Product Description

Cruising Fundamentals provides the tools necessary to make the transition from basic sailing to competent coastal cruising. Sailors interested in learning how to sail and live aboard a 30 foot to 50 foot auxiliary-powered sailboat will find a wealth of practical skills in this book, from simple instruction on plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems to navigation, weather prediction, and anchoring techniques.

Cruising Fundamentals is the official American Sailing Association guide to intermediate coastal cruising and bareboat chartering. Sailing schools, yacht clubs, and other educational institutions throughout North America use this book as a text and indispensable resource in their teaching. Unlike other books on similar subjects, Cruising Fundamentals presents material in a chronology that has proven effective with thousands of developing sailors. Readers progress from "Getting Acquainted" to "Getting Familiar," "The Voyage," "Arrival and Living Aboard," and finally "Emergencies and Trouble Shooting." Each of the first four sections has review questions to help sailors evaluate their comprehension. Cruising Fundamentals is more than a book; it is a complete course that can benefit any sailor who desires to enter the exciting world of sailboat cruising.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39750 in Books
• Published on: 1991-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 136 pages

Review
``It picks up where the beginner's book leave off. . .Everything needed to make the first weeklong liveaboard cruise in safety and comfort is here.'' (Sail )

``Highly readable and instructive. . .Harry Munns, a founder of the American Sailing Association, has trained hundreds of sailing instructors. This fact alone should be sufficient recommendation.'' (The Northern Mariner )

The Northern Mariner
"Highly readable and instructive... Harry Munns, a founder of the American Sailing Association, has trained hundreds of sailing instructors. This fact alone should be sufficient recommendation."

Sail
"It picks up where the beginner's book leave off... Everything needed to make the first weeklong liveaboard cruise in safety and comfort is here."

Customer Reviews

Just OK
This is a fine book, along with Sailing Fundamentals, if you're taking the corresponding ASA course(s). All the information is valid but is geared to passing the course as opposed to just teaching sailing. Additionally, my ASA course instructor said that ASA is getting ready to drop both of these books.

great information for one with sailing experience
This book was well laid out in a simple to read format and supplied information along with concise sailing exercises to perfect ones skills. After reading for two evenings I know, without a doubt, that my boat handling techniques have moved up a notch. It is practical and applicable to true bareboat sailing encounters.

A sailing instructor's view
It is a big step for an intermediate sailor to go to the Caribbean and bareboat charter a 40' vessel. We use this book to take the intermediate sailor to this level. Cruising Fundamentals contains a vast amount of detailed information and yet it is organized in logical steps to bring students to the desired level of competance without overwhelming them. This book contains many excellent photographs and sketches. The basic navigation information is excellent without going too deep and the review questions are good for self evaluation (am I really getting it?)
I particularly like the way systems are presented and compared. For example, the House DC system vs the shore power AC system, diesel engines vs gasoline engines featuring the differences and types of cooking fuels discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each.
This is an all round excellent book that can be read straight through or used as a reference. I understand the second edition is in the works and I look forward to getting it.