Contemplating some serious cruising

Jan 2, 2014
71
Hunter 340 long beach ca
I am contemplating some serious open water cruising and would like some references for literature from experienced sailors. Looking for something written in the format of "this is what worked for us".

We have done a fair amount of coastal cruising within the borders of the us but never really long term or international. Would like to find out what I don't know.

Thanks for your suggestions in advance.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
A mix of classics ought to do. Other than wooden boats vs. glass and on board systems like fridges and water pumps, not much has changed.

I read all of Hiscock's books, they remain pertinent.

Beth Leonard, Dashew are more modern. Calder's Crusers Handbook is good, too.

Singlehanded Sailing - Henderson is excellent. Another fella wrote one and posted it online, he's IIRC from SF, forget his name.
 

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
Here are a few I think are indespensible texts for ocean cruisers, or at least they were back in the '70s when I circumnavigated and we had to save ourselves if catastrophe struck.
'Royce's Sailing Illustrated'
'Once is Enough', by Miles Smeeton; this book saved our lives when we were capsized in a hurricane. After reading it, I knew exactly what to do and spent not a precious second 'thinking' about what to do. We lived!
'Survive the Savage Sea'; I don't believe the way they lost the boat, but the survival story was the important information.
'117 Days Adrift'; again, I don't believe the way they lost the boat, but the survival story was the important information.
And cruising guides for every area you intend to go to.
Most cruisers' "the way to do it" books seem a bit preachy. I have run the gamut from varnishing the cans to putting Vaseline on eggs and ten dozen others. Each one of us finds our own "way to do it", and I think it mostly comes from doing, not reading.
 

Dave Groshong

SBO Staff
Staff member
Jan 25, 2007
1,864
Catalina 22 Seattle
It might be pure entertainment, but the S/V Delos from Seattle, on YouTube, they are on time-out right now I believe, but there are years of "episodes" to watch, some might say it's reality TV, but I think it is useful and entertaining.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
John Kretschmer Books are always a good read and informative.

I've put together a list of first person sailing books here: http://www.nauticalreads.com/first-person/138/showCategory Many of these books have stood the test of time and offer both contemporary and historical perspectives on sailing. One of the most enjoyable books was an Embarrassment of Mangoes an interesting read and an interesting perspective. For another perspective check out Seasoned by Salt, it is less optimistic than Mangoes, but very realistic.

Beth Leonard's Blue Horizons is a collection of essays about her and Evans Starzinger's experiences cruising. She looks at both the practical issues of voyaging and the emotional and philosophical issues. The book sits proudly on my bookshelf.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I would suggest the experiences of a young man in “Tranquility, A Memoir of a American Sailor”.

It is the story of a 25 year old who buys a wooden sail boat with the goal of sailing the boat from Seattle to Southern California.
 
Dec 28, 2015
1,837
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
Sailing a Serious Sea by John Kretschmer. I just finished it on Audible and it was by far the best sailing book on actual sailing.
 
Oct 26, 2008
6,045
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
It might be pure entertainment, but the S/V Delos from Seattle, on YouTube, they are on time-out right now I believe, but there are years of "episodes" to watch, some might say it's reality TV, but I think it is useful and entertaining.
Still my wife's favorite Friday night tradition. They are beginning to be a little overwhelmed by celebrity right now, the best episodes, I think, are their travels from when they left Australia to when they reached Cape Town several years ago.

Sue and I also watch "RAN", the couple from Sweden. They left Sweden in the middle of winter and sailed south along the European coastline, Atlantic Islands, eventually to the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, Hawaii, Alaska, and now Pacific Northwest. Their episodes are excellent and they show how budget-minded cruising is done.
 
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Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
I'm also a fan of RAN. Lately I've been watching Ryan and Sophie Sailing. He's from Iowa, she's from France, they met in Stockholm. They are good at showing the fun and not so fun aspects of cruising.

 

dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
3,373
Belliure 41 Sailing back to the Chesapeake
Nobody has mentioned Annie Hills book, Voyaging on a Small Income. Lots of good info in there. Somebody mentioned Beth Leonard's Blue Horizons. She also has two other books, don't recall their titles but I've read both and would recommend them.
You may also want to download a lot of the publications on:

Https://msi.nga.mil

Go to the publications section - lots there to download and read. I recommend you get the "Atlas of Pilot Charts" for the region you want to sail. There are also pilots.

Also Jimmy Cornells book on World Cruising Routes. I also like the Admiralty book Ocean Passages for the World. But those are hard to find...

dj
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Two things, 1) save some money to do the tourist thing and visit other places; for just staying on the boat you can go anywhere locally and drop the hook. 2) There are places where there are Pirates out there.
 
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Oct 3, 2011
825
Anam Cara Catalina 310 Hull #155 155 Lake Erie/Catawba Island
Our 310 tech editor Jesse Krawic spent a couple of years aboard in Boston Harbor with his wife Stacy before they "Threw off the Lines" the still live aboard in the VI after sailing there and surviving two (?) hurricanes. They have not written a book but are on facebook- boats name is S/V Smitty.
I am sure he would respond to questions etc or check the facebook thing!