Books+Media

Do Whales get the Bends?

by Rebecca Fenton, Posted September 23, 2010

Ever wondered why the sea is blue or a knot is called a knot? Retired marine biologist Tony Rice answers these and scores of other questions about the sea in a book that is as fascinating as it is informative. Complex and densely packed with diagrams and statistics, the book makes entertaining and occasionally challenging reading; it is best savored one entry at a time. In one of his more complex

You Want to Go Where?

by David Schmidt, Posted September 21, 2010

Need a sponsor to make your sailing dreams a reality? If so, You Want to Go Where?: How to Get Someone to Pay for the Trip of Your Dreams should definitely be on your must-read list. Author Jeff Blumenfeld, a lifelong sailor and public relations expert, distills a number of sophisticated ways of wooing prospective sponsors into digestible nuggets in this well-written look at what it

The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats

by Charles Mason, Posted June 23, 2010

After watching Steve Henkel collect brochures on trailerable boats for almost 50 years, his wife, Carol, asked why he was continuing to surround himself with mounds of seemingly obsolete files. With no room to maneuver, Henkel could only mumble that they were for a book he was planning to write. “Starting when?” his wife asked. “Now,” he meekly replied.Fortunately for us, the result is a

The Modern Cruising Sailboat

by Charles Mason, Posted June 9, 2010

Often, buying a cruising boat is the realization of a lifelong dream. But with that dream comes financial, logistical and, yes, personal obligations. While all of them can be managed, it’s a lot easier when you understand the realities that go with boat ownership. Doane has owned many boats over the years—his latest is affectionately named Lunacy—and uses his acquired wisdom in an entertaining

Get Onboard with E-Charting

by Meredith Laitos, Posted May 20, 2010

So you want to plot a course while watching Google Earth, monitoring fuel efficiency, geo-referencing digital photos, checking the weather, tracking the tide and reading a cruiser’s forum to find a good dinner spot? There’s an app for that. In fact, there are hundreds of apps for all of that.Where once you had to combine information from cruising guides, almanacs, weather stations and

Go for the Green

by Kimball Livingston, Posted April 26, 2010

I want you to read this book. Even if you already know about Garry Hoyt’s schemes for simplifying sailing, even if you have your own perspective on a timeline for solar-electric conversion, there’s perspective here you need to consider.Hoyt’s overview of the development of sailing, from a critical national technology to “the backwaters and eddies of a rich man’s sport,” sets up a vision of

Not Just Another How-To Book

by Meredith Laitos, Posted March 8, 2010

This is not your average how-to-sail manual. In The Blue Book of Sailing, Adam Cort (SAIL’s Senior Editor) divides sailing into “The 22 keys to sailing mastery.” The topics are basic but presented an in-depth manner that will provide even lifetime sailors with a deeper understanding. For instance, rather than simply describing the process of a tack, Cort delves into the evolution of tacking

Cold Comfort Reading

by Peter Nielsen, Posted January 20, 2010

This time of year, with the boats packed up and the waters iced over, we often become armchair sailors by default. There’s no better time to delve into that list of sailing books you've been dying to read. Start with these suggestions from SAIL editors and readers, and send us a few of your own. Get cozy – reading season has only just begun.Dallas

Small Boat, Big Adventure

by Sail Staff, Posted January 12, 2010

"Going places in your own sailboat is one of the greatest travel experiences you can have. And you don't need to go all the way to French Polynesia to experience the thrill of discovery that sailing offers. Simply exploring secluded coves in an inland lake can be an adventure that you and your family will never forget," writes Brian Gilbert in his new book The Complete Trailer

Caribbean Cruising

by Charles Mason, Posted January 11, 2010

When the mailman delivers the latest edition of these cruising guiddes, it's like getting one of those fruit or candy boxes Aunt Sarah and Uncle George send to celebrate a special occasion: the contents look beautiful, but they taste even better.Both of these guides have been around for more than a quarter century, and each new edition is carefully updated to invlude all the changes and