Best non-fiction sailing books

[agua dulce]

I'd love to know everyone's favorites. Sounds like Dedekam's SAILING AND RIG TUNING is on the list. What else?

[agua dulce]

I should have said instructional books. What are the must-haves?

[Ariel 109]

"The Glenans Sailing Manual" by Philippe Harle

"Sailing Technique" by H.A. Calahan

Both of these books are old and dated in some areas but I've seen nothing better on learning the art of sailing that's more recent.

[agua dulce]

Thanks, 109, I found both of those at Alibris for under two bucks!

[ebb]

google> What's the best book on sailing for beginners - SailNet Community
Two pages but one poster says 'each book has something of its own to offer.' No one book.

An older book from the '50s - '60s - 70's might be more focused to full keel boats.
But the basics are always the same: 10% book - 90% tail on the rail.

I would be looking for some DVDs.
One will be downright annoying, but another will be great!
Sailing schools publish their manuals, maybe you'll find a damp one 2nd hand.
Took a sailing school course once but found it too militarized.
HAS TO BE FUN.

Here's a few good ones for when you begin filling out the rest of your nautical library:
Charlie Wing's (International Marine/McGrawHill) "The One-Minute Guide to the Nautical Rules of the Road" is one to have aborad to satisfy the requirement to have a copy of the rules aboard.
Peter Schweer (Sheridan House) "How to Trim Sails, Dinghies to Offshore Cruisers".
David Seidman "The Compleat Sailor, Learning the Art of Sailing (International Marine)
Wonderful, delightful drawings in the Bingham style. One to keep onboard.
Jerome Fitzgerald, (Writers Club Press) "Wind and Tide, An Introductiion to Cruising in Pure Sailing Craft" (in a Pearson Renegade) 'Pure' meaning enginless.
I think I got it at www.oarclub.org

[Ariel 109]

Thanks, 109, I found both of those at Alibris for under two bucks!

That's great! Those two books are really the antithesis of each other. One is loaded with illustrations and minimal text the other filled with great prose and almost no illustrations.

Some more:

What's lacking from most of the older sailing books is a discussion on sail attached tell-tails. I guess these didn't become wide spread until the 1970's. "Plain Sailing" (Burford Books) is a new paperback book by Dallas Murphy. I got a review copy from the The Stand this past summer, nice book, plenty of up to date basic information and a tell-tail explanation.

I learned quite of bit about rig tuning from "Race Your Boat Right" by Arthur Knapp Jr., a famous sailor on the Western Sound. I really like this old book.

[agua dulce]

Thanks Ebb, those books are also available at Alibris. I'm sure if they've passed muster with you, they're worth the read.

Thanks again, 109. With our last little boat we never paid any attention to telltales. I guess it was so small you could just FEEL when you had it right. Now I want to figure them out.