Sailing

Well written...easy read for an instruction book. MUCH better than "Sailing for Dummies", for $1.00 more. Nice color plates and diagrams.

With not a lot nautical mumbo-jumbo to tie your brain in a reef knot, Sleight's book is terrific!

I am new to sailing, have taken the CYA basic sailing course. This book was an enjoyable read during this long cold winter. Unlike some other sailing books I have read, I found this one easy to sit and read for an afternoon. It covers a lot of detail but keeps it light. Experienced sailors may find it overly simplified, there will be nothing new here for you. For those of us just getting into the sport, or who simply want to enjoy some armchair sailing I would hightly recommend it.

There is perhaps nothing as exhilarating as sitting out on a the side of a boat and feeling the power of the wind trying to tip your boat over. To top it all off, I've done this when a storm was approaching fast. Feeling the wind just take your boat and fly it to the shore is great fun, but a few times I wasn't sure I'd make it there without tipping over. I like small boats where you risk getting your head knocked off by a flying boom, wack. It is such an adventure trying to keep the boat upright and a boom can surely get your attention fast. You soon learn the art of jibing. Sailing is really an art, and after one class in college and days of sailing many a catamaran in sunny Florida, I am still learning the basics. I love catamarans and there is a special section in this book. Plus, if they tip, they don't sink! Ha... Although, getting them upright again and getting everyone back onboard can be a challenge. I speak from the experience of the adventurous in my younger days. While a book will teach you the terminology, take a class!!! Ok, this book will give you the basics on how to sail everything from a dinghy to an offshore cruiser. It will help you know how to choose the type of sailing that is right for you. It might also dispel some fears about handling a boat in a tight situation. Did I mention wearing a life jacket? Ok. There is also a special section about using the liferaft. So, what is the info: Getting Started - Your first taste of freedom. Learning the Basics - How to hoist sails and start and stop. How to steer, turn, tack, jibe. Improving Small Boat Skills - Weather Basics, tides, mooring, anchoring, working with the wind, sailing in strong winds (fun but dangerous, you have been warned), sailing dinghies, catamarans and keelboats, racing. Cruiser Sailing Skills - Moving up to larger boats, power, large sails, small sails, passage plans, night, rough weather, fog! Finding Your Way - Navigation, chart Information, Buoys, electronic charts, compass reading, navigation instruments, heights of the tide, depth sounder, landfall, tidal currents and more. Not for the faint of heart. Looking After Boat and Crew - Running a happy ship, sailing with children, man overboard, first aid, propeller problems, hull damage, rig damage, fire fighting, distress signals, abandoning ship. In the Appendices: Ropes and knots, sailing on the web (similar to surfing), a glossary and nice index to help you plot your course through this book. Sailing is so wonderful. There are great ideas, like how to learn to sail on a vacation, which sounds good to me. Life is way too short... ~TheRebeccaReview.com

I love this book! It starts out with the basics of dingy sailing -- points of sail, etc. However, it soon moves on to more advanced topics like racing and how to get the most power out of your sail. It then moves on to larger boats and has several chapters about navigation, including everything from compasses to GPS. The layout of the book ius very "fun" and it is written in a casual style, making it an enjoyable read. IIf you are a real beginner you may want a book that just sticks more to the basics. But if you know a little bit about sailing and you want to learn more, this is a great book!