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World Cruising Routes

3 stars (Not for the armchair cruiser) - I would someday like to cruise around the world, and I bought this book in the hopes of learning more about the possible routes so that I could make some preliminary plans. I'm sure it will come in handy in a few years, but for now, it's overwhelming. I think this information would be best presented as an interactive CD-ROM. Click on a starting point, click on several destinations, and the software tells you when you should start the trip, how long it would take, whether you need to alter the route, etc. If someone knows of such a program, please pass along the info. 5 stars ( World Cruising Routes ) - An absolute necessity for any small yacht going to sea. It is logically compiled and written. Jimmy Cornell has written a book that is exactly what every sailor needs...guidance in getting from port a to port b efficiently, safely, and with the best possible winds and weather. 3 stars (Great Map) - If you are looking for an excellent road map of the oceans and plan on traveling soon this is a good read. If you are looking for adventure in a book, great descriptions of countries, islands visited this is not what you want to buy. I would not consider this a great travel guide. ...
International Marine-Ragged Mountain Press :: Sports & Recreation & Sailing :: Yachting :: Travel - General :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Sailing - General :: Sailing :: Reference - Cruise Guides :: Navigat :: World Cruising Routes

 

Sailing for Dummies

2 stars (Not the best for THIS dummy.) - The authors have maybe a bit too much expertise and experience to effectively write for "dummies" like myself. Somehow after reading this, I had just as many questions as before. Part of the problem is this book is way too comprehensive, covering such topics as sail-boarding. I would rather have had more in depth explainations of the basics and more diagrams/illustrations. 5 stars (Well-organized and incredibly useful) - Hard to beat this book if you're just getting your hands on the mainmast for the first time. A wealth of info on every topic you'll need to know, presented in pictures and entertaining quotes and headlines. There are sections that deal with all the tricky details of actually getting the boat out of the dock and into the open sea, as well as a crucial section on what to do if, well, your sailing experience doesn't exactly go as planned. Pay attention to what the Islers say here-- you'll protect yourself from the most common (and often dangerous) mistakes beginners make if you've barely dipped your feet into water, and you'll improve your skills to a surprising extent even if you're more advanced. 5 stars ( Sailing for Dummies ) - This is an excellent sailing textbook - as the cover states it's "A Reference for the Rest of Us!" That is, it can be used as a beginner's book and then kept for use as a reference manual. I have read and re-read this book several times and each time I re-read it, something I didn't understand or fully comprehend "jumps out at me" and I become a better sailor because of the information contained within and imparted by this book. Also, some people know their subject but are unable to teach others what they know. Both JJ and Peter not only know their subject, sailing, but are also very adept at transferring that knowledge to their readers, sailors and wannabe sailors! ...
For Dummies :: Sports & Recreation & Sailing :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Ships & Shipbuilding - Engineering :: Sailing - General :: Sailing :: Peter Isler :: J J Isler :: Sailing for Dummies

 

The Annapolis Book of Seamanship - Third Edition- Completely Revised- Expanded and Updated

4 stars (A Classic in Need of a New Edition) - I have a copy of the "Annapolis Book of Seamanship," 3rd edition dated 1999. I have the highest regard for John Rousmaniere and the great contribution this book makes to sailing. There is information in this book that is hard to find. The text is extremely well written, useful, and informative. However, as I write this review in 2005, I suspect most of us would find some of the photos and illustrations have a dated look and feel. If you compare the third edition of "Annapolis" to the current edition of "Chapman's", you will see that "Annapolis" looks dated. The increased use of color and the increased use of higher resolution photos would help better illustrate the knowledge that the author is trying to communicate. Some updates of the text would be of value, for example as related to electronics. Despite the areas for updating in the third edition, "Annapolis" is well worth the price for any sailor's library. 5 stars (It's all you need but the boat and water!) - I purchased this book feeling that Chapman's was the bible of boating. I expected the Annapolis Book of Seamanship to be a sail boat owners version of the same, covering much of the same ground with a slant toward the sailor. I now know that this is only half true! John Rousmaniere, who I have since had the honor of meeting, presents a no nonsense look at sailing and seamanship. He takes this sailing business very seriously and doesn't fudge on anything. His own sailing experience has taught him that sailing can be dangerous and that the sea or any large body of water is to be dealt with respectfully, safely and with a base of knowledge and preparedness. John knows his stuff and is unquestionably one of the country's most knowledgeable seamen. His words are like gold to every sailor. 5 stars (A "Must Have" for all Sailors) - When I started sailing my 27 foot sloop, I knew very little about sailing. I bought this book and used it to teac...
Simon - Schuster :: Sports & Recreation & Sailing :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Seamanship :: Sailing - General :: Sailing :: Navigation :: Boating And Sailing :: Boating - General :: The Annapolis Book of Seamanship - Third Edition- Completely Revised- Expanded and Updated

 

Ashley Book of Knots

4 stars (excellent book) - as reference books go, this is one of the best for knots. any knot imaginable is here and a clear concise way to tie it. great book for any purpose. 4 stars (Knots for beginners?) - I found this book to be both educational and entertaining. As a beginning I found the diagrams hard to follow and sometimes lacking. As a novice in knots tying and having the responsibilty of teaching young adults, this book was great for the history and use of knots but lacking in the illustrations needed for me to learn how to tie the knots. 5 stars (Should be a staple in every reference library) - Go to your nearest hardware store, and look at all the fasteners. There are U-bolts, swages, eye-hooks, and on, too many to count. Well, not too long ago, the metal in a bolt would have been a prohibitive cost. Instead, the jobs of all those fasteners were filled by knots. There is a branch of mathematics called "knot theory". It deals with one-dimensional fibers crossing in 3-space, and no other dimensionality has quite the same properties. A strand, wrapped around another and holding it, is a remarkable thing. Daily jobs in older eras touch abstract math in this book. It's a remarkable encyclopedia of practical, beautiful, and profound ways of pulling things together. Ashley shows bows, buttons, nooses, braids, knots, bights, and seemingly endless other ways to make simple strings into tools, toys, and decorations. You will come away from this book with respect. All those different people - fishermen, sailors, weavers, surgeons, and shipping clerks - all of them had their own needs and only strings to meet those needs with. They did their jobs, and did them well, using the techniques remembered in this book. What's more, mathematicians use this book as a fundamental reference. Just about any twist in space was named here, so Ashley has become the catalog. When a mathematician refers to "Ashley #128", the structure has been specified completely. This is his...
Doubleday :: CRAFTS&HOBBIES :: Sports & Recreation & Sailing :: Ships & Shipbuilding - Engineering :: Sailing - General :: Knots and splices :: General :: Do-It-Yourself :: Craf :: Ashley Book of Knots