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The Voyager's Handbook: The Essential Guide to Blue Water Cruising
“Belongs in the bookshelf of every cruising vessel.”― Blue Water Sailing “If you are serious about that extended voyage, read The Voyager’s Handbook .”― Sailing “Every now and then a new voice emerges in the world of sailing literature that stands out, a voice that is both clear and of lasting quality. The appearance of such a new voice is something of an event, and that’s what we’d call the publication of The Voyager’s Handbook .”― Blue Water Sailing This inspirational and comprehensive manual leads you step by step through every aspect of choosing, planning, and following the voyager’s life. Using three example boats representing three cruising lifestyles― Simplicity , Moderation , and Highlife ―Beth Leonard helps make your bluewater dreams come true, whether you’re sailing on a shoestring or a CEO’s pension. Starting with the things you can’t do without―an enthusiastic crew, a seaworthy boat, and, of course, money―Leonard offers sage advice on how to select crewmembers who are truly committed to the voyage, how to choose the right boat for you, and how to find just the right approach to financing your voyage and making the most of every dollar spent. Managing life from a floating home and keeping that home livable, seaworthy, and safe requires you to become, among other things, the ship’s purser, engineer, doctor, cook, and cruise director. You’ll discover how to prepare for these new roles and put necessary equipment and arrangements in place before you untie your docklines. This exquisitely detailed guide also helps you master the skills you’ll need to handle a boat at sea with a small crew, including
592 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
143 people are currently reading
374 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 12, 2022
I loved Beth Leonard's book, Blue Horizons, which tells the story of hers and her partner's voyaging, of what it feels like to cross oceans and explore the places that cruise ships never reach. The Voyager's Handbook is her encyclopedia of how to become a blue water voyager, and it is truly comprehensive. It is in fact a reference manual, and the only part of it that has not aged well are the portions dealing with technology, because it was last updated in 2006, and GPS-based navigation tools have become ubiquitous and cheap in the last 15 years, and many of the websites she mentions are no longer in existence or have been superseded by better tools. But all the rest of it is still valuable, and I will definitely use her chapter on stowing supplies and creating storage and usage records on my own boat when it comes time to prepare, to cite just one example. For anyone planning to cruise extensively, this is required reading.
December 8, 2019
This is the most thorough work I’ve read on ocean sailing. When I checked it out of the library, the new 3rd edition had not come out yet, so this is the second edition.
I found it very readable and well cross-referenced, so that I could go quickly back to check a relevant table, figure, or sidebar detailing the point the author was making.
However, I did initially struggle to keep track of the various acronyms that are crucial in determining a boat’s stability and therefore survivability offshore.
At times I felt like I had to retrace and sort through the text for the definitions and relationships of these important measures. But eventually it became easier to find what I needed in the index, tables, or figures.
It was interesting how Beth (the author and narrator) mentions herself in the third person several times, like “Beth had the watch...” when all hell broke loose, or when we almost went aground, or when the freighter almost ran us down.
I wondered if her co-skipper might have written those passages, or was Beth herself fessin’ up to these close calls. ;-)
Clearly such harrowing near misses happen even to seasoned sailors, when fatigue on a solo watch, or false assumptions, or equipment imprecisions suddenly put ship and crew in harms way.
Such incidents surely are the stuff of nightmares, even though you come through it unscathed... because as you perform the after-action critique, you realize that it could happen again!
I’ll be looking forward avidly to the third edition of this fine work, scheduled for July 2018, to see what’s new. And this time I’ll buy a copy for my onboard bookshelf.
I found it very readable and well cross-referenced, so that I could go quickly back to check a relevant table, figure, or sidebar detailing the point the author was making.
However, I did initially struggle to keep track of the various acronyms that are crucial in determining a boat’s stability and therefore survivability offshore.
At times I felt like I had to retrace and sort through the text for the definitions and relationships of these important measures. But eventually it became easier to find what I needed in the index, tables, or figures.
It was interesting how Beth (the author and narrator) mentions herself in the third person several times, like “Beth had the watch...” when all hell broke loose, or when we almost went aground, or when the freighter almost ran us down.
I wondered if her co-skipper might have written those passages, or was Beth herself fessin’ up to these close calls. ;-)
Clearly such harrowing near misses happen even to seasoned sailors, when fatigue on a solo watch, or false assumptions, or equipment imprecisions suddenly put ship and crew in harms way.
Such incidents surely are the stuff of nightmares, even though you come through it unscathed... because as you perform the after-action critique, you realize that it could happen again!
I’ll be looking forward avidly to the third edition of this fine work, scheduled for July 2018, to see what’s new. And this time I’ll buy a copy for my onboard bookshelf.
November 22, 2012
Thinking about bluewater cruising? Thinking about circumnavigation? This book is a must read.
After a dozen books on the subject, this one wins the title of #1. I have never found anything more comprehensive. Even if you're not pushing the envelope, if you just wish to outfit your boat for more extreme sailing, it's all in this tome. I could not recommend a book on extended voyaging more highly.
After a dozen books on the subject, this one wins the title of #1. I have never found anything more comprehensive. Even if you're not pushing the envelope, if you just wish to outfit your boat for more extreme sailing, it's all in this tome. I could not recommend a book on extended voyaging more highly.
October 9, 2019
It took me seven month to finish this massive 530 book (the format i slightly bigger than A4, the text is tiny, and the pictures few).
I can join the crowd that consider The Voyagers Handbook to be the ultimate guide to blue water cruising. It's very practical and covers everything Beth has learned about the cruising life - from how to convince your wife this is a good idea, how to refit the boat, how to stow your items, weather forcasting, to how to survive returning to normal life on land. And it's not general, when she gives tips on how to stow your things, it's literally "your flour stows like this, foul weather gear like that, linen goes there, etc."
It's also personal and funny. The language is not dry at all (no pun intended)!
Long story short:
AMAZING
I can join the crowd that consider The Voyagers Handbook to be the ultimate guide to blue water cruising. It's very practical and covers everything Beth has learned about the cruising life - from how to convince your wife this is a good idea, how to refit the boat, how to stow your items, weather forcasting, to how to survive returning to normal life on land. And it's not general, when she gives tips on how to stow your things, it's literally "your flour stows like this, foul weather gear like that, linen goes there, etc."
It's also personal and funny. The language is not dry at all (no pun intended)!
Long story short:
AMAZING
November 25, 2017
Most Informative Cruising Book
This is a must a must read for anyone considering cruising. It is worth every penny, and I don’t say that often. This book will be reread and referenced on many occasions to come. Thank you to the authors for sharing their wealth of knowledge.
This is a must a must read for anyone considering cruising. It is worth every penny, and I don’t say that often. This book will be reread and referenced on many occasions to come. Thank you to the authors for sharing their wealth of knowledge.
March 1, 2020
A Must-read for Offshore Cruising
This book is the most informative I have read about the reality of offshore cruising, chocked full of helpful checklists and on-the-ground details. There are some obvious moments in the narrative when the author’s bias as a white American woman shows itself baldly, but overall, this is an indispensable resource.
This book is the most informative I have read about the reality of offshore cruising, chocked full of helpful checklists and on-the-ground details. There are some obvious moments in the narrative when the author’s bias as a white American woman shows itself baldly, but overall, this is an indispensable resource.
July 15, 2018
A must read for any future Voyager.
December 24, 2018
Cracker
Honest good advice, one of the best books for sailing in my view. Everyone will learn something here. Go for ut
Honest good advice, one of the best books for sailing in my view. Everyone will learn something here. Go for ut
July 24, 2019
Information for a new life, hopefully very relevant in the near or far future. Let's see...
May 20, 2009
A fine survey on the many aspects of long distance cruising by sailboat.
November 25, 2011
A great book for anyone thinking of doing some long range sailing, or an around the world cruise.
July 11, 2013
In a word... comprehensive.
January 3, 2017
This book will bring all your sailing fantasies down to earth. Sailing is serious business and they handle it here.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews