The Sailing Handbook: A complete guide for beginners

Publisher: Adlard Coles Nautical

Publication Date: 2006 (“new” edition)

CA Library Reference:

Though packed with advice and information, The Sailing Handbook fails as a “complete guide for beginners”, firstly by not clarifying it is primarily addressing cruising. A disappointing proportion of the contents is at best misleading. This is compounded by careless writing and use of English - for example the choice of unhelpful adverbs like “regularly” and “properly”.

Despite someone being credited with modernisations, there are some old fashioned choices in the illustrations, such as the heavy harness without crutch strap or integral lifejacket. The Cruising Association apparently helped with the cruising grounds section, which makes it all the more surprising to find greater coverage given to the Great Lakes and Australasia than the Solent or Clyde.

Glaring from the cover are: jib sheets attached with shackles, a mal-cleated rope (although shown correctly inside) and a winch handle left in a winch. And why such a negative approach to creative cooking at sea, or manoeuvring under sail? There is an index, but it is not comprehensive. There are copious diagrams and photos; it is altogether a bright and colourful book. Overall, there is a lot of good stuff in here, but it leaves me itching to slash the rest with a red pencil. The tyro is not in a position to discriminate. – JT