Praise for Your First Sailboat "Here's a book for first-time sailboat buyers that offers practical information they can really use toease the transition to boat ownership. The buying guide to 84 of the more popular used sailboats will be particularly helpful when making the rounds at the boatyard." -- Cruising World "Spurr strikes just the right balance in this book of logic, education, and humor, without ever talkingdown to the reader." -- Latitude 38 "Have fun. Save time. Save money. This book omits everything you don’t need to know." -- Great Lakes Boating Can a keelboat tip over? How can I determine what boat I want? Once I do, what's a fair price to pay for it? Should I buy it new or used? How can I tell the difference between a used boat and one that's used up? Now that I have it, how can I start sailing quickly and safely? Your First Sailboat has answers to all your questions about selecting, buying, maintaining, and usingyour first boat. This user-friendly guide covers issues that other books ignore, including how to choose between a trailer sailer, daysailer, raceboat, cruiser, or multihull; what hull material is best for your first boat; whether to buy new or used; where to shop; how to judge quality and condition; where to keep your new boat; and what to do about gear, loans, insurance, and annual maintenance. Special features of this second edition include: An up-to-date descriptive buying guide to 84 recommended sailboats of all types and sizes, from daysailers to racers, cruisers, and multihulls How-Do-I? sections that cover boat handling, maintenance, and navigation What-If? segments that cover a variety of worst-case scenarios that you may worry about--from getting lost, to sinking, and when to look for the next sailboat! Straightforward and fun, Your First Sailboat gives you just what you need to stop asking questions andstart sailing.

The Comprehensive Sailing Start-Up Resource Can a keelboat tip over? Can I take a centerboard boat onto open water? How can I determine what boat I want? Once I do, what’s a fair price to pay for it? Should I buy it new or used? How can I tell the difference between a used boat and one that’s used up? Now that I have it, how can I start sailing quickly and safely? Your First Sailboat is the first book to answer all your questions about selecting, buying, maintaining, and using your first boat. This user-friendly guide covers issues that other books ignore, including how to choose between a trailer sailer, daysailer, raceboat, cruiser, or multihull; what hull material is best for your first boat; whether to buy new or used; where to shop; how to judge quality and condition; where to keep your new boat; and what to do about gear, loans, insurance, and annual maintenance. Special features of this all-in-one handbook include: A descriptive buying guide to 75 recommended sailboats of all types and sizes, from daysailers to racers, cruisers, and multihulls A decision tree to guide you to your ideal starter boat Complete instructions on how to care for and sail your boat as well as how to acquire it Straightforward and fun, Your First Sailboat gives you just what you need to stop asking questions and start sailing. Everything else is optional. Save time. Save money. This book omits everything you don’t need to know.

Everything you need to race your way up through the fleet If you sail--even a little--you’ve probably thought about trying your hand at racing. Now you can stop thinking and do it. Getting Started in Sailboat Racing makes this endlessly fascinating lifetime sport accessible to anyone who wants to give it a try, whether you own a sailboat, are hoping to crew, or spectating from a nearby perch. This complete course in racing fundamentals breaks the racing experience down into bite-size pieces, making the process easier to understand and reflecting the leg-by-leg nature of a typical race. With scores of helpful illustrations, this user-friendly manual takes you around the buoys, explaining new rule changes and tactics that apply to each part of the race. You'll learn how to: Execute quick, competitive starts Maximize speed and efficiency on the windward leg Maneuver for position around the windward mark Take full advantage of downwind and reaching legs Handle the spinnaker (even when asymmetrical), and beat the crowd at the jibe and leeward marks Eke out every last bit of speed as you sprint to the finish There are few things in this world more satisfying than racing a sailboat. Get in on the action and find out what you've been missing. All you need is a competitive spirit and a little help from Getting Started in Sailboat Racing. "Cort and Stearns deftly break down racing, from start to finish, into basic elements, making the sport more accessible by giving the novice a strong understanding of the fundamentals . . . this book should be required reading for anyone wanting to get out on the course. The book goes into enough detail on tactics and sail trim to make the average sailor not only comfortable on the racecourse, but competitive, as well." -- SAILING "With Cort and Stearns' enthusiasm for the topic and straightforward advice, it's hard not to read this book without picturing yourself rounding the buoys just ahead of the rest of the fleet." -- Soundings

Sailing Made Easy is the first step in a voyage that will last you the rest of your life. It is a gift from a group of dedicated sailing professionals who have committed their lives to sharing their art, their skill, and their passion for this wonderful activity. This book, which Sailing Magazine called "best in class" upon its release in 2010, is the most comprehensive education and boating safety learn-to-sail guide to date. It is also the official textbook for the ASA Basic Keelboat Standard (ASA 101). Incorporated in the textbook are useful illustrations and exceptional photographs of complex sailing concepts. The text’s most distinguishing feature is its user friendly "spreads" in which instructional topics are self-contained on opposing pages throughout the book. There are also chapter end quizzes and a glossary to help those new to sailing to navigate their way through the extensive nautical terminology.

This is not just an instructional book---it's an insight into a sailor's approach to the sea, boats, and the ever-changing dynamic of wind on the water "A learn-to-sail book with heart."--WoodenBoat "A real winner...a masterful blend of straightforward text with delightful and instructive illustrations. Quite simply a great primer on sailing and the world of boats for readers of all ages."--Cruising World "Teaches sailing with flair and poetry."--SAIL "A great walk-through for the novice, both entertaining and thorough."--Sailing "Sits in a class by itself. Elegantly simple, encyclopedic in scope, and a delightful reference for any novice—with lots to offer intermediate sailors, too."--Kalamazoo Gazette If you never sailed, sailed once, or have sailed for a lifetime, this book is perfect for beginners but deep enough content for those interested in going beyond basics. Revised and expanded to include racing and GPS navigation, The Complete Sailor is not just a how-to sail book, but a book that teaches you how to become a sailor. Inside you’ll find: An all-in-one, comprehensive introduction to sailing Up-to-date information on techniques and approaches offered by the changing nature of the sport Exquisite pen-and-ink illustrations Topics include: Wind Sense; Working Winds; Getting Underway; The Boat; Rigging; Sails; Under Power; Rules of the Road; Anchoring; Ropework; Marlinspike Seamanship; Emergencies; Sea and Sky; Navigation; Racing; Trailering

John Vigor turns the spotlight on twenty seaworthy sailboats that are at home on the ocean in all weather. These are old fiberglass boats, mostly of traditional design and strong construction. All are small, from 20 feet to 32 feet overall, but all have crossed oceans, and all are cheap. Choosing the right boat to take you across an ocean or around the world can be confusing and exasperating, particularly with a tight budget. Vigor sets out to remedy that in this book. He compares the designs and handling characteristics of 20 different boats whose secondhand market prices start at about $3,000. Interviews with experienced owners (featuring valuable tips about handling each boat in heavy weather) are interspersed with line drawings of hulls, sail plans, and accommodations. Vigor has unearthed the known weaknesses of each boat and explains how to deal with them. He rates their comparative seaworthiness, their speed, and the number of people they can carry in comfort. If you have ever dreamed the dream this book can help you turn it into reality.

Since 2006, The Insiders’ Guide to Becoming a Yacht Stewardess has been a must-read guide for hopeful, young travelers and those intrigued by a career path in the super-yacht industry. Hundreds of yacht crew in the industry today used Julie’s book to get started---and succeed---working aboard yachts. Entertaining and educational, this book not only covers who owns luxury yachts, where they travel, and what taking care of their eccentric owners is like, but it describes the awe-inspiring benefits of the job, the skills required, and a clear-cut roadmap for how others can do it, too. If the terrific pay and benefits that come from accompanying celebrities and dignitaries on their private journeys around the world appeals to you, consider Julie Perry your new career coach. Let her guide you to the sea of opportunity that awaits young travelers in one of the world’s most adventurous and mind-boggling industries: LUXURY YACHTING.

The Butlers provide dozens of do-it-yourself projects to help make a boat more comfortable, efficient, and seaworthy. (Transportation)

Turn a run-down fiberglass boat into afirst-class yacht Since it first appeared in 1991, Don Casey’s This OldBoat has helped tens of thousands of sailors refurbisholder fiberglass boats and has become a revered classicamong boat rehabbers.This second edition is revisedfrom first page to last with new information on electricalsystems, diesel engines, refrigeration, resins, plumbingand more. Plus, more than 600 newly created illustrationsenhance the book’s beauty as well as its utility.