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Book Recommendations

4K views 19 replies 16 participants last post by  nailbunnySPU 
#1 ·
Hi All,

My wife and I are both dreaming of the cruising lifestyle later on in life. We are both complete newbies and have 15 to 20 years to make it all the way from where we are now, to seasoned sailors ready to take on a big ocean. I have been devouring books and have learned a fair bit, however, these books have generally been the kind about the technicalities of sailing, navigation and how to select and prepare a bluewater vessel (Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook has been on my bedside table for a while now).

My wife has started enquiring about what she can read. As much as I enjoy learning about the nitty gritty of owning and maintaining a boat, I am sure she would far prefer something formatted more like a novel. I believe she would prefer to start with something about someone else's adventures at sea and the cruising lifestyle before getting down into the more technical stuff.

Can anyone recommend some good books she might enjoy?

Thanks :)
 
#2 ·
Try Tania Abei's "Maiden Voyage" or Ann Vanderhoof (sp?) "An Embarassment of Mangoes." And congrats on planning to live the dream (it's worth it! Took us almost 10 years from first exposure to living aboard with no permanent address :) )
 
#5 ·
Thanks guys. Just ordered "An Embarassment of Mangoes" from Amazon.

Eryka, just read your blog... Looks amazing. Tell me, what are your long term plans with the cruising life? Are you and your husband setup to be able to do this indefinitely or do you expect to have to re-integrate into "normal" life at one point or another?
 
#3 ·
North to the Night by Alvah Simon
Flirting with Mermaids by John Kretschmer
The Coast of Summer by Anthony Bailey
My Old Man and the Sea by Daniel and David Hays
 
#4 ·
I'm currently reading Lin and Larry Pardey's Capable Cruiser, it is not a novel, but it definitely has many short stories and anecdotes, some of them if not most, written by Lin, your wife might like to read these things coming from the woman's point of view.

I haven't finished the book but I would totally recommend it. I've learned a whole lot just on the first half...

Good Luck!
 
#9 ·
I would throw in "Sailing Grace" by John Ottenbacher.
It is a great read filled more with life's lessons and dealing with health issues as well as sailing.
 
#13 ·
The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow

Ok here's one I just read, will help put the whole world in perspective.

Compared to a mirror any boat you are planing to live aboard should be more comfortable :)

Warning, it's very hard to put this one down once you start it.

Dave.

The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow | Black Inc. Publishing

P.S. search for the title "The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow" on amazon if you can't find it in your local book shop.
 
#14 ·
(Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook has been on my bedside table for a while now).
That's a great book. I only know one that is as good. This one:

http://www.4-oceans.com/vagnon-voile.asp

If you read French, don't miss it. It's the French Bible:D about sailing and cruising.

There is also a very good classical one that had a new edition recently. The new edition has a lot of new contributions that made it a even better book:

http://www.amazon.com/Adlard-Coles-Heavy-Weather-Sailing/dp/0071592903/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267366218&sr=1-1-spell

Regards

Paulo
 
#17 ·
That's a great book. I only know one that is as good. This one:

http://www.4-oceans.com/vagnon-voile.asp

If you read French, don't miss it. It's the French Bible:D about sailing and cruising.
As a matter of fact, I do read French... but already having enough trouble getting my head around all the English maritime terminology, not sure I need the extra confusion just now :D
 
#15 ·
#18 ·
Just finished devouring Ann Vanderhoof's "An Embarassment of Mangoes". Fantastic read, not so much about the sailing, but about taking a good look about what is important in life.
 
#19 ·
Josh Slocum is oldschool but has a great sea-dog writing style and wonderful stories. I can't remember the name of his book exactly, but I think it's just called, Around the World Alone or something epic like that. If your wife likes the lit side of things, Joseph Conrad is good too
 
#20 ·
Josh Slocum is oldschool but has a great sea-dog writing style and wonderful stories. I can't remember the name of his book exactly
Sailing Alone Around the World is the title and I highly recommend it as well. He was the first man ever to do as the title suggests, and had a great time of it over 3 years, as a writer with a book deal in advance. Very well written. I've read it twice, and it's free on the kindle if you know where to look.
 
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