by John Vigor
|
| List Price: | $19.95 |
| Amazon Price: | $13.57 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. |
| You Save: | $6.38 (32%) |
| Average Rating: |  |
| Lowest New Price: | $12.69 |
| Availablitiy: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
|
 |
|
Product Description
Anyone who has sailed small boats has surely experienced the romantic dream of crossing an ocean or even sailing around the world. But what was once fantasy is now reality. With a growing glut of good used boats on the market, its possible to sail around the world in a boat that costs less than a car. In this fascinating book, well-known boating author John Vigor turns the spotlight on 20 seaworthy sailboats that are at home on the ocean. These are old fiberglass boats, mostly of traditional design and strong construction. All are small their sizes range from 20 feet to 32 feet overall but all have crossed oceans. Many have circumnavigated the world. And all are inexpensive. There are many hundreds of small cruising boats sailing the seven seas at this moment. They explore everywhere, from the ice-bound shores of Antarctica to the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Most, however, ply the tradewind routes where flying fish play. The water is warm, and coconut trees line calm lagoons bounded by beaches of pure white sand. But choosing the right boat to cross an ocean or go around the world can be a confusing and exasperating experience, particularly if your budget is tight. Its well-nigh impossible to find objective comparisons. Vigor sets out to remedy that in this book. He compares the designs and handling characteristics of 20 different boats whose prices on the secondhand market start at about $3,000. Interviews with experienced owners (featuring valuable tips about handling each boat in heavy weather) are interspersed with line drawings of hulls, sailplans, and accommodations. Vigor has unearthed the known weaknesses of each boat and explains how to deal with them. He rates their comparative seaworthiness, their speed, and the number of people they can carry in comfort. If you have ever dreamed the dream, this is the book that will turn it into reality.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Great info, but best for the salty veteran sailor or the ocean crossing dreamer., 2008-11-19
This is a great book if you're on a budget and want to go world cruising. That's not really me, not at this point anyway. Either way, I learned a lot reading this book, about what makes for a sturdy and safe boat at sea. While I probably won't use 95% of the knowledge I read in this book, there are some common sense and safety items that I definitely will be using when I get my first boat. I'll also have a better chance of identifying real quality boats in the marina or when I go shopping.
I would have given it four stars, but the author is a tiny bit full of himself and really heavy on jargon. While this might appeal to the salty veteran sailor (which i don't argue this books is probably more targeted at) it is off-putting to the casual sailor who wants to learn more or fantasize about crossing oceans.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 An educational and entertaining introduction to 20 offshore sailboats, 2008-10-29
This is a book that has 20 chapters, 1 per offshore sailing boat. In each chapter John Vigor provides three line drawings of the given boat. One shows a profile from the side revealing the boats keel and topside. The next 2 drawings are internal sketches of the layout inside the boat, one looking from the side, the other looking down from above. The author provides a small chart that lists the boats most pertinent characteristics; designer, LOA, LWL, beam, draft, displacement, sail area, ballast, spars, engine, and design intentions. He then provides commentary on the given boats history, evaluates it's design, accommodations, rig, performance and any known weaknesses. Then John provides commentary based on at least 1 persons (sometimes 2) long time experience cruising in the given boat. Finally he provides a comparison chart which rates each boat relative to the others in the book with regard to 3 different factors; safety, speed, and comfort. Each boat is covered in 6-7 pages. This might seem fairly superficial at a glance, but I never felt after reading the book that any boat received less than adequate treatment. Note that these are offshore boats. 17 of the boats have either a full keel, or modified full keel. The boats range in length from 20 to 32 feet.
But the best part is I simply enjoyed reading the book so much! I found myself regularly going back and comparing different boats. I reread certain chapters 4 and 5 times.
So why did I enjoy this book so much?
Even as I write this, I'm having difficulty understanding how John managed to make this book so enjoyable. I think it was a savvy combination of attractive presentation and interesting information, breadth of information fit into just a few pages per boat, and entertaining commentary on the most significant aspects of each boat. In a way each chapter served as delicious hors d'oeuvre. It provided a satisfying and enjoyable sampling of what each boat has to offer.
If you have an interest in the designs and characteristics of offshore sailboats, there will be no chance of getting bored reading this book. You may find yourself rereading chapters as you compare the different designs as well!
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Singlehanded, 2008-08-20
Never having sailed before, never having even read the book, I stuck a copy in my back pocket, hopped in the first of the review sailboats I could find, and sailed singlehanded across the Atlantic.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 useful book for would-be voyagers, 2008-05-24
I enjoyed the book and feel that it enables someone(like myself)who is taking the first steps toward long distance cruising.to avoid errors on purchasing an appropriate boat.Written with definite affection for the
simple ,cruising sailboat without getting hung up on extraneous,expensive extras.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Helping narrow down the small solo sailing boat choices!, 2007-09-09
I have been looking for a small seaworthy sailboat to single hand, if necessary. Discovering this book made my searching easier! Vigor gives a wonderfully thorough description of each of the 20 boats he reviews. He offers his opinion, the opinion of others, and gives both the positive and negative points of each boat from all perspectives. I found this book very informative, very accurate, and it introduced me to several wonderful boats I never new existed...of which I hope to be an owner of one in the near future!
Price is accurate as of the date/time indicated. Prices and product availability are subject to change. Any price displayed on the Amazon website at the time of purchase will govern the sale of this product.
|
Store Categories
|