Five books every wannabe should read.

[SecondBase]

So much information and it becomes easy to lose sight of your goal.

If you have a dream of coconuts on a beach, then the first and last book to read has this recommendation:

"Don't even think of buying a boat until you have read this book" Tom Cunliffe (legendary sailor and author of The Complete Yachtmaster).

https://www.amazon.com/Get-Real-Gone.../dp/B012BYBDD0

[Knotical]

This thread is fantastic, thanks.

[Melissa36]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Nice to see this thread revived: here's one for newbies, to start learning to respect the sea, "The Serpent's Coil," by Farley Mowat.

They're from a long time ago, but the drawings from the early circumnavigators, like the Hiscocks, in their boats, give someone an idea of how stowage can be made usable and safe for use at sea. When old timers here on CF whinge about the lacks of new boat designs, this may be due to looking for what works at sea, not the same as what looks inviting at the dock, unless you know what works at sea, already.

If you don't care to make passages, maybe not the right thing for you.

Ann

Does anyone know where you can find "The Serpent's Coil," by Farley Mowat in an e-book format?

Thank you in advance for any help. I appreciate it.

[estarzinger]

I dont think it has been mentioned yet . . . . the offshore safety regulations are quite a valuable 'read' when you are in the boating buying and fit-out stage. It is free at http://www.sailing.org/tools/documen...0182019180104-[23449].pdf.

Be warned, it is quite dense and not an 'easy' read, and people can have an honest and intelligent disagreement with some of its recommendations. BUT it has been put together by some of the most knowledgeable people in the sport and is the best starting point (for picking and fitting out) I am aware of.

While cruising I personally found a category of book very valuable that has not really been mentioned explored here yet in depth. It is the 'idiot who made it story'. Those books gave me greater confidence that I could do it at the start, and when the going got tough I would say to myself (yes, I actually said this out loud a couple times) "if that idiot could do this, I damn well can". Maiden Voyage [Tania Aebi] was my 'go-to' in this category, but there are many others, including more recent ones. Did the bumblefuzzes ever write anything in 'permanent' book form, or did they only blog?

ps: I should note that we know and respect Tania - most of us are 'idiots' when we start out, she just wrote about it in a fashion that was very entertaining and accessible for me.

ps2: I once wrote a series of articles on the 10 stupidest mistakes I made at sea (for a UK sailing magazine), hoping to make my contribution to this 'learning from mistakes' catagory - but it did not go over well with the UK readers - they basically all wrote in that I should have taken an RYA course, which sort of missed the point. My writing was probably not amusing enough.

[gamayun]

These are the books and reports that influenced me the most and I continue to use or re-read all the time:

-- Troubleshooting Marine Diesels (Peter Compton) and Marine Diesel Engines (Nigel Calder)
-- Any of the after-accident reports (Vestas Wind, Low Speed Chase, Aegean)
-- Singlehanded Tips (3rd Edition is the latest, I think, by Andrew Evans)
-- Two Years Before the Mast (Richard Henry Dana - good to reread when you're kvetching about the toilet backing up)
-- The COLREGS/Navigation Rules and the Racing Rules of Sailing (the RRS comes out every two years and there are always changes)

[BlackHeron]

If you really are "smarter than the average bear and I can read and comprehend quickly" then a really difficult and dense book called "A Manual of Sail Trim" by Stuart H. Walker might be within your reach. If you can get through even small parts of it and truly process even a small part of the information he presents, you will be light years ahead of most sailors out there in your understanding of sail trim.

It is a great reference book to have when you are off watch and can't seem to get any shut-eye. It will put you to sleep, sooner or later. But if you keep cracking at it your mind will be blown. Walker is a genius, even though he is not a really a compelling writer.

[JohnT]

Treat yourselves - Webb Chiles web site with all his writings and books:
http://www.inthepresentsea.com/the_a...roduction.html

[El Pinguino]

This one https://www.amazon.ca/Custom-Sea-Sto.../dp/0385600836
and a good cookbook.....

[edmundsteele]

This has been a great thread and most of my favorite books have already been mentioned. I will add that this is a another great book for mentally handling bad weather when you are alone in the cockpit amidst towering seas. (Pete Goss’ book “Close to the wind” also helps greatly to put things into perspective but you can only read it so many times). The book I refer to is “Pecked to Death by Ducks” by Tim Cahill.

OK, so maybe it isn’t entirely focused on sailing but then it isn’t focused on ducks either.
Ed

[Lonestaralaskan]

I am currently reading The Voyager's Handbook and find that it has a wealth of technical info that can be put to use in choosing a boat. If you're a nerd like me, I definitely recommend it.

[dpods]

The two books I read when I was first learning to sail were "The complete sailor" and "The Elements Of Seamanship". After finishing both of those books and a couple times out on the water with some friends I was well on my way to being comfortable in knowing my way around the boat and what to do in certain situations.

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Sail.../dp/0071749578
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0979594944

[OZwingle]

Many excellent books are mentioned above. Here are two more, and a third bonus.

Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of Offshore Yachts
The Technical Committee of the Cruising Club of America
Edited by John Rousmaniere
Indispensable if you want go offshore in a small boat, i.e. not a ship. An excellent read before buying any boat. A follow-on to Fastnet, Force 10.

Oceanography and Seamanship
William van Dorn
If you want to begin to think about understanding the oceans that you will be sailing upon. And how to manage a small boat at sea. Van Dorn is a sailor and an oceanographer. I consider this an essential reference book.

Waves and Beaches
Willard Bascom
A classic. Okay, not so critical, but lots of fun. This book helps understand the development and pattern of waves in the open ocean and near the coast, that is: What we sail in. And with great photos of surfing a WWII navy DUCK off the Oregon coast. Fun Fact: William van Dorn was a grad student of Willard Bascom.

[thomm225]

Probably something like Ship Killer, Red Sky in Mourning, or even Maiden Voyage which is about Tania Aebi's sail around the world with almost no experience on a Contessa 26.

Something to get you motivated to go sailing.

Then you buy a small boat and learn to sail in protected waters and slowly go from there.

Books can be gotten at the library and you can get a small boat for $500 to $50,000 dollars.

It's all up to you!