The Compleat Cruiser: The Art, Practice, and Enjoyment of Boating

by L. Francis Herreshoff

Famed yacht designer and author L. Francis Herreshoff takes us on family style cruises in American waters, during which all sorts of boats and boating skills are explained while they are used. He tells about the adventures of the crews of the catboat Piscator, the ketch Viator, and the engineless whaleboat-style ketch Rozinante. There are anecdotes and examples and a wide variety of boat lore in each chapter, as well as adventures, races and coastwide cruises and historical harbors to visit.

382 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Christopher Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

L. Francis Herreshoff was my favorite yacht designer, and a pretty good writer. I knew about this book from having read excerpts in a compilation of his writings, Sensible Cruising Designs, and I was delighted to find a copy at Half Price Books in Overland Park, KS. Herreshoff tells a story of two sailboats cruising the waters near Boston, Cape Cod, and Long Island Sound. He uses this as a vehicle to present discussions of seamanship, yacht design, navigation, cooking, and the enjoyment of cruising and life in general, in a way that is entertaining. A reader who is unfamiliar with nautical jargon, e.g., the names of the parts of a sailboat, may quickly lose interest in this book, but a sailor would find it instructive and enjoyable. Originally published in 1956, the author's attitudes towards women and minorities are typical of the era. If that bothers you, don't read Rabelais, either. Although I like its style, I rated The Compleat Cruiser highly because of its content.

[Jack Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong opinions are good fun, and strong opinions by people who know their stuff are even funner. LFH certainly knew his stuff, and this very pleasant little book is a wonderful insight into his firm and considered thoughts about cruising small boats for pleasure.
I probably won't be using his advice on the design of cedar toilet buckets, or the state of the art in binocular lens design at the time of writing; but the mood he evokes of simple, self sufficient engagement with the natural world is message enough to justify this book's ongoing popularity.

[Denise Rolon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a charming book, but it's very old fashioned. I had a hard time applying a lot of the content to my contemporary sailing experiences.