Become Captain of the Sea: Best Sailing Books
A sailing manual is an indispensable item in a sailor’s gear. Sailing manuals are troves of information about sailing. Irrespective of sailing ability or experience, there are always loads of information to get from sailing manuals. They contain general sailing information like steering and more specific ones like docking and knot tying.
The American Sailing Association (ASA) recommends some sailing manuals to sailors looking to get ASA’s certification. The recommendation of such manuals has further elevated the importance of sailing manuals to sailors. Having scoured the length and breadth of the sailing world, we identified the following sailing manuals as the best sailing manuals in 2024. The sailing manuals identified range from ASA-recommended manuals to other sailing manuals that provide valuable tips and guidance on handling various sailing problems.
Our Top Picks
Best Sailing Manual
Best for Experts
Now in its fourth edition, this sailing manual contains all the latest information on the care and maintenance of a boat’s electrical and mechanical components. The book has a wide array of sections that have been updated with the latest handling techniques and tips.
Pros
- It comes in Kindle and hardcover formats.
- It is the most detailed manual on the electrical system of boats.
- It contains up-to-date information.
Cons
- The subject of powerboat electrical systems is not well covered.
Key Features
The Kindle format of this manual is text-to-speech enabled.
Best for Solo Sailors
Stress-free Sailing: Single and Short-handed Techniques contains tips, hacks, and techniques for sailors riding alone or riding with people without sailing knowledge. It painstakingly covers areas of sailing that could prove daunting to a sailor sailing solo.
Pros
- It comes in Kindle and hardcover format.
- It offers the best tips on docking.
Cons
- The book contains many British colloquialisms that may be difficult for non-speakers of British English.
Key Features
The manual contains video tutorials for readers.
Best for Beginners
Sailing Fundamentals teaches the basics of sailing to new sailors and boat owners. It contains visual illustrations that help newbies get more clarity of the written text. Because it treats the basics of sailing, it is a recommended manual for sailors taking the American Sailing Association’s certification course.
Pros
- It breaks down sailing terminologies for newbies.
- It extensively discusses the topic of coastal sailing
- It is an ASA-recommended text.
Cons
- The book has not been updated in a long time.
Key Features
It comes in three formats; paperback, Kindle, and library binding.
Most detailed
The book contains an in-depth guide on the nitty-gritty of maintaining sailboats. The book also contains tips for troubleshooting system faults. The topics of maintaining diesel engines and the electrical systems of sailboats are extensively discussed in the book.
Pros
- It contains helpful illustrations.
- It is written in basic English that makes the understanding of concepts easier.
Cons
- It is a little pricey
Key Features
The book is an aggregation of six different books on various areas of sailing by the author.
Best Sailing Manuals Buying Guide
What Are Sailing Manuals?
Sailing manuals are guides written purposely to help sailors and boat owners better maintain their boats. They usually contain areas not covered at all or insufficiently covered in the owner’s manual that comes with ships and boats.
Usually, the content of the boat owner’s manual revolves around ideal situations without putting much thought into various variables and eventualities. On the other hand, sailing manuals contain guides and tips that are tailored to help sailors troubleshoot and solve real-life boat problems.
Experience is the best teacher, they say. Authors of sailing manuals are often experienced sailors themselves. They, therefore, draw on their wealth of experience to write sailing manuals that provide tips on general boat handling and maintenance.
Sailing Manuals vs. Owner’s Manuals
As stated earlier, manufacturers do not always consider various variables when writing owner’s manuals, while sailing manuals contain solutions to identified sailing problems. Apart from this, it is easier to get a copy of a sailing manual than an owner’s manual. This is because owner’s manuals are only gotten when you buy a boat from the manufacturers. Conversely, sailing manuals are available for sale to anyone whether they own a boat or not. Also, if a boat owner misplaces the owner’s manual, getting a new one from the manufacturer will be an uphill task. However, getting a detailed sailing manual from a bookstore or online is quite easier.
What Do I Need to Consider Before Buying a Sailing Manual?
Before buying a sailing manual, you should consider various factors to help you make an informed choice.
Language
The first factor to consider before buying a sailing manual is the language the manual is written in. You do not want to buy a manual written in a language you do not understand. Alternatively, if your desired manual is written in a foreign language, you can search further for the translated version. However, translated versions may not always be available.
Also, it is not enough that the manual is written in a language you understand. You should look out for manuals written with clear and concise diction. Some manuals may contain many technical jargons that leave readers dumbfounded. A manual bought to provide answers should not leave you more confused.
Writer’s pedigree
Before buying a sailing manual, you should research the author’s pedigree. You cannot give what you do not have; an author without sufficient background in sailing may not be able to give you solutions to the questions you have. Thus, you should buy sailing manuals written by authors with vast experience and background in sailing.
Your specific needs
There are many sailing manuals around. These manuals treat different sailing topics at varying depths. Some offer general information and tips about particular topics, while others go deep into the nitty-gritty of such topics.
Also, some manuals are boat-specific; they only cover subjects relating to a particular type of boat. If you do not use the specific type of boat covered in such manuals, it may not be useful to you.
Manual’s format
Like normal books, manuals are available to readers in different formats. They could come in traditional hard copy format or in soft copy format.
Soft copy format includes ebooks, pdfs, and Kindle books. They are portable and can be safely carried around on flash drives, phones, and laptops.
Hard copy formats are written on paper and could be paperback or hardback. For all the portability and ease of access that soft copies have, some people may find it hard to concentrate when reading from a screen. Thus, you should weigh the pros and cons of each format before buying.
Illustration
Since manuals provide descriptions and how-to guides, illustrations like videos and diagrams are important parts of a good manual. Illustration helps readers to understand the content of a sailing manual better. A manual without illustration may sound abstract, boring, and dry. Readers may even get lost in an ocean of words.
Year of publication
We live in a fast-paced world where information is constantly changing. The more recently a manual is published, the more updated it is. Therefore, when faced with similar sailing manuals on the same topic, you could use the year of publication as the tiebreaker. Since the most recently published or revised manual is more likely to contain the latest information on the subject matter.
How Much Do Sailing Manuals Cost?
The price of sailing manuals differs for a lot of reasons. The volume and format are the two most common determiners of price. Cheap sailing manuals could cost as little as $5, while expensive ones cost between $75 and $100.
A good sailor and would-be sailor should invest in sailing manuals. They could save you precious time and money. They are filled with various do-it-yourself hacks that you may not find in the owner’s manual of your boat.
Further, there is a wide difference between sailing manuals and sailing adventures. Sailing manuals are strictly guides that may contain anecdotes from the author’s sailing experience, while sailing adventures are stories of sea voyages that may not necessarily be true.
People Also Asked
Is sailing hard to learn?
With the right guidance, sailing is easy to learn. Also, patience and consistency will help make a newbie’s learning process smoother and more enjoyable.
Do you need ASA certification to sail?
The American Sailing Association’s certificate is not a prerequisite to sail. However, getting an ASA certification adds to your sailing resume. It also helps you in getting a bareboat charter.
What is the difference between US Sailing and ASA
The two bodies are similar in that they offer certifications to sailors. The US Sailing concerns itself with certifying racers and oversees the US Olympic sailing team’s training. ASA focuses more on recreational sailors.
Can I learn sailing with only a manual book?
Manual guides contain valuable information on sailing. However, they are not enough to replace the physical presence of a sailing instructor.