A comprehensive guide to help you identify and equip the boat that best suits your needs Well-known boating writer Charles Doane unravels the complexity of cruising sailboat design and explains the fundamentals and the ramifications of each design decision. In easy-to-understand terms, Doane explains theoretical aspects of design, pragmatic issues like keel shape and berth configuration, pros and cons of various construction methods and materials, outfitting, propulsion, rigging and much more.

Several books have been offered on buying used sailboats for the purpose of long distance voyaging including John Vigor's 20 Small Sailboats and Gregg Nestor's Twenty Affordable Sailboats. The used boats reviewed in these books are all available to those on a modest budget, and there are plenty other used fiberglass production boats out there which are solid candidates for the would-be cruiser. In Outfitting the Offshore Sailboat, Peter Berman reviews the criteria for selecting a used fiberglass hull sailboat, but picks up where Vigor and Nestor leave off. Berman shares his 40+ years' experience of overhauling and refitting a myriad of different sailboats in preparation for offshore voyaging. Follow the information offered in Outfitting the Offshore Sailboat and you can buy and refit a cruising sailboat for a fraction of the cost of buying a new boat.

Filled with hundreds of ideas for buying, equipping, and maintaining a cruising boat, here is the one-stop guide for the serious sailor. Whether your dreams are for an ocean voyage off exotic shores or for a weekend jaunt down the coast, this book is filled with hundreds of ideas on tailoring a sailboat to your specific needs and crusing aspirations. In addition, "The Well-Managed Sailboat" will help sailors preserve a boat as investment by pointing out what features enhance value and what features will potentially detract from the asking price when the time comes to sell.

Tor Pinney is cruising sailor and writer.

The most comprehensive and helpful guide ever written for selecting and equipping a cruising sailboat Whether you’re a coastal or offshore cruiser, you’ll find your most pressing concerns treated with the know-how that makes for skillful, confident cruising in Nigel Calder’s Cruising Handbook. The author -- one of the most respected marine how-to authors on either side of the Atlantic, and author of the universally admired Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual, -- walks you through all key technical and practical aspects of modern cruising systems and equipment, providing you with a summary of the skills necessary for safe, enjoyable sailing. The first half of the book includes an easy-to-use tabular method for evaluating a boat's suitability for cruising; ideas for workable deck and interior lay-outs and organization; how to choose and configure suitable boat systems for cruising; and how to install gear for trouble free operation. The book's second half teaches you boat handling skills; core navigational expertise; anchoring techniques; weather understanding; heavy weather expertise; and specific skills for long-term and long-distance cruising.

A guide to nearly 1,000 sailing routes covering all the oceans of the world, geared specifically to the needs of cruising sailors. It advises on the winds, currents, regional and seasonal weather, and optimum times for individual routes, plus over 6,000 waypoints.

"An invaluable resource. [Vigor's] practical wisdom gives you the know-how and confidence to prepare your boat for the sea."--Cruising World. Here is the book that answer the sailor's fundamental question--"Can my boat take me offshore safely?"--then shows how to make it happen.

Fully updated, convenient paperback edition of the most complete, most reliable, and most-read guide for those planning to sail across the oceans.

Sailing in cold waters is challenging, but hugely rewarding. And when you venture into the high latitudes you find yourself in some of the world's last real wildernesses. In recent years climate change has made these regions more accessible to small boats, and it is now possible to venture further afield in search of adventure. With practical advice, stunning photography and first-hand accounts of voyages from world-renowned experts, this book offers hard-won wisdom on all aspects of sailing in cold waters: · Preparing yourself: good routines, assessing risk and preparing your crew · Preparing your boat: design, heating, engine, steering, anchors and electrics · Sailing in ice: instrumentation, charts, and what to do when you get stuck · Safety: MOB, polar bears, glaciers and dinghy procedure · Communication: VHF, satellite and SSB · Weather: interpreting GRIB files and reading ice charts · Anchoring and mooring: types and numbers of anchors and mooring lines · Clothes: hiking and skiwear; the three-layer principle · Cruising areas: Svalbard, Antarctica, South Georgia and many more Whether it's tackling the North-West Passage aboard your own yacht or a more modest voyage, heading to Antarctica or keeping your boat in the water for the quieter and often more beautiful winter season, this book is essential reading for all sailors preparing for enjoyable and safe sailing in cold waters.