CruiseWeb Book Store

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Books are like good companions to offshore sailors. I hope you will find my list of books here to be useful, practical and inspiring along your journey towards your cruising reality.

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•  Sailing Among the Stars : The Story of Sea Dart By Laurel Wagers
  It's a fascinating story of how this boat, built in Great Britain, sailed all over the world before finally ending up in Idaho. Yes, it recount's Tristan Jones' adventures with Sea Dart, but it goes far beyond that, telling about the others who have owned the famous boat, both before and after Tristan.
  
  
•  Racing the Ice to Cape Horn By Frank Guernsey & Cy Zoerner
  1999 top pick of the year by Bluewater Sailing Magazine. Frank Guernsey lived through this tale of his record setting journey, sailing single-handed from Southern California, around Cape Horn to Uruguay, in a twenty-four foot engineless sailboat. Cy Zoerner put this harrowing adventure into words as no other author could.
  
  
•  Storm Tactics Handbook By Lyn & Larry Pardey
  Modern methods of heaving-to for survival in extreme conditions, trysail and para-anchor technology for all types of boats and sailors are discussed in this book. The 1998 Sydney-Hobart Storm Race investigators recommended that 'Storm tactics Handbook' should be on board all race boats in the future.
  
  
•  The Godforsaken Sea By Derek Lundy
  The race is the Vendee Globe, and The Godforsaken Sea is the story of the 1996-1997 competition. Fourteen men and two women began the race in Les Sables-d'Olonne, France. Six officially finished; three were wrecked and rescued; one sailor performed emergency surgery on himself mid-race; one perished. This is high adventure of the most gripping, perilous sort.
  
  
•  The Complete Book of Anchoring and Mooring By Earl R. Hinz
  The definitive guide to the art of anchoring and mooring. This book addresses anchoring systems, techniques, and permanent moorings for boats up 80 feet. It has continued to be the definitive text for small boat ground tackle since its first edition in 1986. This second edition has been fully updated.
  
  
• Sailing Promises: Around the World on A Catamaran By Alayne Main
  An honest, deeply moving and wonderfully woven tale of a young woman's journeys - into herself, her marriage and around the world. Anyone in a partnership - man or woman, sailor or not - will benefit from this book.
  
  
• North to the Night : A Year in the Arctic Ice By Alvah Simon
  Story of a voyage of self-discovery to the Arctic in 1994-95 in a 36-foot steel cutter. The author and his wife seek adventure, nature, and a deeper understanding of the Inuit people, finding more of all three than they dreamed. Their boat iced in for the winter in the Northwest passage at 74 degrees North where Alvah had to endure loneliness, cold and hardship before discovering what he seek: Ultima Thule. A must read if you like high altitude sailing.
  
  
• All in the Same Boat: Family Living Aboard and Cruising By Tom Neale
  This is a "tops" for the live aboard lifestyle. It is informative and definitely a book to read if you are preparing for a long-duration cruise. There are even great ideas for the weekend cruiser on how to prepare, maintain and make your boat safe.
  
  
• Antarctic Oasis : Under the Spell of South Georgia By Tim & Pauline Carr
  Absolutely fascinating account of the authors' life on South Georgia on board their yacht Curlew- complemented by stunning photographs of the wildlife (penguins, albatrosses, elephant seals)and the authors' exploits (skiiing,mountaineering, sailing).Recommended reading for any sailing and/or antarctic wildlife enthusiast, but also a very personal and interesting account of their life.
  
  
• Cruising 101: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Paradise By Amy Sullivan & Kevin Donelly
  Cruising 101 serves as both a reality check and a teaser for those who have ever dreamed of charting their own course, pulling up anchor, and setting sail into the sunset. Learn about attitudes, goals and expectations as well as practical advise for budget-minded cruisers on equipment, provisioning, the cruising community and more.
  
  
• Adrift: Seventy Six Days Lost At Sea By Steven Callahan
  He is the only man in history to have survived more than a month alone at sea in an inflatable raft. How he made it back alive is the subject of Steven Callahan's Adrift, one of the most riveting true-life adventures ever written.
  
  
• Against All Odds : Around Alone in the Boc Challenge By Alan Nebauer
  An exceedingly deadpan account of a challenge race, an entire circumnavigation of the globe, from professional (and impoverished) Australian sailor. The BOC Challenge is the longest sailing race for an individual: 27,000 nautical miles, in four stages.
  
  
• Boater's Bowditch : The Small-Craft American Practical Navigator By Richard Keith Hubbard
  Adapted from of the original "Bowditch's American Practical Navigator". This concise version focuses primarily on smaller boats. Almost all the answers to your navigation questions can be found here.
  
  
• The American Practical Navigator : An Epitome of Navigation 1995 Edition By Nathaniel Bowditch
  Considered the "Bible" of navigation, this is the most comprehensive book on navigation ever written. Although intended for the professional mariner, it is the definitive reference for anyone who considers themselves a sailor.
  
  
• Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual By by Nigel Calder, Stephen F. Pollard
  Calder's books, especially this one, have been great resources for learning how to install, repair, improve and maintain nearly every major (and minor) system onboard. Next to having a mechanic as crew this is the book to bring along on short or long cruises.
  
  
• Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen By Mary Blewitt
  In this era of GPS it is still important to acquire the the skill of using a sextant (in case the GPS fail) and this concise book will lead you through both theory and practise in less than 80 pages. Ms.Blewitt's matter of fact approach to the complexities of sun and star sight reduction etc. is easy to understand.
  
  
• Chasing the Long Rainbow By Hal Roth
  The Drama of the BOC Singlehanded Sailing Race Around the World. Hal Roth sailed this race on a modified Santa Cruz 50 and although he did not take top honors you will get some real insights about preparing and participating in this race and sailing in general from this famous and admirable sailor.
  
  
• Cruising Ports : Florida to California Via Panama By John Rains
  If you are taking your boat from Florida to California this guidebook will be worth taking along. Written by a wellknown veteran delivery skipper.
  
  
• Dove By Robin Lee Graham
  In 1965, 16-year-old Robin Lee Graham began a solo around-the-world voyage from San Pedro, California, in his 24-foot sloop, Dove. Five years and 33,000 miles later, he had accomplished what few would dare attempt, returning to port with a wife and daughter and enough extraordinary experiences to fill this bestselling book.
  
  
• Fastnet, Force 10 By John Rousmaniere
  In August 1979, the 600-mile Fastnet race, which began in fine weather off the Irish coast, became for the men and women sailing it a terrifying ordeal. A Force 10, sixty-knot storm swept across the Atlantic with a speed that confounded weathermen, into the fleet of 303 boats. Now Rousmaniere, who was there, tells of the greatest disaster in the history of yachting.
  
  
• Heavy Weather Sailing By Peter Bruce + Adlard Coles
  This became a classic book on heavy weather seamanship from the very first edition. This much-expanded edition is the first thorough revision in 16 years. Twenty new chapters from expert contributors on both sides of the Atlantic cover modern hull shapes and rigs, the latest gear and strategies for outlasting storms at sea, and advances in weather knowledge. There are also chapters on powerboat and multihull management in heavy weather.
  
  
• Ice! By Tristan Jones
  Tristan Jones and his half-blind three-legged dog onboard "Creswell" took on the Artic sea and ice for a year in an effort to sail farther north than anyone had to date. At nearly every turn Jones, a salty Welshman, is tested by nature and circumstance and shows an indomitable spirit and a cleverness that has lessons and inspiration for all adventurers.
  
• The Incredible Voyage : A Personal Odyssey By Tristan Jones
  This is the book that finally made Tristan Jones famous. It's an adventure of a man enduring incredible odds to achieve his dreams . One of the very best sailing books because of the huge variety of situations encountered by Jones. His fortitude is incredible.
  
  
• One Hand for Yourself One for the Ship: The Essentials of Single Handed Sailing By Tristan Jones
  Tristan Jones shares the vast experience he has gained over the years in low-budget single handed cruising. He has sailed more miles in small boats than anyone else. The book is full of very sensible advice on sailing, cruising and surviving. But remember this book gives only his personal opinion. As a reader you have to filter out what you like and what not.
  
  
• Landfalls of Paradise : Cruising Guide to the Pacific Islands By Earl R. Hinz
  After 50 pages of basics (weather, planning, shoals...), Hinz (Pacific Wanderer) gets into the details of the islands-- general descriptions, ports of entry, distances, time, holidays, weather, cruising notes, immigration, quarantine, currency, sources of information, boat facilities, medical matters. An armchair traveller's delight, a bible for the cruiser.
  
  
• Marine Diesel Engines : Maintenance, Troubleshooting, and Repair By Nigel Calder
  A fine companion to your own marine diesel's manual by the wellknown Nigel Calder.
  
  
• My Old Man and the Sea : By David Hays, Daniel Hays
  A Father and Son Sail Around Cape Horn (Thorndike Large Print Americana Series). David and Daniel Hays, father and son, designed and built a small boat together, then set out to sail it around the tip of South America, a journey that David had dreamed of ever since childhood. Along the way they fought and swore and sweated and shared triumphs large and small.
  
  
• Ocean Cruising on a Budget By Anne Hammick
  Many useful and practical advise on cruising on a tight budget.
  
  
• Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia-II By Linda Dashew, Steve Dashew
  The single most useful reference available for sailors who are outfitting a boat for voyaging -- full of good ideas, educated opinions, ingenious solutions, useful charts and tables, and world cruising savvy.
  
  
• Self-Sufficient Sailor By Larry & Lin Pardey
  For the beginner or experienced offshore cruising sailor who is contemplating a voyage, this book by one of Americas most famous sailing couples is a must. The valuable information includes ....practical, innovative ideas to better outfit any sailboat
  
  
• The Long Way By Bernard Moitessier
  Moitessier's account of his voyage during the first solo race around the world.
  
  
• Tamata and the Alliance : A Memoir By Bernard Moitessier, William Rodarmor
  A fantastic story by a remarkable man. This is not only a story of Bernard Moitessier the sailor. It is more a story of his life,starting from his childhood .... until becoming the famous sailor and artist of life as we learned to know him. The book is about living your own life, ... Bernard Moitessier refused to share a world whose values were not his.
  
  
• Tao of Sailing : A Bamboo Way of Life By Ray Grigg
  A sailboat tossed about on rough seas will struggle to find a smooth course,... Grigg shows one how to be like a sailboat- steady, adaptable, serene, and powerful. Balancing the conflicting emotions, forces, and actions which surround us, we can each achieve a state of resilient grace an resourceful beauty. When man finds balance in his own life, using the changing waters below and the shifting winds above to his advantage, he achieves a transcendence by way of the Tao.
  
  
• Maiden Voyage By Tania Aebi
  We get to sail around the world with Tania, experiencing and feeling what she does as we look over her shoulder, living with her through her fears, joys and triumphs. Not only did this young lady have to stuggle with growing up, but with the riggers of learning how to sail. A true voyage of self discovery seen through the eyes of innocence and wonder. Inspiring.
  
  
• The Gentleman's Guide to Passages South; The Thornless Path Toward Windward By Bruce Van Sant
  This is the cruising guide recommended by many sailors sailing south to the Caribbean. Van Sant proposes a theory on how to beat the mostly 1400 miles of windward sailing from Miami to St. Thomas.
  
  
• The Perfect Storm By Sebastian Junger
  The blockbuster bestseller. It was the storm of the century -- a tempest created by so rare a combination of factors that meteorologist deemed it "the perfect storm." When it struck in October, 1991, there was virtually no warning. Sebastian Junger takes us on a real-life thriller, deep into the heart of the storm.
  
  
• The Voyager's Handbook : The Essential Guide to Bluewater Cruising By Beth A. Leonard
  It's very clearly written, up-to-date, and has a more honest assessment of what it really takes to survive and enjoy cruising. This extremely well researched handbook addresses every imaginable aspect of offshore cruising. A real must for the sailor wanting to voyge longdistances
  
  
• Time on Ice : A Winter Voyage to Antarctica By Deborah Shapiro, Rolf Bjelke
  In 1989, Deborah Shapiro and Rolf Bjelke willingly set sail for a land of ice and snow. They sailed from Sweden to the Antarctic Peninsula and back, and overwinter in one of the earth's most beautiful yet inhospitable places. During the 28,000-nautical-mile trip, they endured battering seas, treacherous ice flows, and complete isolation while frozen at the bottom of the world. Time on Ice is the result of their struggles and ultimate achievement. But the awe-inspiring vistas, seldom-seen wildlife, and personal discoveries far outweigh the dangers. This is a fascinating journey to one of the world's wildest and loneliest places.
  
  
• Voyaging on a Small Income By Ann Hill
  This book is on of the few which gives what the title promises. In it, Ann Hill tells, in great detail and with lots of humour, how she and her husband have managed to sail the past 20 years on almost no income. Annie Hill makes you see what is really important, and then how little it costs.
  
  
• World Cruising Routes (3rd Ed) By Jimmy Cornell
  One of the best books I know of for planning your circumnavigation. What route to take at what of year etc. Highly recommended for those going offshore.
  
  
• There Be No Dragons : How to Cross a Big Ocean in a Small Sailboat By Reese Palley
  This book tell about how to take the fear out of voyaging for those who dream about doing it someday.
  
  
• Sensible Cruising : The Thoreau Approach : A Philosophic and Practical Approach to Cruising By Don Casey & Lew Hackler
  Sometimes simplicity is the best approach to the cruising lifestyle.
  
  
• The Star Trek Encyclopedia. Paperback By Michael & Denise Okuda
  
  
• Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 80 DLX camera
  
  



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