Katy Stickland chooses her pick of the latest sailing books that will keep sailors entertained
Sailing books: best new releases to read
Sailing books are an ideal gift for the sailor in your life. I read dozens of sailing books every year, but these are the ones that stood out.
Here is my list of the best books for sailors to read. I hope you enjoy them!
The Last Voyage of Asteria by Tapio Lehtinen and Paul Trammell
Tapio Lehtinen’s absorbing, at times poetic and philosophical, narrative connects with the reader immediately, so you feel that you are on the boat with him during his 2022 Golden Globe Race journey.
Whilst many readers might want to skip immediately to learn more about the sinking of Asteria, Tapio’s subsequent rescue and the exceptionally informative lessons learned and conclusions about why the Gaia 36 sank, as welll as details about Asteria’s design, it is worth taking your time and enjoying every morsel the book has to offer.
Lehtinen is honest about the daily trials of a round-the-world yacht race with no modern equipment, especially his near miss close to the cliffs off Fuerteventura, and there is much for the sailor to glean from his wisdom on sail handling and seamanship, as well as the bonus chapter on celestial navigation.
His happiness at being at sea and the wildlife encounters he experiences are uplifting.
An absolute page-turner which holds you to the very end.
Buy The Last Voyage of Asteria at Amazon
West Country Cruising Companion by Mark Fishwick
If you have sailed the West Country in the last 30-plus years, the chances are you would have reached for Mark Fishwick’s words of wisdom for passage planning and for making the most of your cruise.
Having spent a lifetime sailing the waters from Portland Bill to Padstow and the Isles of Scilly, there are few sailors with the in-depth knowledge that he has, and this is reflected in the detailed pilotage and cruising information.
Following Mark’s retirement, this new 10th edition has been fully updated by Topsham-based sailor Kate Brodie, but still contains Fishwick’s comprehensive insights, with excellent colour charts, clear, useful photos to help with the pilotage of harbours and anchorages, and comprehensive port information.
New for this edition is the introduction of very useful QR codes, which you can scan for the main harbour and marina websites in the region.
A valuable resource to have onboard, whether you are visiting or based in the south west.
Buy West Country Cruising Companion at Amazon
Buy West Country Cruising Companion at Waterstones
The Knot Bible by Nic Compton
I have a confession to make: when I started sailing, I always struggled to remember knots and which ones were the best to use for a specific task on board.
I only wish Nic Compton’s The Knot Bible had been around then, as it is perfect for new sailors, with clear explanations about terminology, types of ropes, tools, rope care, plus a comprehensive list of the best knots for the job, like tying an anchor snubber or joining two mooring lines.
This second edition is packed with full colour photos and clear, easy-to-follow diagrams and instructions to ensure you get it right first time.
It also covers lashings, coils, whippings, seizings and splices with the same attention to detail, as well as decorative knots for those who want to explore further. There is also new material on splicing double braid rope.
This is one of the most comprehensive guides available, and I would recommend it to any beginner sailor or seasoned seafarer.
Buy The Knot Bible at Waterstones
The Untold Voyage by Roger D. Taylor
A new book by Roger D. Taylor is always a treat, partly because his writing is sublime, engaging, and so realistic. The Untold Voyage did not disappoint.
This latest in the canon is unlike his other accounts of Arctic voyaging; the whole book focuses on a single incident which overshadows and defines this particular voyage, and resulted in him throwing his logbooks overboard, and even rubbing out any trace of his route on his charts.
This incident is the discovery of an unconscious woman adrift in a Russian liferaft after crossing 78° north, and his subsequent attempts to get her to medical aid.
The narrative is sensitive, at times fearless, and deeply moving; your emotions lurch and are tossed like his boat Mingming on the storm-swept Greenland Sea.
The bleakness of Taylor’s and Larochka’s situation and the difficult decisions he has to make mean you want to look away, but you can’t; the writing draws you in further as the voyage stretches the bounds of credulity.
His analysis of his actions reflects the trauma of the voyage, his writing a way of purging himself of the horror, but also to lay to bed old ghosts.
A compelling read; I couldn’t put it down until I knew the ending.
Buy The Untold Voyage at Amazon
Stars to Steer By: Celebrating the 20th century women who went to sea by Julia Jones
Stars to Steer By is a long overdue celebration of the spirit of women’s independence through sailing, shining a spotlight on achievements which, all too often, have been wiped from the sailing record; it advocates what all women sailors want – normalisation and a sense of fairness on the water.
Julia’s writing brings each of her subjects vividly to life, giving a voice to many pioneers whose success and trailblazing have been overshadowed by the achievements of men, just on the basis of gender. This book is the start of the correction of the record.
All of those featured had to fight against convention – and, at times, even the law – to achieve what they loved.
The barriers facing them included exclusion from yacht clubs and, subsequently, the training and facilities open to their male counterparts, intimate examinations after stowing away on boats, their race wins never recorded (instead the winner was recorded as the male owner of the boat) and accusations of being a bad mother for taking their children to sea or leaving them behind.
Male sailors are never subjected to these things.
While it is tempting to think these barriers are in the past tense – and strides have been made – parity in sailing has still not been achieved.
This book is a must read; every page uncovers the life of another woman who defied the odds, and you are richer for learning about them.
Buy Stars to Steer by at Amazon
Buy Stars to Steer by at Waterstones
Buy Stars to Steer by at Google Play
Marine Electrical and Electronics Bible (4th edition)
Boat electrics can be disconcerting, especially if you are a new boat owner trying to make sense of all those wires, switches, fuses etc.
John C Payne’s Marine Electrical and Electronics Bible is a practical guide which has been the go-to book for cruising sailors for decades, given it is concise and so easy to follow, and covers every aspect of a boat’s electrical and electronics system, from choosing the right system, installation, maintenance and troubleshooting, illustrated with clear and concise charts, graphs and wiring diagrams.
While most of us might not attempt the rewiring of our boat, problems can occur offshore, where we have no option but to roll up our sleeves, diagnose the problem and fix it; it is this part of the book which is most valuable, especially the troubleshooting tables.
This fourth edition has been updated to cover the growing use of lithium batteries and renewable energy on board, new developments in AIS, GMDSS and radar as well as new chapters on marine diesel engines and mobile phone boating apps and electric propulsion (including inboard and outboard engines), although this latter chapter does not have troubleshooting, which would have been useful.
Do not set sail without it.
Buy Marine Electrical and Electronics Bible from Amazon
Splicing Modern Ropes: A Practical Handbook
Splicing should be in every sailor’s armoury, given that it makes strong and smooth connections in rope, can be adapted to meet your needs on board and is more reliable than tying a knot.
This updated second edition of Jan-Willem Polman’s book is aimed at the beginner and the experienced splicer, and is split into two parts – the first looks at the materials you need, including the types of rope, which is best for different uses onboard, how to calculate breaking loads, and splicing tools and techniques such as tapering and how to remove the rope’s core from the cover.
The second half of the book breaks down each splice step-by-step, from an eye splice in double braid rope and Dyneema, to splicing in an extra cover to help prevent chafe and splicing in an extra core to reduce rope slippage in a clutch.
There are also chapters on whipping, continuous loops, Dyneema shackles and reeving of new halyards.
Each splice is fully illustrated with easy-to-follow colour photographs and clear instructions.
Buy Splicing Modern Ropes from Amazon
Navigation: A Newcomer’s Guide (4th edition)
When you start to sail, learning to navigate can be daunting.
RYA Yachtmaster examiner Sara Hopkinson cuts through the jargon and delivers an easy-to-digest guide with plenty of diagrams and photos to help cement the basics – from using tidal heights and determining a course to steer, to taking a fix and plotting a position from a waypoint.
In these days of chartplotters and electronic charts, some might dismiss the need for such a guide and, in doing so, fail to understand that there is no substitute for learning navigation which is vital for safe seamanship.
This 4th edition of the best-selling book has been updated to reflect changes in Admiralty charts.
It really deserves a place on your boat’s bookshelf, whether you are new to sailing, preparing for your Day Skipper exam or just need to brush up if you haven’t been sailing for a while.
Buy Navigation: A Newcomer’s Guide at Amazon
In My Element by Pip Hare
Pip Hare’s journey to compete in the 2020 Vendée Globe and her determination to race solo around the world, despite the odds being stacked against her, is a compelling and uplifting read (anyone who has ever seen Hare’s race videos will know what to expect).
Her brutal honesty about the mistakes she makes and the lessons learned, as well as how she manages the mental and physical grind of the race is refreshing, and a reminder to us all that we never stop learning.
The narrative is intercut with extracts from Hare’s race blog, giving a real insight into the hurdles she had to overcome to become the 79th sailor and 8th woman to finish the race.
As her IMOCA 60 was 21 years old and had no foils (unlike many of her competitors), Hare was on a rolling boat maintenance programme throughout the race to keep the IMOCA 60 racing.
Her background as a liveaboard cruiser and years of experience running low-budget race programmes meant she managed this endless maintenance cycle (actual sailing was left to the autopilot most of the time).
This story of courage and grit is inspiring, whether you are a sailor or not, and it will leave you grinning and punching the air when Hare crosses the finish line.
Buy In My Element at Waterstones
Buy In My Element at Google Play
Last Days of the Slocum Era, Volumes One and Two by Graham L Cox
For anyone like me who loves “simple” sailing, volumes one and two of the Last Days of the Slocum Era will not disappoint.
Part memoir, part sailing history, it covers Graham L Cox’s lifelong love affair with sailing which began when he was a teenager on Durban’s International Jetty in South Africa, and the influence of the eclectic famous and not-so-famous characters he meets along the way including ocean voyagers like Dr David Lewis, Rod and Di Beech, Robin Lee Graham and Keith Kibler.
Through these encounters, his dream to build a small, seaworthy yacht to cruise the world’s oceans was firmly cemented.
Cox moves to Australia where he re-meets David Lewis, and helps him prepare Ice Bird ahead of the steel yacht’s groundbreaking voyage to Antarctica.
Cox continues on his search to find a true ocean voyaging boat, while crewing and helping to deliver yachts, including Ice Bird, and meeting more voyaging characters.
Eventually, he refits the 22ft Mushark, and at the age of 42, sets off on his first extended solo cruise.
But he still hankers after the perfect boat, preferably junk-rigged and ten years later, he buys the steel-hulled Bermudan-rigged Tom Thumb 24, Arion.
Finally, he has found the sailing life he has craved and the writing is joyous and reflective.
He converts Arion to a junk rig, delighting in the ease of handling: he has found his authentic sailing life; his authentic self.
These two volumes are destined to become classics and richly deserve a place on every sailor’s bookcase. Highly recommended.
Buy Last Days of the Slocum Era Vol 1 and 2 at Amazon
The Last Sea Dog by Jean-Luc Van Den Heede
Based around his 2018-2019 Golden Globe Race (GGR) campaign, this English translation of Jean-Luc Van Den Heede’s autobiography delves into the French sailor’s life, his early days working as a teacher, cruising with his family and racing in regattas to the start of his single-handed racing career from the Mini Transat to the Vendée Globe, and his win in the GGR at the age of 73 (his first win in a round the world yacht race).
It is an honest, very readable and absorbing account (I struggled to put it down, inhaling the words from the page!), particularly the details of his Golden Globe Race (full disclosure: I covered both the 2018 and 2022 GGR for Yachting Monthly): his preparations (Van Den Heede timed the lifespan of a gas bottle so he would bring enough bottles to always eat hot food) and the details of the voyage; how he constantly fine-tuned his Rustler 36 to ensure he could keep his lead, the pitchpole which almost cost him the race and, his loneliness at being not able to make contact with the other competitors as the fleet was so spread out.
This is an absolute page-turner.
Buy The Last Sea Dog at Amazon
Buy The Last Sea Dog at WH Smith
Bosun’s Bag by Tom Cunliffe
The Bosun’s Bag: A Treasury of Practical Wisdom for the Traditional Boater by Tom Cunliffe is a celebration of traditional seamanship and maintenance skills that need to be shared and passed on, and was a treat to read.
Tom Cunliffe is always entertaining, and this is a well-written and thoroughly engaging guide, perfect for owners of traditional and more modern boats.
Chapters cover navigation, maintenance, seamanship, working the ship, and miscellaneous which examines windvane self-steering gear, watchkeeping, how to light a cabin perfectly with oil lamps, weather helm, the best use for old sawdust and the like.
I have always had a soft spot for traditional boats, and I loved both the sails and rigging chapters which list the procedure for scandalising, explain a watersail, outline the problem of a crane, and how to make a baggywrinkle.
I suspect many PBO readers will find the chapter on maintenance particularly useful, given it covers how to maintain brightwork, servicing a wooden block and the importance of thinking outside the box.
The illustrations by Martyn Mackrill extoll the passions – and the hard graft – associated with these traditional skills.
Bosun’s Bag would make a perfect gift for sailors of all skill levels.
Buy Bosun’s Bag at Waterstones
Buy Bosun’s Bag at Google Play
Wind, Tide & Oar: Encounters with engineless sailing
The act of sailing has always inspired stories; hardly surprising given that the women and men who take to the water are pitting themselves against the elements and must learn to work attuned to nature.
The essays and poetry in this slim volume, compiled by Dutch publisher, Elte Rauch, were written to accompany the release of the film Wind, Tide & Oar: Encounters with Engineless Sailing by Huw Wahl, but can equally be read as a standalone.
The authors include filmmakers, cargo boat skippers, sailors and boat owners who all embrace the romance of sailing under sail alone, but with a healthy dose of realism.
Like the excellent Marine Quarterly, each chapter is illustrated with a charming drawing and the writing is entertaining and absorbing.
I was particularly drawn to the chapter written by Richard Tichenor of the Sea-Change Sailing Trust, which owns and runs the Thames sailing barge, Blue Mermaid.
He writes: “To sail without an engine is to work in harmony with nature, to rewild the soul at sea. Irrelevant issues are stripped away”; this resonated with me and I suspect it will resonate with many PBO readers, given many of us sail to escape the every day.
Psychologist and sailor Mike Jackson also delves into the freedom and sense of release sailing brings, while Jude Brickhill, marine journalist and co-owner of a 1911 engineless Looe mackerel drifter, Guide Me, explores how sailing without an engine sharpens your seamanship skills; with no “comforting reassurance” of an engine, you must learn patience, to trust your judgement, focus on the task at hand, but still be aware of your surroundings and the need to work as a team.
Reading this collection of essays and poems leaves you with much to ponder and an overwhelming desire to get on the water, cut the engine, and enjoy bonding with nature
Buy Wind, Tide & Oar at Amazon
Buy Wind, Tide & Oar at WH Smith
Buy Wind, Tide & Oar at Waterstones
The Half Bird by Susan Smillie
From the moment I picked up The Half Bird, I couldn’t put it down and found I had to ration myself, reading a few chapters a day so I could really savour every word.
Susan Smillie’s writing captivated me (few books do that), as she shared her odyssey, sailing her Nicholson 26, Isean from the UK to Greece.
With little solo experience, she initially planned to sail around Britain, but instead, chose to turn left at Land’s End and sail to France, down the Atlantic coast of Europe and into the Mediterranean.
Most of her voyage is solo, and as she sails further south, she develops an affinity for life at sea, one that many sailors will recognise.
Her words knit a narrative of adventure, loss, joy, and, ultimately, freedom and a richer life.
It is a love story between a woman and her boat, and how Susan finds strength and courage through sailing.
Sam Smillie (Susan’s dad) comments that coming to the end of a book can be like “losing a friend”, and while reading the last few pages of The Half Bird, I was reminded of this, so absorbing and subtly life-affirming were the words on the page.
Once I finished it, I wanted to start reading it all over again.
Buy The Half Bird at Waterstones
Buy The Half Bird at Google Play
My Way Around the World by Saša Fegić
“The only way to really learn how to sail is to go out and do it,” writes Saša Fegić.
And that is exactly what this remarkable Croatian sailor has done throughout his life, culminating in sailing around the world via the three Great Capes.
My Way Around the World is the story of a boy who falls in love with sailing and spends decades honing his skills in seamanship and boat craft by working as a paid deckhand, charter and delivery skipper, sailing school operator and boatbuilder.
He then buys his dream boat, HIR 3, which he spends months renovating, before sailing her along the route of the great Clipper ships.
It is a voyage many of us are not brave enough to do, but Saša’s desire to see the Southern Royal Albatross, experience the Roaring Forties, visit Yacht Club Micalvi in Chile and round Cape Horn pushes him at every turn, and the result is a compelling story of adventure and determination.
My Way Around the World is reminiscent of the records of sailing voyages penned by the likes of Sir Francis Chichester and Naomi James; engaging, well written and rich with knowledge, Saša draws the reader in at every word. Highly recommended.
Buy My Way Around the World at Amazon
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