The Handbook of Sailing: A Complete Guide to All Sailing Techniques and Procedures for the Beginner and the Experienced Sailor

I took up sailing this summer, and found that, while no book can replace the physical experience on the boat, one needs an instruction manual to keep up with all the maneuvers and terminology that are thrown at you. The Handbook Of Sailing provides concise and very well organized information, with ample illustrations. It’s the perfect accompanying textbook for someone who’s still trying to learn the lefts and rights of boating.

Great book, covers all aspects of basic and advanced sailing on all types of boats. I was very impressed with its comprehensive coverage of the subject. I keep it as a reference book. No other book will cover nearly as much about sailing. If you want to buy only one book, then this must be the one.

Sort of a shorter, and lighter to carry, Chapman's, this is a comprehensive review of topics relevant to most sailing situations. A good book to start with and a helpful reference to have. Lots of good illustrations and pictures. Also, the construction/binding of the book is high quality, so it will survive being bounced around.

I have used this book for years to pass on my on the water experiences. Bob Bond sets out all the parts of sailing in their logical categories, so the beginner starts on the right foot and collects their lessons under the right topic. this makes for calm, safe and therefore completely enjoyable sailing during and after the learning phase. This logic to the structure of the book also makes it ideal for those wishing to progress to competition and some of the details explained are directly applicable and will only be appreciated after many hours of practice. The thinking behind the book is responsible for many successfull sail training and national racing programs. Its not new, but in a race for a practical, fully illustrated text, it is still daylight second. A former sailing instructor.

Extremely comprehensive of almost all aspects of sailing (but it covers boat trailering very little.) For beginners (you can learn to sail with this) through advanced levels including spinnakers; it covers the range from small OD monohulls, cats, through cruising inboards; weather; navigation & lights; tides; first aid; knots; recovering from various emergencies; entering & leaving difficult moorings; rafting (including it's good manners to walk on the forward part of others' boats to preserve their privacy); anchoring, etc. Experts in any area will want greater detail on a topic but others will be grateful for the help that's here. The 1250 drawings and photos are outstanding for their clarity and illustrative value.