You can have an unforgettable vacation, discover new places and live exciting adventures sailing. there is no age limit to navigate. Sailing is open to all ages, at any speed, be it cruising, racing or fast. you can also enjoy sailing alone or with your whole family. You should learn to sail if you get the chance.
There are many great boating books on the market, but these will help boaters for a long time. If you like boating, yachting, adventures on the high seas, unique travel destinations, or just enjoying a relaxing read, this book is for you.
You are reading: Best books about sailing
These are not all historical. some are fiction. others are reference guides. these are in no particular order. read the post below to explore more about the best boating books.
the best sailing books for everyone
maiden voyage of tania aebi
best book on how to navigate
tania aebi, 18, was unsure of her future and adrift. tania aebi, 18, drank heavily in bars in new york city. her father gave her an ultimatum and told her to go to college or alone, and she became the youngest person to sail alone around the world. She was a strange set of options, but she believed that she could guide Tanya.
Tania accepted her father’s sloop offer and began a three-year voyage. she fell in love with the sea, just as her father predicted. This is her inspiring and exciting story of her maiden voyage around the world. she was the first American woman and the youngest to complete the journey.
jillian schlesinger, filmmaker, documented laura dekker’s extraordinary 518-day journey. she is the youngest person to go around the world single-handedly.
across the wild sea by maud fontenoy
best books on navigation
Maud Fontenoy, the legendary sailor, tells the story of her first solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. she was also the first woman to complete such a voyage, which can be said for many of her other nautical achievements. She was also the first woman to sail alone across the Pacific Ocean. she however, she did when facing the smaller atlantic.
fontenoy wasn’t afraid to take on a challenge. she chose the most dangerous route and was determined to prove his worth as a sailor. Maud Fontenoy was able to make history with just one rowboat, two oars and one rowboat. she recounts her journey through the wild sea. The memories of her are tinged with nostalgia and terror.
given dead by nick ward
given dead may be the most fascinating of all navigation books. this book is the exciting story of nick ward’s encounter with the deadliest storm in the history of modern sailing, which is the fascinating story of nick ward’s encounter at the 1979 fastnet race. conditions were perfect for the first two days of the 600-mile journey.
However, on the second day of the 600-mile ride, conditions were not ideal. A massive storm hit the Irish Sea, claiming the lives of fifteen men. Ward was alone in his boat as he braved the storm. Left for Dead tells Ward’s harrowing and inspiring story of how he survived that night.
godforsaken sea by derek lundy
The treacherous route the Vendee Global Race takes across the Southern Ocean makes it so famous. the narrative of 16 competitors who undertook the epic journey to the southern ocean in 1996 is told in godforsaken sea sea.
this derek lundy story is light-hearted and funny, but also features hair-raising encounters with the power of nature. godforsaken sea is a captivating tale about the spirit of those who have pushed the limits of human endeavour.
a trip for the insane by peter nichols
Nine navigators embarked on the most challenging race of their lives in 1968: single-handedly circumnavigating the world non-stop. this feat would change the course of shipping forever. only one of the nine men would make it to the finish, gaining fame, wealth, and glory ten months later. the reward for the rest was madness, failure, and death.
kon-tiki by thor heyerdahl
This is a great story. this is another true life account of a long time at sea. however, it is not as dangerous as the last entry. thanks to the good lord kontiki is the narration of an incredible adventure: a 4,300-mile journey by raft across the pacific ocean.
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Thor Heyerdahl, a biologist, was intrigued by Polynesian legends and believed that the South Sea Islands were colonized by an ancient race thousands of miles away, led by Kon-tiki, a mythical hero. he tried to test the theory of him replicating the legendary journey.
adrift: a true story of love, loss and survival at sea
Adrift is the story of Tami’s remarkable forty-one day journey to safety on a shipwrecked ship with no engine or masts and little hope of rescue. This is a narrative of love and survival on the high seas, an inspiring story about the resilience of the human spirit and transcendent power and love.
stop drifting start paddling for roz savag
roz savage attempted to paddle 8,000 miles solo across the pacific ocean in 2007. despite having successfully crossed the atlantic the previous year, the pacific presented roz with new challenges and overwhelming currents. this was both in and out of her office.
Although crossing the largest ocean on earth may seem like a far cry from everyday life, roz’s lessons on inner travel, the ocean, and the world can be applied to everyone. She tells stories of her journey across the ocean and offers ideas for living a full and happy life.
two years before the mast by richard henry dana
Two Years Before the Mast is a book written by Richard Henry Dana, Jr., an American author. It was published in 1840 after Dana’s two-year sea voyage.
This is a short but powerful book that will appeal to Californians like me. The Memoirs of Richard Henry Dana, Jr. Two Years Before the Mast tells the story of a Harvard student who became a sailor collecting furs along the California coast and returning home in the cold, harsh winter, getting rich from the experience. Although he tries to appear like an experienced sailor when he comes on board, he soon realizes that real experience makes a good sailor.
He kept a diary throughout the voyage, and after his return he wrote the well-known American classic Two Years Before the Mast. it was published in 1840, the year of his admission as a lawyer.
sailing alone around the world, by joshua slocum
slocum’s famous account of his solo voyage around the world, which he was the first person to do so, can be found on almost every sailor’s bookshelf. he is also an excellent inspiration for graham. Slocum sailed solo to circumnavigate Boston in 1895 aboard his 36-foot wooden sloop. slocum sailed approximately 46,000 miles in three years.
sailing alone around the world is a fascinating story that includes close encounters with pirates in gibraltar and breakfasts with flying fish in the pacific. he also visits henry stanley in south africa.
the old man and the sea by ernest hemingway
best nautical novels
The Old Man and the Sea was one of Hemingway’s most beloved works. tells the story of an old Cuban fisherman who is down on his luck and faces his most extraordinary test, a constant and painful battle with a giant marlin in the Gulf Stream.
In a strikingly modern style, Hemingway presents the classic theme, courage in the face of defeat and personal triumph over loss. This hugely popular novel, written in 1952, confirmed Hemingway’s power and presence in literature and was a significant factor in his 1954 Nobel Prize for Literature.
the riddle of the sands by erskine childers
carruthers, an employee of the british foreign office, agrees to accompany davies on a yachting holiday. Carruthers believes Davies’ yacht Ducibella will be a fully crewed luxury yacht. When he finally reaches the harbor to meet Davies, he is disappointed to find a small sailboat. together they sail across the north sea to the baltic and then to the frisian islands off the coast of germany. carruthers must quickly learn to navigate the small boat.
south: ernest shackleton’s resistance expedition
although most of my sailing was tropical, this good book convinced me to continue that way. Shackleton and his team are in an epic battle of man against the elements. they must survive in some of the most treacherous terrain in the world.
Shackleton and his team face rough and treacherous seas filled with mountain glaciers, icebergs and huge waves. they also face endless hunger and the threat of death to stay alive.
fifty places to sail before you die: sailing experts share the world’s best destinations by chris santella
the best sailing adventure books
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Since the dawn of time, mankind has been exploring the oceans in search of sustenance, wealth, and adventure. Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die lists fifty of the world’s most spectacular sailing spots, shared by renowned regatta champions and adventurers.
Locations range from the picturesque New England harbor of Newport to the stunning passage around Cape Horn and tranquil island retreats like Mopelia. The book Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die includes vivid descriptions of sailing locations and stories from some of the greatest sailors in the world. it also contains enough information and photographs to help boaters who want to chart their adventures.
conquering the world, by ellen macarthur
British sailor MacArthur holds a record for single-handed sailing by a woman across the Atlantic. he too has circled the planet in record time. In his autobiography, he describes his remarkable second place finish at the age of 24 in the Vendée Globe, the world’s most difficult solo yacht race. She faced strong wind conditions, mountainous waves and leaden skies in the Atlantic and Southern Oceans.
love with the possibility of drowning by torre deroche
torre deroche found the man he was looking for, and soon began to go around the world in a small boat. Convinced that he was the right man for her, Deroch followed him aboard the ship, despite her fear of the sea.
Deroche goes to great lengths to keep their relationship and each other afloat despite the constant fury of ocean after ocean. Deroche’s travel memoir reads like a comedic love story. his storytelling style is not typical of stories about time at sea.
as long as it’s fun: the epic journeys and extraordinary times of lin and larry pardey by herb mccormick
best cruise books
lin and larry pardey are well known to anyone interested in small boat travel and cruising. Pardeys were sailors who circumnavigated the world and traveled the planet in small unpowered boats that they built themselves. earned their reputation through eloquent (and sometimes controversial) recounting of their experiences through a series of manuals and best-selling books, seminars, and nautical exhibits.
meetings of a wayward sailor by tristan jones
tristan jones is the most famous sailor of the 20th century. At the age of 17, the sailor set sail for the royal navy. most of his life was spent on a boat or ship for the next 30 years. jones wrote sixteen books on sailing.
the complete sailor by david seidman
Although this is a shorter story than the others, it will still provide you with a guide to navigate. This book is ideal for beginners, whether you have never sailed before, have only sailed once, or have sailed for a long time. it also contains enough information to help those who are interested in learning more.
the gypsy moth goes around the world by francis chichester
francis chichester launched his 53 foot ketch “gypsy moth vi” from plymouth in august 1966. he would complete a single stopover circumnavigation, becoming the first to do so.
chichester’s voyage broke records, earned him a knighthood and inspired the next generation of sailors to win the 1968 golden globe race and become the first person to sail non-stop around the world.
adrift: seventy-six days lost at sea by steven callahan
steven callahan was trapped on an open water raft after his boat crashed in a race. he was able to inflate his ship’s safety raft just in time and was able to dive into his sinking boat to retrieve food, water and other emergency supplies. he survived more than two months stranded at sea thanks to this risky maneuver.
Callahan shares his story of how he got lost in one of the world’s most dangerous places. adrift is as energizing and inspiring as the sea. will remind your readers of the incredible power of the ocean.
other best boating books considered:
- bernard moitessier’s long road
- adrift: a true story of love, loss and survival at sea by tami oldham ashcraft
conclusion
It takes dedication and passion to learn to sail. each day brings new learning and new achievements. it is an amazing experience to learn the skills that will allow you to steer your ship. sailing gives you a sense of freedom and achievement. it’s worth it when you’re out on the water enjoying the fruits and benefits of your hard work. penn book I hope you enjoyed the article.
You can find the best navigation books that will take you to the high season on this page.
also read: the 27 best adventure books of all time, choose your own review of 2022
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