Books+Media

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

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

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

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

Chart-Topping DVD

by Sail Staff, Posted August 9, 2006

Maptech has released a DVD containing 2,300 NOAA nautical charts and 730 river charts, along with GPS navigation software. The software lets you create waypoints and routes on a computer, and if you hook your GPS up to an onboard laptop, your boat’s position will be displayed in real time. It also lets you print out route plans and chart segments. Charts are arranged by region and can be updated

Light Amusement

by Sail Staff, Posted October 10, 2006

Part of the fun of sailing at night is learning about the light combinations displayed by other vessels. “Two whites one above the other, plus a green and a red, that means—aaarggh!” The novice crew aboard will probably feel much more relaxed with a LIGHTrule in the cockpit. This $24.99 quick-reference tool shows 60 different light configurations as you’ll see them from the cockpit and includes a

Distant Shores: Cruising the Middle East

by Sail Staff, Posted November 23, 2008

Distant Shores: Cruising the Middle East, a sailing documentary produced by Paul and Sheryl Shard, allows you to enjoy the discovery of new places and cultures from the comfort of your own couch. This three-disk DVD set includes thirteen 30-minute episodes of their sailing-adventure TV series and contains some excellent sailing footage; the focus is on exotic destinations rather than

Sail Vicarious

by Sail Staff, Posted November 23, 2008

An amateur film by amateur sailors, Sail Vicarious is a how-to for would-be cruisers. Learn with them as they research, buy, and refit their new boat in this first of a DVD series that will follow Spencer and Kathleen’s circumnavigation. Though fairly basic, Sail Vicarious is thorough and straightforward—a good resource for beginners. Boat walk-throughs help present boating

Dancing with the Wind

by Sail Staff, Posted November 23, 2008

Billed as a “why-to” rather than a “how-to,” Dancing with the Wind immerses you in the beauty and passion of sailing. With an original score, composed and played by the captain himself, and without a single spoken word, this DVD tells the story of an exciting weekend cruise aboard Ed Verner’s Wind Ketcher. From a soothing twilight anchorage to an invigorating sandwich-overboard

See Like a Sailor

by MacDuff Perkins, Posted December 29, 2010

In his book Plain Sailing, Dallas Murphy gives new sailors the essential information needed to get on a boat and become a significant crewmember, while also offering experienced sailors a strong reminder of what it means to be out there in the first