Reference
Sailing and Seamanship – Basics through Cruising
- The Complete Sailing Manual, by Steve Sleight. Basic training for beginners, and excellent reference for more experienced sailors.
- Sailing Essentials, by Steve Sleight. Concise, compact reference for all sailing levels, a perfect gift.
- American Sailing Association Series:
- Sailing Made Easy. ASA 101 Basic Keelboat textbook. (Stay tuned for Ed 2 by Andy and Lisa Batchelor, coming Spring 2026)
- Coastal Cruising Made Easy. ASA 103 Coastal Cruising textbook.
- Bareboat Cruising Made Easy. ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising textbook written by Andy and Lisa Batchelor.
- Cruising Catamarans Made Easy. ASA 114 Cruising Catamaran textbook written by Andy and Lisa Batchelor.
- Going Ashore Made Easy – The Essential Dinghy & Outboard Companion, by Lisa & Andy Batchelor, ASA 116 textbook.
- Docking & Maneuvering Made Easy – The Essential Guide to Docking & Maneuvering your Monohull or Catamaran, by Lisa & Andy Batchelor, ASA 118 textbook.
- Advanced Cruising and Seamanship. ASA 106 Advanced Cruising textbook, principal contributors Lisa and Andy Batchelor.
- Sailpower by Peter Nielsen. Trim and Techniques for Cruising Sailors.
- Marlinspike Seamanship & Knots
- Knots in Use, by Colin Jarman
- DK Handbook of Knots, by Des Pawson
- The Ashley Book of Knots, by Clifford Ashley
Bluewater Passagemaking
- The Complete Ocean Skipper by Tom Cunliffe. (Deepwater Voyaging, Navigation and Yacht Management) ** Our top pick reference for Ocean Passagemaking
- The Art of Seamanship by Ralph Naranjo (Evolving Skills, Exploring Oceans, Handling Wind, Waves and Weather) Great text for Coastal and Ocean Passagemaking.
- The Voyager’s Handbook by Beth Leonard. The Essential Guide to Bluewater Cruising.
- Sailing a Serious Ocean by John Kretschmer (Sailboats, Stories and Lessons Learned from 30 Years at Sea)
- At the Mercy of the Sea by John Kretschmer (The True Story of Three Caribbean Sailors in a Hurricane)
- Offshore Cruising Companion, by John and Amanda Swan Neal
- Heavy Weather Sailing, by Adlard Coles and Peter Bruce. The ultimate authority on surviving storms at sea in sailing and power vessels.
- World Voyage Planner and World Cruising Routes, by Jimmy Cornell
Maintenance and Boat Systems
- Nigel Calder’s Cruising Handbook: A Compendium for Coastal and Offshore Sailors, by Nigel Calder
- Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual: How to Maintain, Repair and Improve Your Boat’s Essential Systems, by Nigel Calder.
- Marine Diesel Engines: Maintenance, Troubleshooting and Repair, by Nigel Calder
- How Boat Things Work: An Illustrated Guide by Charlie Wing
Marine Weather
- Modern Marine Weather and Weather Workbook, by David Burch
- RYA Weather Handbook by Chris Tibbs
- Coastal and Offshore Weather: the Essential Handbook by Chris Parker
- The Gentleman’s Guide to Passages South by Bruce van Sant (The Thornless Path to Windward)
- Instant Weather Forecasting by Alan Watts
- The Cloudspotter’s Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney. The Science, History and Culture of Clouds.
Inspiration, Adventure & Humor
- Blue Horizons: Dispatches from Distant Seas, by Beth Leonard. Collection of articles written for Bluewater Sailing magazine while cruising on Hawk.
- Sailing to the Edge of Time, by John Kretchmer (The Promise, the Challenges, and the Freedom of Ocean Voyaging)
- Flirting with Mermaids: the Unpredictable Life of a Sailboat Delivery Skipper, by John Kretchmer. Memorable humorous and terrifying yacht-delivery adventures.
- Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea, by Steven Callahan. True story of resourcefulness and survival, 76 days in a liferaft.
- Swell: A Surfers Voyage of Awaking, by Liz Clark. Sailing the Pacific in search of surf and self.
- Red Sky in Mourning, by Tami Oldham Ashcraft. A True Story of Love, Loss and Survival at Sea, adapted to the movie “Adrift”
- Longitude, by Dava Sobel – solving navigation’s greatest scientific problem of the times.
- An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude, by Ann Vanderhoof. Leaving behind a Type-A lifestyle to cruise the Caribbean.
- The Spice Necklace: My Adventures in Caribbean Cooking, Eating and Island Life, by Ann Vanderhoof. Adventures in Caribbean cooking, eating and island life.
- A Trip to the Beach: Living on Island Time, by Melinda Blanchard. New Englanders move to Anguilla and establish a world-class beach restaurant.
- Just Cruising and Still Cruising – A Family Travels the World, by Liza Copeland. The Copeland family of 5 travel for 2 years on their 40’ Beneteau.
- Why Didn’t I Think of That? 1198 Tips from 222 Sailors, By John & Susan Roberts. Simple, practical tips on a wide range of cruising aspects.
- 50 Places to Sail before You Die: Sailing Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations, by Chris Santella