Customer Reviews

The Annapolis Book of Seamanship

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a sailor on every type of floating scrap of wood, fiberglass, steel and aluminum you can think of, I have sailed thousands and thousands of miles. I continually turn to this book as a source of reference and it is never out of close contact.

Even now, as I have no boat but race quite often, I pick up the book because I have questions or ideas about something. It is a wonderful source and the most complete reference I have ever seen.

This book would be especially useful to beginning sailors, but NOTHING can teach you like getting on the water. Use this book to be prepared, but get out there!

I have recommended this book even to some power boaters whom I thought I might convert. They have all enjoyed it and felt it was worth the money.

If you are on the fence, just trust me and buy the book. You will not be disappointed. Worst case scenario is that you put it on your coffee table for your guests to enjoy!

There are few books as excellent in explaining both basic sailing skills and advanced procedures as the Annapolis Book of Seamanship. From boat handling, equipment, and terminology to weather and emergencies, this book covers all the fundamentals of sailing in clear, easy to grasp terms. Novices will find value in that the book assumes no prior knowledge of sailing, while old salts will appreciate the book's encyclopedia-like thoroughness.

If you only have one book in your sailing library, I recommend this be the one.

This is simply the best book on sailing you can buy. The illustrations are fabulous and the writing is clear and to the point. Buy it if you don't have it. Better yet, buy two copies and give one someone starting out in sailing. If this is the only sailing book on your bookshelf, you have choosen wisely. Perfect for the beginner and essential for all sailors.

I reviewed "Annapolis" for Good Old Boat magazine. The review, and an excerpt from the book is in the July/August issue. The book stands as the yardstick by which other sailing references must be judged. For this new edition, Rousmaniere did an excellent job of gender neutralizing the language without any awkwardness. He talks about "forehandedness", a state of being prepared for whatever the sea throws at one. This book is the best written resource to help one obtain that state. The book will be instantly accessible to the beginner. It will remain a good reference for the most experienced sea dog. Rousmaniere uses a lot of little tricks to help the reader retain the information in the book. While the book is chock full of facts, his love for sailing and the romance of the sea shows through as well. If you want to improve your sailing skills and knowledge, buy this book!

John Rousmaniere has created a comprehensive text on the sport of sailing and seamanship which is enjoyable to read and very authoritative. By their nature, sailors have strongly held opinions on most subjects, but virtually every sailor I know of who has read John's book holds it in very high regard. The illustrations are clear and not too busy to get in the way of showing the frequently complicated topics which are inherent in the sport. I also find that Seamanship is not just a repeat of tired old sailing methods of 30 years ago, but rather integrates the classic techniques (storm tactics, navigation) with the modern (Crew Overboard Recovery, modern anchors and electronics).

I highly recommend this book, and encourage anyone to buy it if they want to improve their sailing skills.

This updated (1999) version of The Annapolis Book of Seamanship is a wonderful volume for both the new and more experienced sailor. With clear, lucid text and wonderful illustrations, Mr. Rousmaniere and Mr. Smith have created a truly useful guide. In particular, I found the section dealing with the "physics" of the boat to be very enlightening. I also was pleased with the strong emphasis on safety throughout the book. All around, one of the best books available on the topic, and highly recommended.

Everyone who has anything positive about this book is correct.

The reason for three stars is the discussion of GPS is slightly shorter than the discussion of Loran and Radio Direction Finding (e.g. one page to each). There is no acknowledgment of the existence of a thing called the Internet. Given that Loran has now been phased out in the U.S., it makes the lack of coverage of newer technologies even more obvious.

The value of this book lies in things that don't change much - Ground tackle, Rigging, Knots, Dead Reckoning.

At one point this was the go-to book, but the growing lag in coverage of technology that has changed in the years since 1998 includes subjects that are now core to offshore sailing.

John Rousmaniere once again sets the standard for clear, concise descriptions of a frequently complicated topic: sailing and seamanship. Technically perfect (at least I can't complain about anything), and superbly illustrated, Annapolis covers all critical topics: rigging, heavy weather, navigation, anchoring, etc. This newest version expands are several areas, and is brought up to date with recent safety at sea findings and marine trends. Highly recommended for any sailor's library (and cruising powerboaters will find helpful information as well).

I purchased this book feeling that Chapman's was the bible of boating. I expected the Annapolis Book of Seamanship to be a sail boat owners version of the same, covering much of the same ground with a slant toward the sailor. I now know that this is only half true! John Rousmaniere, who I have since had the honor of meeting, presents a no nonsense look at sailing and seamanship. He takes this sailing business very seriously and doesn't fudge on anything. His own sailing experience has taught him that sailing can be dangerous and that the sea or any large body of water is to be dealt with respectfully, safely and with a base of knowledge and preparedness. John knows his stuff and is unquestionably one of the country's most knowledgeable seamen. His words are like gold to every sailor.

THE ANNAPOLIS BOOK OF SEAMANSHIP by John Rousmaniere is the ur-text on sailing used by virtually every sailing school as its primary educational source. Now in its third edition, this eminently readable and well illustrated book is encyclopedic in its scope, crammed full of practical information about sailing vessels, the mechanics of sailing them, and the traditions of sailing. It's a measure of the excellence of THE ANNAPOLIS BOOK OF SEAMANSHIP how familiarly Rousmaniere presents this largely alien topic with its many very specialized terms of art.

Rousmaniere wisely eschews most of the romance of sailing in favor of much more important considerations, such as boat care, boat handling, and especially safety at sea. Sailing may be enjoyable and it may be challenging, but it is also a dangerous avocation by its very nature, and the author never lets "salty talk" befog that issue. This is NOT a quick reference book for those who want to hoist the jolly roger and give no quarter while tied to the dock; this is a bible for serious SAILORS, whether on the local lake, Puget Sound or the South China Sea

While it can't give you the hands-on experience that being before the mast confers, THE ANNAPOLIS BOOK OF SEAMANSHIP will give you the theory and information you need to make the most of that experience.