I realized recently that we now have a small collection of sailing books! Some of the books we posessed before we ever went sailing, some we bought so we could educate ourselves, one was a prize, and some were gifts! All of them add to our enjoyment of learning to sail.
Here is a list of the books in our sailing library!
On Project Gutenberg (a free ebook!):
Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum
Kent received a hardcopy of this amazing book from a colleague. What a special gift! This book is delightful! When we went on a road trip shortly after receiving it, we decided to listen to it on Audible. We enjoyed it so much, we’re listening to it again! I believe a hardcopy would be hard to come by, but you can get a free copy on Project Guteberg (it’s so old, it’s in the public domain)!
Hardcopies on Amazon:
How to Read Water: Clues and Patterns from Puddles to the Sea by Tristan Gooley
A Christmas present given to me several years ago, before we ever set foot on a sailboat! I found this book when I stumbled across one of the illustrations online. I found it so appealing that when asked to participate in our annual Christmas family gift exchange, I asked for it directly. And I love it! It’s very thorough – an entire chapter on puddles!
The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Getting Afloat by Simon Jollands
I bought this book for myself. I have dual interests in this one: 1) how to sail and 2) how to write about how to sail. (I am a technical writer!) So far so good!
Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die by Chris Santella
Another Christmas gift! The very first entry in the book is a place we’ve already been: Resurrection Bay in Anchorage, Alaska! We didn’t sail there but we did fish for salmon!
Chapman Piloting and Seamanship by Jonathan Eaton
Kent got us this very large reference book for Christmas! We recently read the section on Seamanship Under Sail and it blew our minds.
Sailing America by Onne van der Wal
We were given the opportunity to participate in a contest last year. Offshore Sailing School (where we attended last year) invited its graduates to submit a short essay about their experiences at Offshore Sailing School. You can read the full story in a previous post: Kent Won a Contest!!
Waterway Guide Great Lakes 2022 Volume 2: Your Essential Cruising Guide for Boating on the Great Lakes by Waterway Guide
An invaluable resource, we used this on our Grand Traverse Bay trip. Check out a video recap of our trip here!
The Annapolis Book of Seamanship: Fourth Edition by John Rousmaniere, Mark Smith
Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual, Fourth Edition by Nigel Calder
2023 EZ Celestial Nautical Almanac by EZ Celestial LLC
From US Sailing Certification Series (our textbooks for sailing school):
Having a book collection is an art form in many ways; it is a little window into your fears, likes, and dreams.
LUCAS MAXWELL , BOOK RIOT
If you are a sailor and have recommendations, please share them with us!
Thanks for stickin’ with me here 🙂 Much appreciated!
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