Mandatory Cruising Books

[FightinGravity]

I would like to get peoples thoughts on which resource books I should pack for an extended cruise where I may be without internet access or English libraries. I am going to pack my kindle full of fiction for entertainment but want paper copies of sailing resources. For example, an Idiots Guide to Fixing a Diesel Engine . Also, if anyone can recommend an updated version of Hal Roth's How to Sail Around the World : Advice and Ideas for Voyaging Under Sail it would be appreciated

My apologies if this has been addressed ad nauseum but I was unable to track it down in the forum.

[Cheechako]

My guess is you will have less incentive to read about sailing an cruising once you are gone... and a stronger desire for just plain good reading.
As you mentioned anything regarding fixing the boat would be good... Nigel Calder's "Boat owner's mechanical and electrical" book etc.
and a word of caution to take all those "How to sail around, or how to prepare"..... with a grain of salt. All the great sailors are just regular people who developed their own opinions on how to do something.... doesnt mean it fits for you, or that it isnt out of date etc. Looking back today on the books from the 70's of how to prepare an offshore cruiser .... some of the stuff seems laughable.... and some is still good.
Guess I'm saying they are all good tools, just take them as a "whole" and develop your own scheme.

[rebel heart]

I've gotten rid of almost all my paper books but I still have:

- Bowditch
- Seloc yanmar manual
- First Aid Afloat / Wilderness First Aid
- Long term celestial almanac
- Complete Guide to Anchoring and Mooring

We have to Kindles onboard, loads of properly attained books, and about 20K titles that fell off the back of a truck. Tons of PDF's of cruising guides and the such. Also PDF's of all the manuals, some paper (engine, especially) as well.

And before anyone lectures me about digital piracy I'm a writer as well and I'd be tickled pink to see anything of mine pirated.

[RainDog]

For sure carry the shop manual for your inboard and outboard. If it is a Yanmar, also carry the spare parts manual if you can find one. Finding the part number can be a nightmare, but once you have it parts are easy to order. If you can get a copy of the parts manual it simplifies thing greatly. Not sure if other brands suffer from this same unfortunate quirk.

[FightinGravity]

Great feedback - thanks! Especially the Bowditch. I haven't picked it up since getting my Captains license years ago but it may be time for a refresher. GPS spoiled all my nav skills.

Any ideas on fishing guides (including what not to eat) that would be useful anywhere and everywhere?

[Pete7]

This will save its weight in gas in the first week:

[goboatingnow]

Its somewhat late in the day , reading a general treatise on navigation in the middle of fog or amongst a dozen fast freighters !!!!

dave

[Zanshin]

I put together a list of my favorite books and those I have aboard (I've got a big boat) at

Sailing Books - click on the image

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by FightinGravity

Great feedback - thanks! Especially the Bowditch. I haven't picked it up since getting my Captains license years ago but it may be time for a refresher. GPS spoiled all my nav skills.

Any ideas on fishing guides (including what not to eat) that would be useful anywhere and everywhere?

Cruisers Handbook of Fishing. Great book.

Regarding Bowditch, one reason I kept it is because it has so much in there that you'd otherwise need multiple books for. Celestial navigation, weather, piloting, seamanship, etc.

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Regarding Bowditch, one reason I kept it is because it has so much in there that you'd otherwise need multiple books for. Celestial navigation, weather, piloting, seamanship, etc.

Plus it is just plain fun to read.

[Sand crab]

One of the most interesting reads on sailing was the Bumfuzzles. Like em or hate em it is entertainment. They bought a cat and sailed around the world with absolutely no prior experience then entered a vintage Porsche in the race across the US then bought an old VW bus and drove from The PNW to Alaska to Patagonia then shipped it and themselves to Europe. Now it's a baby blog so "yawn" but they are on another sailboat in Mexico. The blog is available as an ebook.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

One of the most interesting reads on sailing was the Bumfuzzles. Like em or hate em it is entertainment. They bought a cat and sailed around the world with absolutely no prior experience then entered a vintage Porsche in the race across the US then bought an old VW bus and drove from The PNW to Alaska to Patagonia then shipped it and themselves to Europe. Now it's a baby blog so "yawn" but they are on another sailboat in Mexico. The blog is available as an ebook.

They're great people as well. The couple of months we got to hang out with them and have the kids play together was great.

Pat in particular is hilarious.

[Ocean Girl]

Voyager's Handbook

Beth Leonard

[MarkJ]

I dont think any of the old books are worth a pinch of rocking horse poop.
Unless, that is, just for a read for fun about someone elses adventures.

I now never read any of the scare books: Survive; Adrift; Storm!; Shark!; 365 ways to Die!

The books on heavy weather sailing are too old and written for a bygone boat in a bygone era... its better to find modern resources off the internet like Evans Starzingers essay of heavy weather sailing in a modern boat posted here a few months ago.

Even the old weather books have been far supplanted by modern weather techniques and satellite dissemination. I would get a good weather picture book with lots of good colour photos of clouds. Thats useful.

A dopes guide to Diesels is worth nothing unless its a dills guide to Yanmar 4JH3E or whatever you have. Each engine is so different now.

I have a good picture book on identifying whales and dolphins, and a good one on coral fish.

[FightinGravity]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

One of the most interesting reads on sailing was the Bumfuzzles. Like em or hate em it is entertainment. They bought a cat and sailed around the world with absolutely no prior experience then entered a vintage Porsche in the race across the US then bought an old VW bus and drove from The PNW to Alaska to Patagonia then shipped it and themselves to Europe. Now it's a baby blog so "yawn" but they are on another sailboat in Mexico. The blog is available as an ebook.

I read the Bumfuzzles a few years ago and now have his book Living on the Margin ready to read on my Kindle. I always think I would like to take a Cat for a long cruise but I was always too good at breaking/pitchpoling them and don't want/need things like refrigeration (modern cats sure come nicely equipped). Not to make this a cat/mono discussion - My question is more about what kinds of information I will need without access to resources once I am out there to fill in my knowledge gaps. I have plenty of fun broken boat/bad weather/GPS broken - aim east experiences