A comprehensive guide to help you identify and equip the boat that best suits your needsWell-known boating writer Charles Doane unravels the complexity of cruising sailboat design and explains the fundamentals and the ramifications of each design decision. In easy-to-understand terms, Doane explains theoretical aspects of design, pragmatic issues like keel shape and berth configuration, pros and cons of various construction methods and materials, outfitting, propul...

"An invaluable resource. [Vigor's] practical wisdom gives you the know-how and confidence to prepare your boat for the sea."--Cruising World. Here is the book that answer the sailor's fundamental question--"Can my boat take me offshore safely?"--then shows how to make it happen.

Somewhere between the Galapagos Islands en route to the Marqesas Group in the darkest of nights, at approximately six degrees south of the equator a sailboat is whispering along under full sail. The fresh south east trades are pushing her sleek hull through the coal black water at around eight knots. The man standing at the wheel, wearing ragged shorts only in the warm tropical breeze gently fanning him over the port quarter, helms his craft by starlight alone. All lights have been doused ...

A hippy Sell Up and Sail , this entertaining and inspiring book is more than just a cruising narrative - it is an instructive account showing how anyone can circumnavigate (or even sail for an extended period) without huge funds. Lars Hassler originally set off intending to sail for three years, but by judiciously using his funds, and topping them up by taking charter guests on cruises, he sailed around the world for ten years. Woven into the book is advice on costs, distances, timing, pow...

“Vigor is one of the finest boating writers of our time.”--Cruising World“You name it, it’s in here. Covers every boating situation. This book is both informative and entertaining.”--Latitudes & Attitudes“John Vigor is the answer guy if you’re having onboard arguments about nautical terminology or the science of sailing in general, and his new book lives up to the promise in its title.”--Good Old BoatWhether it’s boat main...

Every man's dream - to sail around the world. This is the story of one man who did it, sailing as crew on a number of boats. His adventures, misadventures, and insights into exotic cultures and the diverse personalities he meets along the way make for a fascinating read. During his 32,000 mile trip, he survived a collision, two groundings, numerous storms, and one obsessive compulsive captain. Despite the hardships, this book is a celebration of the diversity of our planet and its people. ...

This book won the Dan Poynter 2011 First-place GOLD Global eBook Award in the Non-Fiction/Sports categorySome time ago, Gene Grossman signed on as a crew-member with some friends of his who were delivering a large sailboat with no navigation electronics from Marina del Rey California, through the Panama Canal, to a charter company's tropical island location.On the evening of departure, Gene asked the young skipper (Ron) which crew-member was going to be acting as navigator....

By the same author as the bestselling Total Loss this is a new collection of terrifying and compelling accounts of yachts lost at sea. The seven deadly causes of loss continue to take their toll and Paul Gelder has compiled first-hand accounts of shipwreck and sinking caused by Collision Gear Failure Stress of Weather Faulty Navigation Fire Crew Failure and Exhaustion. The moving emotionally charged descriptions of shipwrecked sailors abandoning their yachts at sea will have you on the edg...

Aged just 23, and already set on a life of adventure, Roger Taylor signed up as an able seaman on the square-rigger Endeavour II, bound from Australia to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. It was the realisation of a boyhood dream. The dream was cruelly shattered when the ship was caught in a fierce tropical storm off the coast of northern New Zealand. For several days, the young crew fought in horrific conditions to keep the ship off the hostile cliffs to leeward. Their efforts were in ...

Tells of a sailing journey from San Diego to Australia in a 40 foot sailing boat. Covers Mexico, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Tonga and Fiji. Also has a chapter on various events "that were too much fun," for the crew. Includes useful detail on various formalities required in the respective ports of call. Chapters on each of the destinations mentioned above and a final chapter on comical (in hindsight) misadventures the crew experienced. Features a fun and farcical quiz to test a reader...

This is the story of one couples adventures living and traveling aboard their 47-foot cruiser, "Farfetched". It starts with their getting hooked on boating and traveling by water, many years earlier. It tells how they made their decision to really make this move and of their search for the right boat.In 1997 they sold their home and all of their possessions to became full time live aboard boaters. During that eight-year odyssey, they traveled over 32,000 miles and visited e...

Have you ever watched a sailboat slip from its dock and cruise out to sea? Have you wanted to go along? "Go to Sea" gives you all the reasons to climb aboard a sailing adventure with your family. With plenty of links to cruising resources, web pages, and equipment information, Go to Sea is a must have for every new sailor wanting to cruise.