Reddit reviews The Complete Sailor, Second Edition
We found 11 Reddit comments about The Complete Sailor, Second Edition. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
We found 11 Reddit comments about The Complete Sailor, Second Edition. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
The Complete Sailor
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Extremely easy to read and well written.
The Complete Sailor, Second Edition, by David Seidman is the best beginner book I have found. It covers a lot of ground and is very clear in what it covers.
I was pretty much you last summer. Land locked state, no sailing club close by, no relatives or friends who sail, and a burning desire to get out on the water.
I was able to learn to sail in four steps:
I was able to go from no sailing experience to flying hulls in 20~ mph wind inside of a summer with this method. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c105II-L8OA Far from perfect, but we are having a blast. I think a teenager would be able to pull of a similar feat with no problems. You will find fumbling around on the water is far better than dreaming from the shore.
You should read David Seidman's The Complete Sailor - it really explains everything well, from basic principles.
IMO it's the most comprehensive book for beginners.
The Complete Sailor is an awesome book - use the Look Inside feature to check out the illustrations - they give the book a lot of character so it's great for a coffee table or for casual reading. Might be a little too novice for a 1-year sailor, unless your dad hasn't had much formal instruction.
As mentioned already, Chapman's is good - it's the bible for any waterman. However, it has so much stuff there's very little on sailing (only 40 pages on the topic). It won't tell you much about sail trim, for example. But it covers a lot - I read it cover to cover last year and if I retained anything (I didn't) I'd be a damn genius.
I can't wait for The Annapolis Book of Seamanship to come out with it's much needed 4th edition in January. I hear this is the bible for sailors, but I haven't picked it up since I'm waiting for that new edition. But only because it has more electronics/GPS mentions - I'm sure all the actual sailing stuff is the same between the two.
I've kind of amassed a library. I'm a rank amateur, but here's what I've found helpful in at least orienting myself so far (I'm still working my way through these on a "total readthrough" basis, but I've flipped through and skimmed all of them) in the order that you should probably read them. Also, I've spent the last six months skulking around every sailing forum on the Internet.
I've found the greatest barrier of sailing for someone trying to get into it for the first time is understanding the language, and the second greatest is understanding the mechanical workings of the rig and how it physically interacts with the wind. These books have been super helpful in that respect. I can't speak to how much in the way of practical skill they may have imparted, but I know infinitely more about the subject than I did a few months ago.
Those last two are because I despearately want a Gaff rig. If you're not planning on ever dealing with a Gaffer, you don't need them at all. If you only want to buy one of the books on the list, make it The Complete Sailor.
There's also a bunch of online resources, such as about.com's "how to sail a small sailboat" article and ESPECIALLY the boating section of Animated Knots which can teach you a ton of knots.
Hope that helps!
Highly highly recommend The Complete Sailor by David Seidman. Not sure why but I find myself reading and re-reading this one more than Chapman (which is another must have). Happy hunting!
I have a copy of that book - I don't remember it as being very good.
David Seidman's The Complete Sailor - it's so good that it defies words; it's hard to explain how clear and well-structured it is.
this is the book you are looking for
In addition to the other great advice, I'd suggest reading The Complete Sailor, and to emphasize, sail as much as you can.
This isn't an answer to your specific question, but maybe it's helpful: The Complete Sailor, 2nd Edition has good sections on leaving from and returning to moorings and docks. Understanding the strategy and practicing in a safe place seems like the best way to learn.
Caveat: I've never sailed before. I'm just preparing to learn.