Skipper's Library Series

While relatively few cruise single-handed, many sail short-handed. It may be a couple sailing together or a skipper with a novice crew – he may have lots of people onboard but, in terms of the sailing, he is probably short-handed. They soon discover that there is so much more to short-handed sailing than a lack of crew. It demands a different approach, a new mindset. The skipper has a much greater workload but there are also fewer people, sometimes no-one at all, to consult during the decision-making process. Under these circumstances fatigue can be as dangerous as heavy weather: it creeps up on you, often unnoticed, destroying your morale and ability to make rational decisions. And when short-handed, the crew's limited physical resources must be watched over and zealously guarded. In this heavily illustrated book Alastair Buchan passes on the lessons of his hard-won experience gained short- and single-handed sailing in coastal, offshore and ocean waters. It will show you everything you need to know about handling a boat alone or short-handed, from choosing a suitable craft to passage planning, manoeuvring, sleep management and watch keeping.

You long to escape the daily grind, buy a boat and sail away. This book will inspire your dreams and show you how to turn them into a reality – be it an extended cruise or years away. Written by a yachting journalist who has sailed away for 8 years, together with the contributions of 100 other blue-water cruisers, there are tales a plenty of what it is like to do it from around the world – west, east, north and south. There is also practical advice on everything from choosing a boat to crossing oceans. You'll be guided through each step of the preparation before casting off on your adventure of a lifetime. There's information on everything the would-be blue-water sailor needs to consider, including safety, communications, children, ocean passages and budgeting. Learn about routes and destinations around Europe, the Caribbean, the Pacific and beyond to help you cruise the Mediterranean or Baltic, cross the Atlantic or circumnavigate the world. Colour photographs and charts will inspire and inform in this essential guide for the 21st century blue-water sailor. Fully updated for 2019 with new sections on visiting the Baltic and high and low latitudes. Contributors include John Ridgway, Jeanne Socrates, Tom Cunliffe, Ellen Massey Leonard, Behan Gifford, Nigel Wollen, Andrew Wilkes, Jane Russell and Jeremy Wyatt.

The weather affects everyone at sea, whether you are pottering along the coast, motoring from port to port or sailing to another continent. This book explains the basic principles that govern the weather from a practical, on the water, sailor's point of view. It goes through global, regional and then local weather patterns so you understand what is happening, how this might change and why. Armed with this knowledge and understanding you will be more confident to make decisions about when and when not to venture out to sea and what to expect if things change while you are out there. Simon Rowell shares his experience as a round-the world skipper and world-class weather forecaster. He explains the basic physics creatively and puts it in context with real situations to enable you to apply weather theory to practical sailing scenarios. Hundreds of illustrations aid the communication of what can be a complex subject, enabling you to better understand the weather and increase your enjoyment and safety when out on the water. This book is part of Fernhurst Books' Skipper's Library series of practical books for the cruising sailor.

A lot of people are drawn to the sea, and for good reason – it's the world's last wild and largely unspoilt wilderness. But to properly enjoy the sea, and to do so safely, you must have the skills, knowledge and confidence to plan thoroughly and stay one step ahead of the game. This book is thoughtfully written to help yachtsmen do just that. It's not another RYA Course Handbook; it's written by a mariner for other mariners. It's well-informed, easy to read and honest about the author's triumphs and disasters over a lifetime's navigating. He has a unique perspective having navigated in many parts of the world from high up on the bridge of a warship, close to the water in a cruising yacht and at depth in a submarine. After his navy career he was Chief Executive of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), often dealing with the consequences of poor navigation. The author brings the subject to life in a book that is designed to help yachtsmen refresh their knowledge of, and their enthusiasm for, the timeless skills of navigation. It is packed with hundreds of illustrations – colour photographs, charts, diagrams and tables – making the text easy to understand. The book is part of Fernhurst Books' Skipper's Library series of practical books for the cruising sailor.

For all those who love boats, their 'lines' are an essential element in the appreciation of individual craft. But what are these lines and how are they created? This book introduces the reader to the key principles of yacht design in a straightforward and understandable manner, allowing them to be aware of the elements and processes involved. Most of the complex maths has been replaced with simple rules of thumb. Any boat owner will benefit from understanding the characteristics of boat design which will help them if they want to modify the hull, rig, deck layout or accommodation. It will be equally useful to boat buyers who want to ask questions like: "How will she sail?"; "How much will she cost?"; "How easy is it to change things?" and "How can I reduce or increase sail area without upsetting the balance?" Boat owners and buyers will be able to feel more confident when talking to designers and boatbuilders about their current or future boat. While novice boat designers can start their journey with this book, giving them a good foundation whether they want to use pencil and paper or Computer-Aided Design. So, if you are any of the above, or simply have an interest in yacht design, this is the book for you!

Heavy weather is a lurking spectre that most of us hope and plan to avoid, but not even internet forecasting can make it go away. Anyone intent on crossing oceans must be ready to deal with it if it comes, as well it may. Even well-informed inshore and continental-shelf sailors will inevitably be caught out sooner or later. The object of this slim, quickly absorbed volume is to give everyone, whatever their passage-making aspirations, a sound brief so that whether they find themselves at the wrong end of a force-six blow along the coast, or confronting serious waves far out at sea, they are fully aware of their options for taking it in their stride.Heavy weather is a lurking spectre that most of us hope and plan to avoid, but not even internet forecasting can make it go away. Anyone intent on crossing oceans must be ready to deal with it if it comes, as well it may. Even well-informed inshore and continental-shelf sailors will inevitably be caught out sooner or later. The object of this slim, quickly absorbed volume is to give everyone, whatever their passage-making aspirations, a sound brief so that whether they find themselves at the wrong end of a force-six blow along the coast, or confronting serious waves far out at sea, they are fully aware of their options for taking it in their stride.