Complete Sailor : Learning the Art of Sailing

This is not just an instructional book---it's an insight into a sailor's approach to the sea, boats, and the ever-changing dynamic of wind on the water

"A learn-to-sail book with heart."--WoodenBoat
"A real winner...a masterful blend of straightforward text with delightful and instructive illustrations. Quite simply a great primer on sailing and the world of boats for readers of all ages."--Cruising World
"Teaches sailing with flair and poetry."--SAIL
"A great walk-through for the novice, both entertaining and thorough."--Sailing
"Sits in a class by itself. Elegantly simple, encyclopedic in scope, and a delightful reference for any novice―with lots to offer intermediate sailors, too."--Kalamazoo Gazette

If you never sailed, sailed once, or have sailed for a lifetime, this book is perfect for beginners but deep enough content for those interested in going beyond basics. Revised and expanded to include racing and GPS navigation, The Complete Sailor is not just a how-to sail book, but a book that teaches you how to become a sailor.

Inside you’ll find:

• An all-in-one, comprehensive introduction to sailing
• Up-to-date information on techniques and approaches offered by the changing nature of the sport
• Exquisite pen-and-ink illustrations

Topics include: Wind Sense; Working Winds; Getting Underway; The Boat; Rigging; Sails; Under Power; Rules of the Road; Anchoring; Ropework; Marlinspike Seamanship; Emergencies; Sea and Sky; Navigation; Racing; Trailering

David Seidman is the former executive editor of Boating, the world's largest powerboat magazine, and the author of the forthcoming The Anti-Potato Cannon and 101 Other Things for a Young Mariner to Build, Try, and Do on the Water. He has designed and built his own boats and sailed the world in others. The first person to reach Bermuda from the U.S. in an outboard-powered boat, Seidman has also crossed the Bering Strait on a personal watercraft, holds the world record for distance traveled in a boat on a gallon of gas (103 miles), has followed the route of Lewis and Clark, crossed the country twice by boat, and has traveled by boat up the Amazon and down the Yangtze and Mississippi rivers.