Non-Fiction Sailing Books

[S/V Alchemy]

Thanks for the update. He's a very good sailor, but he might be a better writer.

[banyandah]

How about a book that gets into all the out of way spots around Australia, rich in history, practical advice, paints glorious pictures of this fascinating island continent. Two's a Crew

[Boon]

Try Mis-Adventures of a Sea Wyfe by Ley Liberson.

[Jude2010]

I just finished reading "Cape Horn to starboard" not around the world but it was a good book, an adventure from New York to sanfransisco by the horn in a Contesa 32.

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by Jude2010

I just finished reading "Cape Horn to starboard" not around the world but it was a good book, an adventure from New York to sanfransisco by the horn in a Contesa 32.

My Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather (Benjamin Fitzpatrick Bruce) made that trip in 1850. He was shipwrecked in Chili for 2 years but finally made it to the gold fields of California. He made a decent strike, sent money and gold back to his wife in New York. Then he was bushwhacked. His grave is somewhere in Sonoma, Ca. Can't find the grave or the name of the ship. History does come home sometimes.

[Jude2010]

Very cool. In the book John stopped in chile and tried to marry his girlfriend. It was a story in itself!

[freddy8064]

Originally Posted by sneuman

doesn't exactly fit your description (about stops along the way), but Voyage for Madmen (about 1968 round-the-world race with Knox-Johnston, Motessier, Crowhurst, etc.) is excellent, as is Godforsaken Sea (about Vendee Globe) by Derek Lundy.

Would agree totally.
Fascinating read of how it was done, not that long ago, without all of the 'modcons' of today's cruisers.

[svcambria]

Originally Posted by SurferShane

Got the former and should include it in my boating inventory. While Melville was mostly fictional – based on real sea time -I really do enjoy his writing style, which reminds me “Typee” needs to go onboard.

And "Omoo". Curiously Melville didn't care for his earliest (and successful) books...

Michael

[Roy M]

For those about to embark on the Baja Ha-Ha, I recommend a factual account, THE LOG FROM THE SEA OF CORTEZ, by an old fart named John Steinbeck amd his friend and colleague, Ed Ricketts. Steinbeck thought this was his best work. Check it out on: The Log from the Sea of Cortez - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Ricketts was the author of BETWEEN PACIFIC TIDES, a classic on shoreline biology, and the inspiration for Steinbeck's character "Doc" in CANNERY ROW.

[Sailor g]

Two books that I enjoyed reading that haven't been mentioned are:

Chasing Sunsets by Lawrence, Carole & Ryan Pane- story of their travels around the world. Showed me I could do it too.

Just Cruising & Still Cruising by Liza Copeland is another about traveling with kids and how it can be done well with good results.

I liked them and I have no kids at home and didn't cruise with kid but still enjoyed the stories of their travels.

[NDH]

Found in a marina book exchange.

Children of Cape Horn by Rosie Swale.........Cracking read, could not put it down.

[Valiam from Oz]

A recent circumnavigation book ''Sailing in my Sarong" - go www.valiam.com.au

[banyandah]

I've just published "Where Wild Winds Blow"
An exploration of Australia's islands and coast exposed to the Great Southern Ocean ~ on board a 38' cutter.
Recherche Archipelago, Great Australian Bight, Tasmania.
It's the story of two modern day explorers deeply in love

Click Banyandah, then go to my homepage for details.

[Butler]

Don,
Off topic a bit but...Thanks for the glimpse of your family's relationship with The Horn. My Dads' family made it 'round from Boston and opened a dry goods store in Columbia CA to sell supplies to the 49ers then a little bit later opened one on Sacramento St. in S.F.
Would love to find a source for passenger lists for those trips.

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by Butler

Don,
Off topic a bit but...Thanks for the glimpse of your family's relationship with The Horn. My Dads' family made it 'round from Boston and opened a dry goods store in Columbia CA to sell supplies to the 49ers then a little bit later opened one on Sacramento St. in S.F.
Would love to find a source for passenger lists for those trips.

They say the only people that made a real profit from the gold rush were the store owners. Oh yes, and the prostitutes.