The Voyager's Handbook: The Essential Guide to Blue Water Cruising

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Summary: Superb discussion of blue water realities and requirements
Review: Most people, even very experienced sailers, have no idea what the blue water cruising life is really going to be like. Beth clearly lays out and discusses the requirements to move from being a competent coastal sailer to a successful ocean sailer - like understanding the real meaning of seamanship, learning to enjoy the constant change and emotional roller coaster, etc.

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Summary: Engaging from the first page and satisfying to the last....
Review: The Voyager's Handbook : The Essential Guide to Bluewater Cruising by Beth A. Leonard will surely become a cruising classic. Written in a personable style that is easy to read and engaging, Beth covers every aspect of cruising from pre-boat purchase to returning home after a long cruise, and everything in between. I'm a healthcare professional and her information on medical provisioning is right on the money. Beth's book answered hundreds of questions I had about long voyages. Her description of making pizza was right out of I Love Lucy. This will most definitely be on the bookshelf of our cruising home next to Chapman's Piloting, my professional reference books, and the Holy Bible. Thanks, Beth for sharing your knowledge with the world.

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Summary: Excellent guide for those thinking about heading offshore
Review: There are a lot of "offshore cruising" text books out there, but this one stands head and shoulders above the rest. It's very clearly written, up-to-date, and has a more honest assessment of what it really takes to survive and enjoy cruising than most of the other more "Macho" cruising books.

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Summary: Good Information, Well Written
Review: This book has recieved many 5 star reviews. I reserve that for the very best. I give this 3 stars instead of 4 because the authors do one annoying thing. They did an around the world cruise and made many mistakes as well all do. But they never come out and say. We blew it on this- we were lucky and figured it out later. Instead they write that this is the way to do it period. This may be a nit-picky gripe but I believe there are lots of right ways and I will learn more about learning from others mistakes, what they did wrong, why they did that, and why they won't do it again. Then from them just telling me this is the right way- accept it - we know. Not withstanding my sort of negative review this book is well written and informative. Would I buy it again? Yes- bearly.

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Summary: Truly splendid!
Review: This book is a must-have! The author's approach is friendly, informed, full of wonder, and enlightening. She has reached a perfect balance of educating without overriding the awe of sailing into a new port and discovering all a new location has to offer. She has told her readers just enough to allow them to make their own smart decisions. I hope to see S/V Hawk while cruising so that I may say, "Thank you."

Rating:
Summary: Truly splendid!
Review: This book is a must-have! The author's approach is friendly, informed, full of wonder, and enlightening. She has reached a perfect balance of educating without overriding the awe of sailing into a new port and discovering all a new location has to offer. She has told her readers just enough to allow them to make their own smart decisions. I hope to see S/V Hawk while cruising so that I may say, "Thank you."

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Summary: Getting ready to go
Review: This book was by far the most complete guide to cruising and living aboard that I was able to find. As long-time charter boat people, in mid-1999 we purchased a sailboat in France and sailed to the Caribbean, where we now live. Before leaving, we read everything we could find for advice. This book was far more complete than anything else we could find. We found that we had much less experience and knowledge than we had thought before we read it. No book has ALL the answers for living aboard and sailing, but this comes the closest.

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Summary: Everything you need to know on how to work a boat.
Review: This may be the best reference book ever for anyone going anywhere in a boat. Beth Leonard answers all the questions, and then raises and answers more. Well written, and spiced with actual experiences in the open ocean when knowledge is not optional. Plenty of easy to understand tables so you can compare equipment and techniques to see for yourself. This book should be packaged with the hull of the boat.

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Summary: The most thorough and readable cruising handbook to date
Review: We bought our cruising boat one year ago. Three years before that we started buying/reading every cruising "how to" book out there. Tania Ebei's book, Maiden Voyage, got the whole dream thing started, and this book finalized it. You'll find each chapter complete and filled with relevant and detailed information. I have yellow highlights throughout the entire book. I refer to it monthly, especially the monthly maintenance section. It got to be my bible, until my husband thought he'd explode if I offered "Beth said..." during any of his projects. OK, so I gave some other books a shot, some written for the woman cruiser, and I joined cruising associations, but none of them have come close to the first rate information Beth provided. As detailed and meticulous as you could ask for. Before I start a project for the first time, I still take Beth out and read her chapter on whatever it is, and believe me, she addresses it all from the cost of cruising, what equipment you need and what it will cost, what each piece of equipment will draw from you batteries, how to provision, how to package the foods to prevent moisture and cockroaches etc...Buy this book!

Rating:
Summary: The most thorough and readable cruising handbook to date
Review: We bought our cruising boat one year ago. Three years before that we started buying/reading every cruising "how to" book out there. Tania Ebei's book, Maiden Voyage, got the whole dream thing started, and this book finalized it. You'll find each chapter complete and filled with relevant and detailed information. I have yellow highlights throughout the entire book. I refer to it monthly, especially the monthly maintenance section. It got to be my bible, until my husband thought he'd explode if I offered "Beth said..." during any of his projects. OK, so I gave some other books a shot, some written for the woman cruiser, and I joined cruising associations, but none of them have come close to the first rate information Beth provided. As detailed and meticulous as you could ask for. Before I start a project for the first time, I still take Beth out and read her chapter on whatever it is, and believe me, she addresses it all from the cost of cruising, what equipment you need and what it will cost, what each piece of equipment will draw from you batteries, how to provision, how to package the foods to prevent moisture and cockroaches etc...Buy this book!