The Sailors Classics library introduces a new generation of readers to the best books ever written about small boats under sail

When the 46-foot Tzu Hang sailed from Australia into the vast Southern Ocean in December 1956, her crew of three couldnt know what terror awaited them.

Theo Dorgan's gripping account of a transatlantic voyage on the schooner Spirit of Oysterhaven-from the Caribbean to the coast of his native Cork-is both travelogue and meditation, interior journey and outward voyage of exploration. Dorgan's meticulously exact account of the labour and skills involved could well act as a handbook for anyone prompted to repeat the adventure. His feel for the history of the sea and sailing, drawn from wide reading, is tested against the practical realities of what is involved in such an ambitious undertaking. The qualities of endurance and willingness he must find in himself, the shared experiences that make four individuals into a crew, all these come as a succession of revelations. He brings a poet's eye to the immensities of the ocean, its lore, its mysteries and its secrets. As so many before him, he will learn that what you find on the journey, not the destination, is what matters. "A book for everyone"-Doris Lessing "This book exerts a form of curious hypnosis which stealthily insinuates its rhythms into your mind. It keeps you alert while somehow lulling you into a drift of easy reading. This enticing travelogue's curious spell is slow and incremental, yet all the more potent for being stealthy." -THE SCOTSMAN

A story to inspire the disabled, and in fact all people, to dream and set sights well past their comfort zone.­­Christopher Reeve

The inspiring tale of a voyage across the Atlantic

Paralyzed from the chest down when she was thrown from a horse, Liz might have sunk into a twilight of self-pity but for her indomitable spirit. She met and eventually married Pete Fordred, who had been paralyzed in a car accident. With no prospects in the beleaguered Rhodesia of 1980, they formed a crazy plan: to build a boat and sail around the world. That they were broke, were disabled, had never sailed, and lived 1,000 miles from the ocean in a country where boat equipment was almost impossible to obtain wouldnt stop them.

An Ocean to Cross is a tale of courage, self-empowerment, and ultimate triumph. Liz Fordreds most eloquent answers to a storm of nay-saying were her seemingly inexhaustible reservoirs of fortitude and optimism, and an amazing marriage that grew stronger with each new obstacle. This good-humored and forthright narrative tells the inspiring story of how she and Pete worked tirelessly together to rebuild their lives against all odds, and ultimately sailed to a new life in America.

Sailing: A Beginner's Guide takes the reader step-by-step from his or her first sail to an almost intuitive mastery of small boat handling. the delightful drawings combined with the author's appealing writing style successfully explain topics in manageable double page spreads. The book unravels the mysteries of reading the wind, guides the reader through his or her first tenuous steps aboard, and then beyond to navigation, safety, seamanship and even trailering, conveying the magic as well as the nuts and bolts of sailing. It is a gentle introduction for those who are just starting out, and will provide many evocative images for those who already sail. It's all here, more successfully captured than ever before in one book. Inspirational for novice and old hand alike. 'A learn-to-sail book with heart' - WoodenBoat ' A real winner...a masterful blend of straightforward text with delightful and instructive illustrations' - Cruising World 'Teaches sailing with flair and poetry' - SAIL

This is the perfect guide for anyone cruising in the Mediterranean by Rod Heikell, the acknowledged expert on Mediterranean sailing. Thoroughly updated, this new edition conveys the magic of Mediterranean cruising, as well as giving practical first-hand advice on sailing these enticing waters. Although the Mediterranean provides wonderfully diverse cruising opportunities, it can also deliver a few surprises to the unwary. In this invaluable practical guide, Rod Heikell provides sound advice on: anchoring, berthing bow or stern-to, what weather to expect, facilities and the costs of keeping a boat there, plus advice on navigation, popular routes, formalities and what to expect ashore. Each country around the Mediterranean is covered, and there's even a handy section on shoe-string cruising for those on a tight budget. 'Offers time-served advice to both the novice and the old-hand.' Nautical Magazine

Southeast Coast of Puerto Rico Plans include: Pasaje Medio Mundo Ensenada Honda Palmas del Mar Puerto Arroyo & Puerto Patillas

With great good humor and a Wagnerian sense of the majesty in an ocean crossing, Juan Corradi makes his sailboat the star of the narrative, and inspires anyone to take to sea in a small sailing vessel, and see the World from the deck of a sailboat. He gives details of her design and build, her string of lucky owners, and the great adventures at sea over 25 years.

In a book that is sure to become a classic, internationally respected boatbuilder, yacht manager, and delivery skipper Bill Seifert shares his hard-won solutions to a host of boat design, construction, and equipment issues and seamanship dilemmas. Unlike other books on the subject, Offshore Sailing doesn’t just tell readers what to do for safe and comfortable passage making; it shows them how to do it with clear, step-by-step instructions and nearly 200 detailed drawings and photographs.

West Coast of Puerto Rico Plans include: Bahia de Mayaguez Puerto Real Bahia de Boqueron Approaches to La Parguera

How-to guidance for retiring on a boat-for aging captains and landlubbers Have you ever thought you might want to retire on a boat? Of course you have or you wouldn't have picked up this book! Whatever form your yearning for aquatic retirement takes, Jim Trefethen can help you realize the dream. After sailing together for over 40 years, the Jim and his wife have learned the secrets of living a content and productive life. Here Jim shares those secrets, including: Making sure you really want to do it: then make sure you are sure. How to upsize your ambitions while downsizing your life, in ways that will enhance your retirement How to get all your shore-side affairs in order, then to make some important adjustments in your attitude, confidence, and self esteem Easy-to-understand pointers and suggestions for deciding which type of retired cruising is best for you A ten-step plan to buying a boat with as little drama as possible How to modify your new/old floating retirement home to make it safer, more comfortable, and more elderly friendly

"It takes thousands of hours of sailing to get the kind of knowledge contained in this book." -- from the Foreword by Bruce Schwab The ONLY bible for how to sail your boat fast, safe, and alone Solo sailing is within any sailor's grasp with a little forethought--and this essential guide. Got a 35-foot sailboat? No problem. Is the wind blowing 20 knots? No problem. Are you racing offshore overnight? Even better. Singlehander Andrew Evans learned the hard way how to sail and race alone--with lots of mishaps, including broaches and a near tumbling over a waterfall--and in Singlehanded Sailing he shares the techniques, tips, and tactics he has developed to make his solo sailing adventures safe and enriching. Learn everything you need to know to meet any solo challenge, including: Managing the power consumption aboard a boat to feed the electric autopilotSetting and gybing a spinnakerFinding time to sleepDealing with heavy weather

Wales to the East Coast of Ireland Plans included: Cardigan (1:40 000) New Quay (1:20 000) Aberystwyth (1:20 000) Aberdovey (1:50 000) Barmouth (1:30 000) Porthmadog (1:75 000) Tremadog Bay (1:75 000) Menai Strait (1:80 000) Menai Strait - The Swellies (1:25 000) Conwy (1:30 000) Dun Laoghaire (1:25 000) Dublin Bay (1:90 000) Wicklow (1:10 000) Arklow (1:15 000) Wexford (1:75 000) On this edition the chart specification has been improved to show coloured light flashes. The firing practice areas have been updated and the extents of the Skomer I. Marine Reserve is shown. There has been general updating throughout.

The Complete Day Skipper is a totally practical hands-on manual that covers the RYA Day Skipper syllabus in a way that reflects a skipper's growing experience at sea, beginning with yacht handling under power, moving on to boat husbandry and sailing skills, and from there to the realistic use of modern electronic navigation systems. Eminently readable and very down to earth, this fully revised sixth edition has become required reading for all skippers in their early years as well as more experienced sailors who choose not to venture far afield. As one of Britain's best-known instructors and writers on seamanship, Tom Cunliffe provides just the right blend of advice, instruction, inspiration and encouragement.

The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) - the maritime equivalent to the emergency services number - provides a fast and efficient way of calling for assistance at sea, whatever the size of craft or its location. Denise Brehaut explains the operation of the system as a whole and clearly outlines the procedures required to get help quickly, as well as covering the syllabi of the General Operator's Certificate (GOC), the Long Range Certificate (LRC) and the Restricted Operator's Certificate (ROC). Concise descriptions of channel usage, call signs, types of transmission and equipment allow novices as well as long-time users to thoroughly understand this life-saving communications system. The 6th edition of GMDSS incorporates all the changes to the regulations that came into force in 2009 as well as the 2016 system updates. GMDSS: A User's Handbook has proved an invaluable reference for exam candidates and equipment users alike for almost 20 years - it is the GMDSS bible. The clear and lucid text is supported with illustrations, handy Q&A sections and a quick-reference revision guide for GOC and LRC students. Since it was first published, this book has helped explain the system for anyone using GMDSS and has been excellent pre-course reading for students.

Channel Havens is a cruising guide with a difference. Recognising that many of us would like to sail away from the crowd, Ken Endean introduces the reader to beautiful, unfrequented places within the Western English Channel, from the Solent to the West Country, Channel Islands and Northern France. Here are sandy bays, coves, reef anchorages and the upper reaches of river estuaries - places neglected by most pilot books - where one can experience the sense of discovery and adventure that is more usually associated with faraway cruising. Anyone who is attracted by the dramatic scenery of unspoilt coastal waters will treasure this guide from an experienced sailors who has gone before.

Carnlough Harbour (sketch plan) Larne (1:18 500) Carrickfergus (1:15 000) Bangor Bay (1:17 500) Donaghadee Sound (1:25 000) Entrance to Strangford Lough (1:37 500) Portaferry Marina (1:7500) Strangford (1:5000) Ardglass (1:15 000) Stranraer (1:12 500) Portpatrick (1:6000)

John Kretschmer is sailing's practical philosopher - as much a doer as a thinker. And that is the overarching theme of this chronicle of a sailing life. Often amusing, sometimes poignant, occasionally terrifying but always inspiring, his deeply personal account is a welcome reminder of the good life waiting at sea. With hundreds of thousands of nautical miles under his keel, John's adventures have taken him several times around the world, with challenging crossings of the Atlantic and the Pacific, a narrow escape from a coup in Yemen, an unlikely deliverance from a coral reef off Belize as well as more serene, introspective passages where trade winds are blowing and stories are flowing. His crew has included CEOs, actors, writers, teachers, kids - in essence, everyone. John's narrative is interwoven with practical tips and advice in seamanship, but also, and just as importantly, his hard-won insights about making the most of our lives. He truly believes we find out who we really are, and what we are capable of, far from the shackles of land, when we find a place where time changes shape - days may merge into one another, but minutes are memorable. To live adventurously is to live more fully, and that is the life John Kretschmer continues to live. In this book he shares his simple profundities that will inspire those who live to sail, and those seeking something more rewarding from life.

Kayaking, canoeing and sailing are exhilarating, demanding and hugely enjoyable outdoor pursuits. This practical guide offers a comprehensive introduction to all three sports, for those at all levels of experience and ability. All aspects of each sport are covered, from basic information on equipment and where best to sail or paddle, to expert tuition on the core skills and techniques you will need - such as launching, rigging, tacking, paddling, capsizing and rescue. Packed with expert advice, professional hints and tips and illustrated with more than 1500 photographs and diagrams, this book contains everything you need to know about these thrilling aquatic sports.

Secret Anchorages of Brittany provides concise pilotage directions for practically all the natural anchorages along the Brittany coast, from the Bay of Mont St Michel round to the great estuary of the Loire.As with the first edition, the anchorages start near Cap de la Hague on the Cotentin Peninsula and include Iles Chausey. The book enters Brittany waters near Cancale and follows the whole 300-mile coastline, with its rivers, estuaries and offshore islands, looking into every nook and cranny on the way. This stylish second edition includes many new anchorages and is lavishly illustrated in colour, while the anchorage charts have been redrawn and verified against the Admiralty or French SHOM charts.The pilotage sections are peppered with short features on the maritime traditions, life and history of this inimitable coast. Peter Cumberlidge is a well known writer and photographer who cruises widely under sail and power. He always returns to Brittany with affection and the new Secret Anchorages reflects his sympathy for this fabulous cruising area, the people who live here and the superlative seafood for which the coast is justly renowned.

Written by one of the best-known figures in all of sailing and a leading authority on Optimist sailing and racing, The Winners Guide to Optimist Sailing is the ideal training manual for young skippers, their parents, and their coaches. The most comprehensive sailing guide to the International Optimist dinghy class features:

• Step-by-step instructions on every aspect of beginning sailing
  
• More than 100 stunning photographs and helpful illustrations
  
• Useful tips and winning tactics for competitive racing
  
• Special advice sections for parents and coaches
  

Bill Conan, a middle-aged adventurer, has entered a 30,000 mile solo race around the world in the sloop Josephine, seeing it as his last chance to win status and success. Risking the ultimate test of skill, strength and endurance, Conan will follow his course across the vast expanse of the treacherous Atlantic, toward the one disaster a seaman most dreads. Overboard and alone on the open sea, his struggle can have only one end...

The 1866 transatlantic yacht race was a match that saw three yachts battle their way across the Atlantic in the dead of winter in pursuit of a $90,000 prize. Six men died in the brutal and close-fought contest, and the event changed the perception of yachting from a slightly effete gentlemen's pursuit into something altogether more rugged and adventurous. The race also symbolized the beginning of America's 'gilded age', with its associated obscene wealth and largesse (the $90,000 prize put up by the three contestants is about $15 million in today's money), as well as the thawing of relations between the US and UK. The narrative focuses on the victorious yacht Henrietta and her owner James Gordon Bennett. Bennett was the son of the multimillionaire proprietor of the New York Herald, and a notorious playboy. His infamous stunts included driving his carriage through the streets of New York naked, tipping a railway porter $30,000, and turning up at his own engagement party blind drunk and mistaking the fire for a urinal, which led to the coining of the phrase 'Gordon Bennett!'. However, Bennett was also a serious yachtsman and had served with distinction during the civil war aboard Henrietta, and he was the only owner to be aboard his own boat during the race. Other characters include Bennett's captain Samuel Samuels (legendary clipper skipper, ex-convict and occasional vaudeville actor), financier Leonard Jerome, aboard Henrietta as race invigilator (he also happened to be grandfather to Winston Churchill) and Stephen Fisk, a journalist so desperate to cover the race that he evaded a summons to appear as a witness in court and instead smuggled himself aboard Henrietta in a crate of champagne. Using the framework of the race to discuss the various historical themes, there's ample drama, and the diverse and eccentric range of characters ensure that this is a book laced with plenty of human interest, scandal and adventure.