 | Chapman Piloting & Seamanship, 64th Edition by Elbert S. Maloney
Buy used from: $14.75 Great reference! The first place I go to when I have a boating question. Heavy book yes. Recommended.
|
 | The Complete Sailor: Learning the Art of Sailing by David Seidman
Buy new: $11.53 / Used from: $4.50 Covers the basics well. Nicely illustrated. Great gift for someone interested in sailing.
|
 | Sailing The Bay by Kimball Livingston
Buy new: $29.95 / Used from: $27.25 Written by a long time follower and write of the San Francisco (and world) sailing scene. The book is well written with great info on San Francisco sailing. Recommended.
|
 | Basic Cruising (Certification Series) by Us Sailing Association
Buy new: $12.21 / Used from: $6.37 Volume #1 of the US Sailing certification course. Very useful and direct.
|
 | Captain Jack's Basic Navigation by Jack Davis
Buy new: $21.95 / Used from: $12.24 Down to earth course on dead reckoning. The practice questions will help you get it even if at first some of the concepts don't come naturally to you.
|
 | Getting Started in Sailboat Racing by Adam Cort
Buy new: $11.53 / Used from: $8.66 Excellent primer on racing! The only one that takes you through the whole race from the Notice Of Race to the finish line. Recommended.
|
| How to Avoid Huge Ships: Or I Never Met a Ship I Liked by John W. Trimmer
Buy used from: $72.39 Read this and you really know why and how to stay out of their way. When I first wrote this review (2006) you could have bought the book for $3.00. Time for a second edition?
|
 | Cruising Guide to San Francisco Bay - 2nd Edition by Carolyn Mehaffy
Buy new: $25.60 / Used from: $11.63 Gives you the basics about where to go and what to see when sailing the San Francisco bay. It has many boat view photos of what the entrance to marinas and anchorages look like and what to expect once you get there.
|
| Sailboat Chartering: The Complete Guide and International Directory by Melvin H. Ross
Buy used from: $0.59 Good general info on bareboating. Cover many regions.
|
 | The Healthy Cruiser's Handbook by Janette Loomis
Buy used from: $8.35 Excellent reference!
|
 | Two Years Before the Mast (Signet Classics) by Richard Henry Dana Jr.
Buy used from: $0.01 An entertaining historical account of Dana's experience saiing the California coast during the early 1800's. An excellent read. Recommended.
|
 | The Cruise of the Snark by Jack London
Buy new: $14.95 / Used from: $0.69 Jack London's true account of his voyage to the South Seas. Hilarious at times. Highly recommended.
|
 | Creative Ropecraft by Stuart Grainger
Buy used from: $9.31 OK intro for rope work but the illustrations could be better. For sailing knots there are better references. See other entries on my list
|
 | Knot Craft by Des Pawson
Buy new: $8.76 / Used from: $13.40 I found this to be the most usefull book for making lanyards, straps, coverings etc. Very well written and the illustrations are understandable. Recommneded.
|
 | The Complete Book of Knots and Ropework by Eric C. Fry
Buy used from: $22.79 Worst book ever written on knots. Avoid at all cost and save your money.
|
| Sailing Knots by J. Altimiras
Buy used from: $3.09 The best book I've ever read on sailing knots; well illustrated and covers all the subjects clearly. Highly recommended.
|
 | Knots (Chapman's Nautical Guides) by Brion Toss
Buy used from: $3.23 An excellent reference. Buy the leather bound version if you can find it. Recommended.
|
 | The Weather Book: An Easy-to-Understand Guide to the USA's Weather by Jack Williams
Buy new: $16.29 / Used from: $1.00 If you know nothing about weather this is an excellent starting point. Easy to understand and does cover more complex topics. Not tailored for the sailor but very well put together.
|
 | Weather of the San Francisco Bay Region (California Natural History Guides, No. 63) by Harold Gilliam
Buy new: $11.86 / Used from: $5.35 A must have if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and you want to know the why and wherefores of the weather patterns in this part of the country. Recommended.
|
 | Instant Weather Forecasting by Alan Watts
Buy new: $8.95 / Used from: $4.38 Excellent photos of clouds and their likely meaning from a weather standpoint.
|
 | Pencil, Paper and Stars: The Handbook of Traditional and Emergency Navigation (Wiley Nautical) by Alastair Buchan
Buy new: $20.48 / Used from: $22.95 The author sometimes jumps from fairly simple topics to advanced ones without going through the intermediary steps which made reading this a bit frustrating at times.
|
Listmania!
