I remember the anticipation, and at the same time, the anxiety, our plans for cruising brought me after we made the decision to go. We spent two-and-a-half years upgrading a boat that had already completed a 10-year circumnavigation.
Cirrus II had been used hard and put up for sale salty, but we knew this boat would take us where we wanted to go. After the refit, we also knew the systems because we had done all the work ourselves. Our sailing skills were good and our confidence level matched our skills. So what was the problem? Well, there were a lot of unanswered questions about the unknown. Diana Jessie’s
The Cruising Woman’s Advisor would have allayed the anxiety and been a welcome addition to my bookshelf.
Women contemplating the cruising lifestyle—and I might add, their partner as well—should read this book before taking off. Diana Jessie addresses concerns ranging from interpersonal relationships on board and preparing for the voyaging lifestyle (safety, health, learning to sail, weather, insurance, etc.), to the mundane like banking, communications, and yes, even provisioning and cooking on board. The appendix is a source for services and informational resources, and the bibliography highlights books to read for additional mental and physical preparation.
The writing style is brief and to the point—there’s no fluff in this 166-page, pure text, paperback. There’s a lot of material to cover and it’s done in a concise manner so that every reader gains some valuable information and insight. Lending their support to this book and its importance are well-known women sailors and cruisers like Lin Pardey, Nancy Payson, Dawn Riley, Patience Wales (the editor of Sail magazine), and many more.
The Cruising Woman’s Advisor
Diana Jessie
International Marine
Copyright 1997
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