Non-Fiction Sailing Books

[Caius]

A perfect choice for your purposes is the recently published book entitled "The Caiad: A Voyage Around the World". You can get a paperback at Amazon or any on line bookseller. For more information, go to caiad.com.

[Seymore]

"The Voyage of the Tillicum" by John Voss.

There's a lot to be learned from his writing, things like drogues and oil on the water in storms.

[Schooner Chandlery]

An adventure filled story that we've enjoyed reading several times is The Cruise of the Conrad by Alan Villiers. A fun book.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by GorillaToast

My Old Man and the Sea by Daniel & David Hayes.

frather and son set out to round the Horn in a 25' boat. Writing is split between father and son, going back and forth. Very entertaining writing style, and loads of great info about outfitting and provisioning for a Horn rounding. Plus, much in the way of adventure, and a fine story about father and son admiration, respect and love.

...

+1. I was reading thru this thread with books in mind not yet mentioned and that was on my list.

Also didn't see

"Dove"
"Bumfuzzle"

No great loss, "Man Old Man and The Sea" is by far the better book.

[Sailor_Hutch]

I recently came across a book that might fit in with the "adventure" part of the OP's request. It's Norman Freitag's "Shipwrecks" - with 5,000 shipwreck descriptions, including many "Loran-c" numbers with which to locate the wrecks. I went to usgs.gov to get the program to convert "Loran-c" to LL (lat/long), and it seems to work OK although there's some accuracy degradation in the conversion (from some tens of meters to about a quarter mile discrepencies are expected).

The book is a little dated (90's) - and I know that technololgy for finding wrecks is better now. Does anyone know of an updated list for wrecks, that maybe includes more of them and with more modern location coordinates?

[HappyMdRSailor]

Just read

http://www.amazon.com/Peril-Decision...words=in+peril

from a recommendation on a salvage question thread...

Enjoyable!

[PangurBan]

Originally Posted by Mainebristol

Try "Berserk" by David Mercy if you want to read about a couple of truly foolish people who most certainly should have died sailing to Antarctica. Several times I caught myself saying, 'well, I'm reading the book, so I guess they survived.' There is so much I could say about this book, but I guarantee that it will raise the hair on the back of your neck. Think ignorance squared in he midst of the great southern ocean, far, far south of Cape Horn.

Thanks for the heads-up about this one. I've just finished reading it and found it fascinating and very well written. I agree it makes your blood run cold but the skipper, Jarle Athoey ("I'm crazy but not stupid") seemed like a remarkable seaman. It's worth checking him out on Wikipedia. His subsequent adventures and those of David Mercy were more extraordinary than those described in "Berserk". They look like total anarchists.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[PangurBan]

Originally Posted by PangurBan

Thanks for the heads-up about this one. I've just finished reading it and found it fascinating and very well written. I agree it makes your blood run cold but the skipper, Jarle Athoey ("I'm crazy but not stupid") seemed like a remarkable seaman. It's worth checking him out on Wikipedia. His subsequent adventures and those of David Mercy were more extraordinary than those described in "Berserk". They look like total anarchists.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

CORRECTION: the skipper's name is Andhøy.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Hamish_ct]

A more modern one is "the next port" by Heywood Colman. I have read A lot of non fiction sailing adventures mostly. This one is about a couple similar to CF population and their experiences sailing around the world.

Enjoy

[Kim Gregory]

Free online books:

Webb Chiles Free Books
( pdf and Kindle )

When things go wrong out at sea, Webb Chiles is the guy I want on board!


The book about my Brewer 32 sailed around the Pacific in 1977, for seven years by the first owners:
"Nick and I were heading for the sun, after twenty-two winters in Saskatchewan... First to Hawaii. After that, we would see. I was not at all sure I would like it. When I told that to Bee Smeeton she said: 'Of course. Everybody is scared. The sea is so big.' "
Kemana's Voyage Around the Pacific by Brita Zeldenrust
( pdf )

[Sailingketch]

While driving back and forth to the marina, my wife and I enjoy listening to audio books and have found quite a few on this list great entertainment. We've listened to several of Linn and Larry Pardey's books (sailing worldwide without an engine or any electrical generating equipment is highly unusual in this day and age!).

We are now listening to Michael Salvaneschi's "Islands, Oceans, and Dreams" that details his circumnavigation.

Next on our list is James Baldwin's "Bound for Distant Seas."

[uboat]

"Sea of Glory", by Nathaniel Philbrick Non-fiction account of the U.S. Exploring Expedition 1838 - 1842. A world cruise of discovery. You will be amazed.

[freebooter]

A World to the West by Maurice Cloughley and West, Go West Man by Hein Zenker

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by freebooter

A World to the West by Maurice Cloughley and West, Go West Man by Hein Zenker

I've read A World to the West many years ago, great book, and hats off to Katy for being so sea sick but sticking to the plan.
To my astonishment, I've learned that in 2009 the author was charged and confessed to sexually assaulting kids. He is is a despicable monster.

N.W.T., ex-teacher sued over sex assaults - North - CBC News

[Hobie_ind]

Not sure if anyone else has recommended this yet but I highly recommend 'High Endeavours' by Miles Clark. It's not strictly a sailing book, but it's got a good deal on Miles and Beryl Smeeton's sailing adventures. A great read IMHO.

https://www.amazon.com/High-Endeavou.../dp/1550540580