Sail Far Live Free

"Those of us who sail aboard her are the lucky ones, the quixotic ones, the knights-errant of the sea." - John Kretschmer from Sailing a Serious Ocean I write as much as I can, most of it here on  SailFarLiveFree.com . But when I’ve got free time (not often enough!), I’ll also spend time reading. Sometimes I read for motivation when I’ve got writer’s block. Sometimes it’s when I’m trying to research and learn. And occasionally, I get a chance to read for pleasure. John Kretschmer’s latest book, Sailing a Serious Ocean , was a rare find that combined all three occasions. What more could you ask for in a book than to be motivated, educated and entertained? I've read Kretschmer’s other books and found them to generally be worth the time, but his latest is a real crown jewel. John (or his editors) found a great balance between personal sailing stories, technical offshore sailing advice, and honest assessments of specific sailboats and gear. At first glance, the c...

" For at the end of the day, he's learned through experience that the essence of crafting an unforgettable picture is both incredibly complex and remarkably simple: being at the right place at the right time. " - Herb McCormick describing Onne van der Wal in   the new book Sailing Note: See the bottom of this blog post for a chance to win a new copy of the book  Sailing . My blogging here at SailFarLiveFree.com is all about trying to capture with words what I've learned (and am learning) about sailing. Sometimes writing is simple and other times complex. So I can relate to the quote above. Page 36: A detail of the wheel of the Tall Ship Massachuesetts is a study in tarnished bronze. Page 37: Riding to leeward aboard Whitehawk , a 105-foot replica of Herreshoff's famous Ticonderoga racing yacht. For Onne van der Wal, the combination of sailing and photography has been magical. During a long ocean race, Onne was prompted to peek through his bunkmate...

Book Review The Modern Cruising Sailboat: A Complete Guide to its Design, Construction, and Outfitting   Winter is the time for Great Lakes sailors who haven’t pointed the bow south towards little latitudes to plan next season’s cruises, prepare the spring maintenance list, shop for boat upgrades, learn more about sailing and dream about their “next boat”. Books provide a great means for beginning all of these processes. The Modern Cruising Sailboat (International Marine 2009) by Charles Doane offers a wealth of information useful as a guide for beginning cruising sailors and as an authoritative and nearly comprehensive review for cruising veterans. While mostly directed at the cruising sailor, racers and day sailors will also likely find the book interesting. The book is well written with great illustrations and pictures. The first half of the book covers design and construction and is the most comprehensive at doing so that I’ve read in a book aimed at a cruising au...