My Favorite Cruising Books

If I had my own website, I could post all the lists I want, but a blog can be a little bit more restrictive. I would have a website, but a good one costs money, and they take that much more time, time I don't really have to put into a web site. So I thought I would put a list of my favorite boat related books in a post, just for kicks and giggles. Maybe someone else will find the list useful.

Lin and Larry Pardey - They have written a pile of books, some are narratives, some how to's. Small boat, and engine-less, this couple are my generations gods of the sea, and they're writing is addictive. They have also made 4 DVDs that are a nice change from reading.

Herb Payson - Blown Away, and You Can't Blow Home Again. I love the way this guy writes(funny), its too bad he only wrote 3 books, the third being an advice book about cruising, called Advice to the Sealorn.

Don Casey - His finest work is of course, This Old Boat, and has a place in my tool bag. Any work done to the boat needs to be read about in this book first, during, and afterwards. Beyond this though, he co-wrote Sensible Cruising: The Thoreau Approach, with Lew Hackler, another how to do it simple, but do it right book. I had to hunt down this book through used sources because it has been long out of print, but it was well worth it.

John Vigor - Twenty Sailboats to Take You Anywhere and Small Boat to freedom. The first book I've read so many times I almost have it memorized. I was in lust with the Alberg 30 for many years, and this book is the bluewater cruiser list for small boats, including the Alberg. The second is a wonderful story about John leaving South Africa on a 31' sloop that is a must read. However, probably his most influential book for me is The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat, this is a guide for my refit, it might as well be the preparation bible for offshore cruising. This one has a home on our boat, always.

Jim Moore - By Way of the Wind and Swan the Second Voyage. Cruising narratives, and if you like cruising stories, you'll love these.

Gregg Nestor - Twenty Affordable Sailboats to Take You Anywhere. A John Vigor sanctioned extension to his similarly titled book, but this book deals with small boats the next size up. In fact some of them are not all that small, but it does cover Vita's sistership, the Bayfield 32, and there is more in common with the two boats than there are differences.

Ann Vanderhoof - An Embarrassment of Mangoes. Just one of those stories I need to read once in awhile. I met Ann at the Toronto International Boat Show peddling her book, but I had already read it more times than I could remember, so didn't have an excuse for an autograph.

Beth Leonard - The Voyager's Handbook. How she got so much information about the cruising life crammed into less than a whole library is beyond me. This book stays with the boat too.

Peter Nichols - A Voyage for Madmen. My Mom gave me this book for Xmas one year, and it sat on the book shelf for probably another year before I finally decided I should read it; in case she asked. It turned out to be one of the most amazing books I had ever read. It is a story about the first non-stop round the world race, the Golden Globe, and not usually something I would be interested in, but Peter wrote it so well that I couldn't put the book down. If you appreciate good writing, and a sailing story to boot, this is the cats meow.

Paul and Sheryl Shard - Sail Away. The book is getting a little dated, but for us Canadians its nice to have a home grown couple give us the what for of outfitting. They also produce the Distant Shores TV show that has them tracking all over the place in their boat, movies, etc.... Ontario, Canada's own sailing Royal Couple.

Ann Hammick - Ocean Cruising on a Budget. Title says it all, and together with Annie Hill's - Voyaging on a Small Income, are the guidelines for the thrifty and cheap.

Dave and Jaja Martin - Into the Light. A wonderful narrative about a young couple and their 3 children who just don't fit societies idea of a normal lifestyle. They also have a video that is worth whatever the cost is.

Reese Palley - There Be No Dragons, Unlikely People, and Unlikely Passages. I think Reese will live forever, he is old, and he writes like he is old. His words are very proper, almost old school if you will, but his stories are addictive, enlightening, funny, and an absolute must read for anyone who has been bitten by the sailing/cruising bug. You won't learn what food to pack, or how to trim your sails, but you'll be a better cruiser for having read them, I guarantee it.

Dan Spurr - Guide to Upgrading Your Cruising Sailboat. If your doing something crazy like I am, refitting a 30 year old sailboat, then this book needs to be sitting right beside Don Casey's This Old Boat.

Nigel Calder-Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual. I said it before, if you own a boat, you should have a copy of this on board, or are on the way to the bookstore to pick it up. Its the first thing I bought after I bought Vita. Unless of course you are omnipotent, and even then you should have it just in case. You might also want to get Nigel's Marine Diesel Engines book as well. If you have a diesel of course.

Emiliano Marino - The Sailmaker's Apprentice. If you have sails, you should have a good book on taking care of them. This book might be overkill for some, but it is right on the money for those of us who do our own canvass work.

There are a few others of course, but this is the big list. Some of these books I have had for years. Don Casey's This Old Boat, I bought almost 20 years ago, and its as relevant today as it was back then. Its been updated, but my old copy is still a godsend.

I hope you find some of this list entertaining at the least. I have a large library of cruising/sailing books that I have been collecting over the years, but the ones above are the highlights. If your looking for information on cruising sailboats, or just a good story, these will serve you well. If you know of one that isn't on the list that should be, let me know, I would love to have an excuse to get another book.