best book for a novice sailor?

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AaronL

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Jul 23, 2012
14
Oday 25 East Greenwich, RI
Just picked up my first sailboat last month and have a lot to learn. Any recommendations for learning to sail? I've got Don Casey's maintenance book for working on the boat, looking for something on how to enjoy the boat!

Thanks
 
Indysailor

Indysailor

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Oct 10, 2009
1,100
Catalina 27 3657 Lake Monroe
If you are an absolute beginner you could pick up a BSA merit badge book. It's meant for small boats, but the explanations are very good. And it's cheap. Also, you can a try the US Sailing Basic Keelboat book, which is used in their class. The one I link to may be an earlier edition, but it's the one I have and it is a good intro.

You won't find a better place than here for good advice on sailing. The books are great, but experienced sailors here are a wealth of information and can really help with specific questions.

Good luck with the boat. If you are new to boats, you'll probably find that the steeper parts of the learning curve involve things NOT related to actually moving the craft with the wind.;)
 
Joe11688

Joe11688

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Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
You can find a lot of good books on sailing in your public library. This is how I learned years ago when I was in my forties.

I practiced sailing with just the mainsail and finally progressed to using the Jib or Genoa with the Mainsail.

The gadget that really helped me the most was the the Davis Windex and I still use it constantly to this day. I mounted it on the side of my mast near the top of my mast on a 12" extension bar made specifically for this wind indicator.

They tell you in the books that you should judge the direction of the wind by feeling it on your face or if you're on a close reach you should head up a little until the main starts to luff a bit and then fall back until it stops.
To my way of thinking it's easier to just trim your sails for the tack that you're on and look up at the windex and check out the pointer in relation to the two vanes. The instructions are right in the box and you should have no problem getting the hang of using one.
On a run down wind, a Windex will let you know where the wind is at all times and can enable you to avoid an accidental jibe.
In short, the Windex will literally teach you to sail.

Smooth Sailing!
Joe
 

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jberube85

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Jul 8, 2012
25
Oday 1972 22' South Watuppa pond and Narragansett bay
Chapmans is a must have, anything you will need to know about a sailboat or powerboat for the matter is in there not to metnion tons of other stuff to read as you progress. I belive its on its 63 editon so its withstood the test of time.
 
Zephyr2

Zephyr2

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Aug 2, 2012
4
Oday 25 Branched Oak Lake, Lincoln, NE
In my opinion, the best book to learn about sailing is "The Complrtr Sailor" by David Seidman.
 
Joe11688

Joe11688

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Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
Download the diagram on this site, print it out and take it with you when you go sailing. http://schoolofsailing.net/downloads.html Take note of the trim of the sails in the diagram for each point of sail and set your sails accordingly. You could put the diagram in a clear sheet protector envelope to keep it dry.
 
Chris Bogle

Chris Bogle

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Mar 6, 2012
41
Oday 22 Penetanguishene
Joe, I have to thank you for the above link. They give an excellent explanation of True & Apparent wind as well as Weather & Lee helm in a way that I have now been able to understand these concepts. Schoolofsailing.net is now on my desk top. Thanks again for this valuable resource.
 
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Dubo

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Oct 26, 2010
86
Hunter 340 Deltaville Va
Congrats

Welcome to the puzzling world of sailing. I am just finishing up this book and found it great at removing some of the fog. Low tech language and the author makes no assumptions. He talks to you, in plain English. Points out what others assume you know already.

Plain Sailing: The Sail-Trim Manual for New Sailors



There is a gentleman named Don Guillette who is on this site who also provides some info.
 
emergpa1

emergpa1

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Oct 2, 2008
1,424
Island Packet 31 Brunswick, Ga
AaronL said:
Just picked up my first sailboat last month and have a lot to learn. Any recommendations for learning to sail? I've got Don Casey's maintenance book for working on the boat, looking for something on how to enjoy the boat!

Thanks
Click to expand
Hey, Welcome
I love books, have a library full. Many I buy I end up not liking. Here is my "cream of the crop" including one web site for knots and rigging: free. with short explanations
1. The blue book of sailing. Hands down best on sail and trim.
2. Grogs animated knots: web site, self explanatory
3. Red Sea Run
4. Flostsam and Jetsam (3 and 4 are just great reads if you love boats and sailing and the oceans)
5. How to rig small sailboat (online and free, great for terminology and all the parts as well as illustrated and instructive. See pics below
Welcome aboard!
 

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Joe11688

Joe11688

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Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
Chris Bogle said:
Joe, I have to thank you for the above link. They give an excellent explanation of True & Apparent wind as well as Weather & Lee helm in a way that I have now been able to understand these concepts. Schoolofsailing.net is now on my desk top. Thanks again for this valuable resource.
Click to expand
That's great Chris! I'm glad that it worked out for you.
I remember someone on the forum mentioning that he printed out some of these "points of sailing" diagrams so that his grandkids could learn to sail and it seemed like a worthwhile idea to me. I printed up three of these and I put them in cellophane envelopes and I'm keeping them in my cabin.
Even with that diagram to go by, you still need some type of a Wind indicator on your mast. When I'm out sailing I'm not thinking about apparent wind. I am constantly checking my Windex pointer in relation to the vanes. The wind is invisible and you really need something more visual to go by other than feeling the wind hit your cheek.

I just got back yesterday from a three day cruise on my boat with Penny. We sailed about twenty miles and visited some of my favorite coves on Narragansett Bay. We were at anchor during two fierce thunder squalls. One came up suddenly in the morning and the other one came up at night in a different cove. Outside of that, we had a blast.
 
RECESS

RECESS

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Dec 20, 2003
1,509
Catalina 27 . St. Mary's Georgia
I have been stopping at a few Goodwill bookstores lately. I have picked up some good sailing books to add to my collection. It seems this is where hard cover sailing books end up. I think the book I have used mostly over the years has been The Sailor's Handbook by Halsey Herreshoff.
 
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