Buckrammer's Tales In the Fall of 2003, Catboat Summers, a collection of boating memoirs hit bookseller's shelves. It quickly became a bestseller among nautical books, praised by reviewers and readers alike. This new compilation continues in the same mold ... but with a bit more edge. As in Catboat Summers, the "Tales" in this book are paced so that each can each be read in "one shot." If you favor ghost stories, near disasters, family boating misadventures and/or tales of buried treasure,...

After a bout with the measles that left his vision impaired, Harvard undergrad Richard Henry Dana signed up for a two-year engagement as a sailor, thinking that the fresh sea air might improve his vision. The diary that Dana kept during his stint on the open sea formed the basis for this wildly popular memoir, which was later made into a movie. A must-read for fans of rip-roaring nautical tales or social history buffs.

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 ...

“The tale of Carl Wake and the hurricane that was waiting for him goes straight to the heart of the greatest sea stories: they are not about man against the sea, but man against himself. John Kretschmer’s book is as perfectly shaped and flawlessly written as such a story can be. In addition to being the best depiction I have ever read of what it is like to be inside a hurricane at sea, At the Mercy of the Sea is as moving a story of a man’s failure and redemption as can be found anywhere i...

In August 1979, 303 yachts began the 600-mile Fastnet Race from the Isle of Wight off the southwest coast of England to Fastnet Rock off the Irish coast and back.It began in fine weather, then suddenly became a terrifying ordeal. A Force 10, sixty-knot storm swept across the North Atlantic with a speed that confounded forecasters, slamming into the fleet with epic fury. For twenty hours, 2,500 men and women were smashed by forty-foot breaking waves, while rescue helicopters and lif...

Some people dream of radically changing their life-styles and never do. Eric Mold and his family did. They sold up their worldly possessions, bought a boat with the money and set out for a life on the high seas. From the decision as to what type of boat to have, to the problem of making money to stay afloat, this book chronicles the pitfalls and pleasures which beset this adventurous family. Their experiences both ashore and on board Superstar are frankly described. Interesting enc...

“Belongs in the bookshelf of every cruising vessel.”—Blue Water Sailing“If you are serious about that extended voyage, read The Voyager’s Handbook.”—Sailing“Every now and then a new voice emerges in the world of sailing literature that stands out, a voice that is both clear and of lasting quality. The appearance of such a new voice is something of an event, and that’s what we’d call the publication of The Voyager’s Handbook.”—Blue Wat...

For the first time in history, the navies of every superpower on the planet have united against a common enemy – a couple of thousand rag tag underfed men and boys. Crammed together in tiny open boats,they range up to a thousand miles from their home shores. Armed with ancient AK47s and rocket propelled grenades, they scour the western Indian Ocean. No-one knows how many simply die at sea. But occasionally these modern-day pirates hit the jackpot, seizing vessels and crews that will be ran...

Kim Sturgess was a weekend sailor: he enjoyed club racing and several brief sailing holidays, but had never attempted a substantial expedition. Reaching the age of fifty focused the mind and he decided to sail around Britain. While many cruising sailors would not contemplate a 1900 nautical mile voyage, he broke the voyage into a series of day sails, making it an achievable ambition for him, largely single-handed, and for many other weekend sailors who might dream of sailing around their h...

'Monumental!' - Bob Ross, Australian SailingHigh Performance Sailing isnow regarded as the bible of racing sailors and carries a string ofendorsements from high achievers. Since its publication in 1984, racingyachts and dinghies have developed out of all recognition - a newhigh-tech breed of 'apparent wind' fast racers has claimed the waterand so far no-one has applied themselves seriously to analysing whatmakes these boat...

Magic, to a sailor, is harnessing the wind – getting something for nothing – the surprise of a gust, the boon of a side-wind and the trial of a headwind and best of all, the moment when a change in direction means turning away from the head seas and wind and spray in silence and warmth. In 1969, man flew to the moon and sailed around the world solo. In 2009, sailor and Londoner Steffan Meyric Hughes thought he’d try something a little closer to home, becoming the first to sail and row arou...

This book is a sailing travel-adventure demonstrating how dreams can come true for those who have the desire to accomplish, persistence, a sense of adventure and are willing to take risks in order to make their dreams come true. It is about the pleasures, responsibilities, trials and tribulations that go along with any major change in lifestyles.