Writing for sailors of cruising boats of all sizes and types, the authors cover just about every aspect of preparing to go to sea in a modern boat: characteristics of safe boats for blue-water cruising; latest developments in hardware, construction and sails; dimensions of proper sea-going bunks, chart tables and cockpits; lists of sails, emergency gear, and electronic instruments for different types of boats and sailing; ways to improve your boat's ventilation and refrigeration; checklists of gear and medical equipment...and much more.

Roger Marshall. noted yacht designer, has written the perfect guide for choosing the right cruising sailboat. Starting with a questionnaire that helps the reader picture his or her ideal boat, he takes them step-by-step through the nitty-gritty of the decision-making process: determining the right hull shape...seaworthiness...comfort and ease of handling...real costs...ease of maintenance, and more.

Thirty-three chapters are grouped under general topics such as: Preparing to Go; Maintenance at Sea; Safety Aloft; At Anchor; Choosing Gear; Care of Self and Crew; Seamanship.

The cruising tale is full of the sights and sounds, the fragrances and native customs of foreign lands, especially Central American and the Caribbean. It is a story of a leisurely sail through the Gulf of Cortez and on through Panama Canal to the Azores and England. Cruising in "Seraffyn" is also a carefully thought out guide to living aboard a small boat, with fun and economy as the guide principles. Four appendices provide data that is vital for anyone comtemplating long distance cruising.

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.

The ultimate "nautical tourist guide," World Cruising Handbook combines the best features of a conventional tourist guide and a specialist cruising guide. It contains everything the globe-girdling cruising sailor needs to know about the most popular cruising destinations around the world, from Australia to Antigua, Turkey to Tahiti. Those who prefer sailing off the beaten path will find full instructions for visiting lonely Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic, or the remote islands of the North Pacific. The colorful introduction to each of the world's 185 maritime countries gives a taste of what it's like, while the more practical sections tell what to expect on arrival, including: economy, history, political situation, culture, climate, language, religion, ports of entry, customs and immigration requirements, clearance procedures, ports and facilities, currency, hurricane holes, and more. Other sections cover cruising formalities, health precautions, radio procedures, buoyage, chart agents worldwide, courtesy flag patterns for every country, and a glossary of useful terms in several languages.

This updated comprehensive cruising guide to all the world's oceans is a valuable reference for cruising sailors and armchair dreamers. More than 500 sailing routes are detailed, including 40 new routes to such high-latitude destinations as Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, and Antarctica. The book includes 64 pages of 2-color maps, updated Gps coordinates for navigation, and route-by-route descriptions of weather and hazards.

"This is the most comprehensive primer on preparing for long-term cruising that I have seen. It is full of hard-won knowledge that is presented in bite-sized digestible chunks. The book will be a great resource for beginning cruisers, and a useful checklist and reference for the experienced."

The Voyager's Handbook covers the arts of passagemaking, from preplanning to seamanship, to knowing what provisions are available in foreign ports. Its up-to-the-minute details on sail-handling systems, electronics, and full design will be welcomed by planners and dreamers.The book offers tried-and-true coping mechanisms that make voyaging a pleasure, not a trial.

Hal and his wife truly enjoy a constant ocean craving, that of the give and take of mother-sea. Writing to describe their voyages entails the hard and respectful lessons of the oceans and its many shores. They are the next generation of Hiscocks daring the gods of the world's oceans to provide safe-passage through masterfully coraling the largest element of our inner world. It is hard to review just one of Hal's books, since each one is uniquely built upon the next one with enhanced learning and understanding of the ever changing cruising life-style. Since the voyaging sailer spends 80-90 percent oftheir time anchored or stationary in one or many ports or spots, the title describes the feeling of both the sailing and the well earned restful and interesting places where outgoing people of this stature can grow in understanding of the Earth's 3rd world populations. The trick is to sucessfully be able to share these experiences through writing about them in a thoughtful and certainly captive mannor.

This is a great book to read if you like adventure on the high seas! Reading this book makes you want to cast off today! Hal, whom I've met personally, is a great sailor and wonderful author. I have enjoyed many of his stories. Read and enjoy.