Good book?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by crazyoldboatguy

Cheechako,

You are dead wrong. While not a practical treatise on boat maintenance, The Boat Who Wouldn't Float is a true account of how a person can be blinded by his own overwhelming desire as opposed to the sanity needed to avoid buying the sailboat altogether.

All the rest is nuts and bolts.

What crazy says .

... But it was kinda in jest .

I'm sure Mikey is sincere, but books are a poor way of learning about the cruising life. Go get yourself into a boat (preferably one owned by someone else), spend some time sailing and cruising. You'll learn the important lessons quickly. The rest is just detail.

[Erick]

dove by robin lee

[crazyoldboatguy]

Yes, in jest. But, in humor we find truth.

Everything to be known about sailing? No single book holds that. A hundred books doesn't hold it. It's an impossible task.

So, go out and get a boat. Get in the boat and go sailing. After awhile YOU can write the definitive book. And we will all be the better for reading it.

[mikey759]

I know books aren't the best way to learn but i figured I might as well start my learning in the meantime until I can get my self on a boat.


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[crazyoldboatguy]

Originally Posted by mikey759

I know books aren't the best way to learn but i figured I might as well start my learning in the meantime until I can get my self on a boat.


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You are right, of course. When you asked for a book that tells you anything and everything you presented an irresistible target. There really isn't one single book that would fit the bill. The ones mentioned here are all quite good. Even the Mowat book gives one an idea of the highs and lows.

You haven't provided any info about where you are. If you are anywhere near a body of water that has sailboats on it - get yourself over there. If there are any sailing clubs, yacht clubs, sailing schools, etc - get involved. It'll bring those books to life.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by mikey759

I know books aren't the best way to learn but i figured I might as well start my learning in the meantime until I can get my self on a boat.

I think reading is a great way to learn. I knew nothing at all about boats before I went on a 2 week sailing trip with a couple of friends and caught the bug. When I got home I read everything I could about boats and sailing. About a year later I got to go on another cruise for a couple of weeks and all the stuff I had been reading started making a lot more sense but the hands on was necessary for that.

So it takes both but in my experience reading can accelerate the process a lot and help you avoid some of the common mistakes by learning from others.

[barnakiel]

A check book.

b.

[DefinitelyMe]

I second anything written by Nigel Calder. Also 'my old man and the sea', which is an excellent read. Other good ones include 'gentlemen never sail to weather' and, for something a bit more educational, Adlard Coles' 'Heavy Weather Sailing' is an excellent read.

[Stu Jackson]

Sailing for Dummies

It is very good, no kidding.

Do a search on thsi forum ofr "books" and ind lots more. That'll keep ya reading, too.

[mikey759]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Sailing for Dummies

It is very good, no kidding.

Do a search on thsi forum ofr "books" and ind lots more. That'll keep ya reading, too.

I actually got the book and it is great I love all the dummy books I have ever had



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[John Casey]

if you don't know where to start, begin with some books from guys that have been around for a while. Vigor, Roth, Hiscock, Neale, Calder, etc will all be very informative and will likely have either a big bibliography at the back or frequent reference of other books based on subject within the text.

They will lead you in other directions based on need/interest and you should start to get comfortable with where you need to go once you spend some time on board.

Don't be afraid to join an organization like RYA, Sail Canada or US Sail for the access to more infomation and other sailors for the same reason.

I'm not too familiar with US or Sail Canada, but RYA has an extensive library of their own.

Canadian and US Power and Sail Squadrons are another good source of information.

If your after historic context that can still be useful, start with Slocum and expand from there.


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[soverel]

Not a book but a service ive recently joined called Scribd. Nine dollars a month to access all their books. Books can be read online or save to device for offline reading. They have many sailing related books. I tried for free and decided it was worth the price.

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[thomm225]

This is the one that got me started:

Walt Disney's Donald Duck's toy sailboat (A Little golden book): Annie North Bedford: 9780307021458: Amazon.com: Books

it's really good and the Chipmucks put the boat back when they were through using it!! (to gather their acorns)

[Patchy]

"One hand for yourself and one for the ship" by Tristan Jones. Great book to read if you plan to single hand


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[snort]

Asides from actually taking real, live sailing lessons, I think videos do a better job in imparting the knowledge of sailing.
If you have amazon prime, they seem to have several of these for free. For example:
http://www.amazon.com/SAILING-CONFID...ywords=sailing