Advice to the Sealorn [Hardcover]

Herb Payson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 1997

Herb Payson, the author whose cruising exploits were told in Blown Away and , has distilled over 20 years of sailing experience into the perfect compendium for those who are contemplating liveaboard cruising, sailors with some experience in weekend and day sailing, and all those sailors who read for information and fun.

The book loosely follows a question and answer format that allows the author to range over a broad spectrum of cruising topics. Herb has held numerous seminars at boat shows and as a result knows the real concerns of the average sailor, as well as the questions they are most likely to ask.

In 50 chapters, the author covers everything from Really Getting Started to What is it Really Like out There?, from Different Rigs to Motor Mechanics, from My Wife Doesn't Want to Go to Cruising with Kids, from Anchoring to Weather...

Advice to the Sealorn is written in the same charming style as Herb's previous stories and the result is a book as entertaining as it is instructive. You won't want to go cruising without it.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...Herb Payson has spent 25 years cruising--and it shows. His likable narrative is for would-be and current cruisers alike. -- SAIL Magazine, December 1997

...filled with hundreds of answers to questions we've all wanted to ask, and it's funny! -- Latitudes & Attitudes, November/December 1998

Advice to the Sealorn will make good reading on long winter nights and is certainly a volume readers will happily pass on to a friend. -- The Journal of the American Sailing Association, Fall 1997

Starting each chapter with a basic question, Payson draws on his decades of nautical experience to cover a sweeping range of sail and powerboating topics. In the process, he offers sage advice to beginning boaters and old salts alike--from getting started to getting 'out there' and staying there. --Soundings, December 1997

From the Back Cover

"Unlike most authors of boating books, Herb Payson doesn't pretend to know it all (ergo, he's believable). If you always thought that in order to go cruising you had to be capable of stripping an alternator and reassembling it in 17 minutes, Herb says it ain't so. Bless him. What he says you do need are a sense of humor, and an appreciation for the value of a life not wasted--your life! Fire your therapist, buy this book, and go cruising with the money you save." --Daniel Spurr, Practical Sailor

"No other writer can capture the cruising life--the dreams and reality, the heartaches, the humor, and even the philosophy--the way Herb does. With his ever-valiant wife, Nancy, Payson has cruised the South Pacific in a wooden ketch, the Caribbean in a fiberglass cutter, and North American lakes in a trailersailer, and in this book, he delivers a lifetime of cruising wisdom. From selecting the right boat to dealing with storms, guns, money, and other uncertainties, Payson will calm your fears as he revs up your cruising dream." --Tom Linskey, SAIL Magazine

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Sheridan House (January 25, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157409002X
• ISBN-13: 978-1574090024
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,671,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing style good information, March 29, 1999

By 

M. Mitchell (Lake Tahoe) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Advice to the Sealorn (Hardcover)

I give this book 5 stars for the simple reason that I really like Herb's style. This is the first crusing book I have read that wasn't all preachy about the right (and only) way to do things. I get tired of every other being an expert and there way is the only right way. Come off it. We all no there are multiple right ways to do things and for some people one thing works better than another but not necessarily for all people. Herb is refreshingly honest. How many times as Herb dragged anchor- too many to remember. Does that make his information better or worse than others? No, it just lets you know that you will make mistakes and hopefully you will learn from them. Herb describes a broad selection of topics in a question an answer format that I find entertaining and interesting. I also does not hesitate to mentioned other books and authors for more in depth information. In one of my favorite sections Herb goes into detail on all the specific titles he carries on board, and those he recommends with breif discussion of each. I think you find this a refreshing book with good information. Would I buy again? Absolutely. This is one of a few books that earn my top recommendation.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Herb is Herb, January 14, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Santa Rosa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Advice to the Sealorn (Hardcover)

If you like Herb Payson's style of writing than you will love this book. I found myself disagreeing with some of his advice but overall this is a light, funny, and at times very to the point guide of what and what not to do about issues ranging from lightning protection to keeping your butt onboard. Well worth reading if you are serious about heading offshore. If you have a partner make sure he/she also reads this book. It gave my sometimes reluctant partner more confidence to give it a try.