The Complete Sailor takes the reader from the first sail to a mastery of small-boat handling. Weaving his writing around 600 drawings by noted marine illustrator Kelly Mulford, David Seidman has created a book in which each double-page spread invites the eye and communicates volumes of information. The Complete Sailor goes beyond other learn-to-sail books to cover navigation, boat design, and seamanship. Encyclopedic in scope yet warm in style, it conveys the magic as well as the techniques of sailing. Among the other topics covered: anchoring, ropework, rigging, weather, fog, squalls, currents and tides, rules of the road, trailering, and working the winds. The book is a gentle introduction for those just starting out, and a guide to new horizons for those who already sail.

This book is head and shoulders above the other. It covers all the basics in an easy to read style, and the huge number of detailed drawings are both beautiful and incredibly informative.
In addition to the basic stuff you need to know to sail a small boat, it also has a wealth of deeper information, about everything from bouyancy and balance, to boat construction and history.

I'm buying a copy for each of my kids, and recommending it to my sailing friends. As for the other books, I will probably either return them, or leave them to gather dust on a shelf.

54 of 58 found the following review helpful:


Not the best book for a "true" beginner.  Apr 17, 2006 By John Ergle
I bought this book, as well as "Sailing for Dummies" and "Learning to Sail - the Annapolis sailing school guide for all ages", and I have to say, the Complete Sailor is the worst of the three, at least for someone who has no previous knowledge of sailing. It was an interesting book with a wide variety of topics covered, but I think it would be better suited to someone with at least a basic knowledge of how to sail. If you truly want to LEARN to sail, the Annapolis book is the best and simplest of the three, particularly if you're learning on a dinghy like me.

28 of 30 found the following review helpful:


Better than Sailing For Dummies for dummies like me.  Mar 16, 2004 By James Doughty "jamez1965"
I wish I had gotten this before I bought Sailing For Dummies. Sailing For Dummies somehow left me with a lot of unanswered basic questions about sailing. Complete Sailor answered those questions. Complete Sailor also has more illustrations that provide a clearer understanding of just what the heck the author's talking about.

17 of 17 found the following review helpful:


A great first sailing book  Mar 27, 2001 By wrenhunter
A few years ago, I became interested in sailing, and came across this book at a local bookstore. I'm glad I did; it's a great introduction. It includes a lot of useful information presented in a straightforward manner, and also gives a good feel for nautical tradition (without being the least bit preachy). I've since done a bunch of sailing. I still think highly of this book, and have occasion to refer to it on questions of nautical terms and techniques.

20 of 21 found the following review helpful:


If you are going to buy on book on sailing...  Oct 22, 2006 By Traveller "Stu"
this is it!

If you are looking for a book that will give the basics of sailing, this book has it.

If you are looking for a long-term reference to remind you of the details, this is it.

If you are looking for a book to have on-board for novices during bareboat cruises, this is it.

If you are looking for a book that the novices could use to critique your skills, this is it.

Unfortunately, I purchased this book after going through ASA sailing school. I have read the ASA and the US Sail course books to the bareboat chartering level. From a sailing skills point of view, this book beats them hands down.

The illustrations are enchanting. They draw the reader into each topic. At the same time, the concisely present the key information needed to grasp the topic.

This will be coming with me on all of my bareboat trips!

Anyone got a scuba book like this?

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