Handle sailing emergencies (such as capsizing and rescuing a man overboard)
- Launch your boat from a trailer, ramp, or beach
- Get your boat from point A to point B (and back again)
- Predict and respond to water and wind conditions
- Read charts, plot your course, use a compass, and find your position at sea
Sailing for Dummies shows you that getting out on the water is easier than you think. The authors keep the sailor-speak to a minimum where possible, but give you a grasp of the terminology you need to safely and effectively communicate with your crew. A textbook, users manual, and reference all in one, this book takes the intimidation out of sailing and gives you the skills and confidence you need to get your feet wet and become the sailing pro youve always wanted to be. Anchors away!
8. Book of Sailing Knots: How To Tie And Correctly Use Over 50 Essential Knots
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The Book of Sailing KnotsDescription
In recent years, sailing has undergone some revolutionary changes: Satellites and autopilots are now used for navigation. Artificial-fiber and wire ropes have nearly replaced natural-fiber ropes. But when it comes to decorative knotting, natural fiber is still the favored choice. This book is tops when it comes to learning how to master tying the most common sailing knots. With fully illustrated and step-by-step instructions, the author explains how to correctly tie and use more than fifty knotsincluding stopper knots, bends, loops, and hitchesand in which situations each one is most useful.
9. Sailing Fundamentals
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Learn-to-Sail manualOfficial Learn-to-sail manual
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With over 150 line drawings and photographs, and clear, detailed coursework covering every aspect of beginning sailingfrom hoisting sail to docking and anchoringSailing Fundamentals is the authoritative text designed to prepare the learning sailor for certification according to international standards.Written by Americas foremost instructional authority, the new edition of Sailing Fundamentals is the official learn-to-sail manual of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. Sailing Fundamentals is also used in the programs of yacht clubs, colleges, and sailing groups around the country. Unlike many sailing books, which can reflect the biases and idiosyncrasies of their authors, this book has been extensively pretested to ensure that it offers the fastest, easiest, most systematic way to learn basic sailing and coastal cruising.
Widely acclaimed author Gary Jobson has won several major races, including the 1977 Americas Cup victory as tactician aboard Courageous. He was head sailing coach at the US Naval Academy, and has conducted sailing clinics across the country.
10. Sailing a Serious Ocean: Sailboats, Storms, Stories and Lessons Learned from 30 Years at Sea
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International Marine PublishingDescription
"I know you'll want to read more after you finish Sailing a Serious Ocean. And be warned, you'll very likely want to sail with John, perhaps across an ocean." -- DALLAS MURPHY, AUTHOR OF ROUNDING THE HORN
After sailing 300,000 miles and weathering dozens of storms in all the world's oceans, John Kretschmer has plenty of stories and advice to share. John's offshore training passages sell out a year in advance and his entertaining presentations are popular at boat shows and yacht clubs all over the English speaking world. John's talent for storytelling enchants his audience as it soaks up the lessons he learned during his oftenchallenging voyages. Now you can take a seat next to John--at a lesser cost--and get the knowledge you need to fulfill your own dream of blue-water adventure.
In Sailing a Serious Ocean, John tells you what to expect when sailing the oceans and shows how to sail safely across them. His tales of storm encounters and other examples of extreme seamanship will help you prepare for your journey and give you confidence to handle any situationeven heavy weather. Through his personal stories, John will guide you through the whole process of choosing the right boat, outfitting with the right gear, planning your route, navigating the ocean, and understanding the nuances of life at sea.
Our oceans are beautiful yet unpredictablewater that is at one moment a natural mirror for the glowing sun can turn into a foamy, raging wall of fury. John knows our oceans, and he is one of the best teachers of taming and enjoying them. Before you set off across the big blue, turn to John for his inspirational stories and hard-learned advice and discover the serious sailor in you.