References for new sailor?

[Sherilynn Casey]

My 24 year old son is living in San Diego and wants to buy a sailboat to live on and learn to sail. I'd like to send him a good starter book on sailing - like sailing for dummies? Any advice?

[Ex-Calif]

How about - Sailing for Dummies

Seriously - I have found no "perfect" books but I carry this one around most often.

Amazon.com: The Handbook Of Sailing: Books: Bob Bond

[mickmul]

Learning to Sail: The Annapolis Sailing School Guide for Young Sailors of All Ages by Diane Goodman and Ian Brodie
is a great starter book - as for choosing a yacht to live on, he should read "Living Aboard" by Clare Allcard - your son is doing what I did 20 years ago . . no regrets!! best wishes

[Pblais]

The Annapolis Book of Seamanship and Chapman Piloting are two heavy weight (they are big and thick too) books any sailor of every experience level can use. The details include about any boating topic you care to come up with.

I also have the book by Bob Bond and it's a good one too.

The American Sailing Association and US Sailing Associations produce text books that they use in their classes. They start at the very basic level and build up. They are well written with good illustrations.

[Pura Vida]

Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook is a good reference once past the "pull tiller right to go left stage."

Singlehanded Sailing by Richard Henderson is getting a bit dated but a good read for anyone who might sail alone, which is ultimately everyone.

If his plans will take him farther than his home port he may want Tricks of the Trades by Bruce Van Sant. Van Sant is heavy on opinion but he has some good advice on how to tackle the issues that face cruisers outside the States.

This Old Boat by Don Casey is a must have if he plans to do any work on the boat himself.

Good wish books include Ferenc Mate's Best Boats to Build or Buy and The Finely Fitted yacht.

All of the books above are ones I find myself still reading.

I can't say enough good about Chapman's Piloting and The Annapolis Book of Seamanship. I leaned on them heavily a couple decades ago.

[Rodz]

Sherylinn,

Your son may find dozens of sites on the Internet that will give him a picture what sailing is about from basic information up to the advises by weathered sailors. However, no information will teach him how to sail. There is only one way of learning:
1. Practice + experience
2. Practice + experience
3. Practice + experience
.
.
.
.
100.... Practice + experience
and on and on and on

[Sherilynn Casey]

Thanks for all your replies. This is such a great forum. I will check the books out on amazon and probably send the Handbook of Sailing and Annapolis book of seamanship. My son is looking at a 1976 30ft Newport that a guy has been living on for about two years. Asking price is $14,500. We (his parents) live in Wash and are power boaters so we're excited for him but also very nervous (and wishing we were there to look with him). He's working two jobs to make ends meet so doesn't have much time or discretionary income for maintainance, repairs, or fix-up but is really excited (of course!) Does anyone know of a good surveyer in San Diego he could call to get the boat checked out before purchasing? Thanks for your counsel.

[Ex-Calif]

Painting with a very broad brush here but here's what I do.

If a "real deal" shows up on a boat I go to boats.com and do a search for that boat. Boats.com will usually have enough listings that you will get a few hits. From there you can see what like boats are selling for. At the top end may be somebody's pet or a non-serious seller. At the lower end may be some boats that barely float.

If the boat your son is interested in is in the bottom third on price I think you can bet of having to invest some significant maintenance dollars.

A very cursory look reveals there are 18 Newport 30s listed in the US with a low price of $15,900 and a top price of $33,500. Based on this limited information I would be very wary of of a $14,500 dollar Newport. I probably would consider the middle amount - say $24k is representative of the brand. So he likely would have to put ~$10k to get this boat representative of the brand. He is at the older end of the age range and that is a fastor as well.

The hardest part in boat buying is to take off the rose colored glasses and seeing it as an inanimate object. The great news about the west coast is that for a 30 foot boat you have litereally hundreds to choose from. Over here we are lucky to have 5-6 in the whole country!

Good Luck!

boats.com - Search Results

PS - If it were me, I'd be careful before spending money for surveyor for this boat. Maybe your son could just do a search on 30 foot boats in the San Diego and LA areas and just go kick tires for a while. It will give him a feel for the range of quality vs. price and save him a lot of surveyor money.

[S/V Elusive]

And then there is the live aboard issue. It isn't like the old days - buy a boat, find a slip or mooring, live aboard. They are regulated like all get out now. Not only do most marinas NOT want live aboards, for those that do make it through the waiting list routine, the boat has to meet certain requirements for both the marina and the harbor. And, it sure as hell ain't cheap. SD slip rates for a 30 foot boat is about $15/ft/mth, plus electric, plus live aboard fee (if they allow and approve), plus annual inspection fee, plus required insurance (and older boats that you live on, are not easy to get insurance), plus required service from a pump out service ... and again - that is IF you can find a slip for liveaboard. The days of sneakaboards are limited too. With electronic key cards, they can monitor your comings and goings. :::sigh:::

[Sherilynn Casey]

thanks Dan and Thomas,
Nothing is easy is it. I'll keep you posted as I know more. Thanks for taking the time to help us along.
SC

[Lynx]

The books will depend on him. any and all but nothing replaces like lifing about for 6 months.

Good books on learing how to sail, I also suggest one of the sailing computer games. They are real enough. Have him go to a sailing school, some are free plus material.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha SC,
Welcome aboard!! I nearly bought a Newport 30 in the late 80s. I was impressed with their interior room and think they would make a dandy liveaboard.
Books: "Start Sailing Right!" and Royce's "Sailing Illustrated" have not been mentioned yet that I can determine. I find them excellent, not nearly so big, and you can carry them with you anywhere.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[Sherilynn Casey]

Aloha,
thanks for your message. He's still wanting the 1970 Newport - it's set up to live on as a sneakaboard. If you know anyone in San Diego who might be interested in looking at it with him, let me know. we'll be down there in mid-October but not sure we would be much help - also, the person selling it starts school Oct 1 so is motivated to sell now. Best wishes and sailing to you - SC

[Martin Yamik]

I agree. Sailing for Dummies was my bible in the beginning.

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

How about - Sailing for Dummies

Seriously - I have found no "perfect" books but I carry this one around most often.

Amazon.com: The Handbook Of Sailing: Books: Bob Bond