From the Fo'c's'le [Paperback]

David Kasanof (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 1997

For years David Kasanof's "Fo'c's'le" column has entertained the readers of WoodenBoat magazine with its unique blend of humor and insight into the sailing lifestyle. In this collection of over fifty selected pieces readers will recognize their boats, their fellow sailors and themselves.

Here are some of Kasanof's observations: On boat interiors: "Marine stuff doesn't work as well as land stuff because marine stuff is just a toy version of the corresponding land stuff"; on the weather: "First, buy a barometer that has an anchor or sailboat design somewhere on it"; on wooden boats: "People who sail old wooden boats are never young. Even if they were young when they took to wooden boats, they aged fast."

This book is guaranteed to make "Fo'c's'le" fans out of new readers and is the perfect way for Kasanof aficionados to catch up on those essays they may have missed. It is a book so filled with lighthearted humor that even the crustiest of old salts will burst out laughing. Illustrations by R. Gorski complement the text and offer plenty of laughs of their own.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This series of musings is a compilation of the best from the author s regular column in WoodenBoat magazine in the USA. Even though he is a yachtie, the owner of the 41ft wooden cutter, it succeeds as a perceptive commentary.

It deals with subjects close to all our hearts, such as the difficulties of maintaining a boat and keeping the family happy on the water, and the problems posed by marine equipment. --Excerpted from Motor Boats Monthly (U.K.), May 1998

Kasanof is familiar to readers of WoodenBoat magazine for his funny, insightful and diverse column that lends its name to the book title. He's picked out some of his favorites for this book collection 60 pieces in which the readers often will see themselves, their boats and their boating friends. A lifelong sailor and former writer for Rudder magazine, Kasanof is retired and lives in Florida on a boat he restored. --Soundings, March 1998

Lighthearted insights about all sorts of nautical nuances abound in this entertaining booked by a WoodenBoat magazine humor columnist. Need a wind-direction indicator? Use your face, Kasanof advises. It s standard equipment, doesn t cost $279.95, and works most of the time. --Cruising World, February 1998

About the Author

David Kasanof lives on his boat Content in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Having sailed all his life, he was on the staff of the famous Rudder magazine and was also editor of Classic Boat Monthly. He has been a regular contributor to WoodenBoat magazine almost since its inception.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Sheridan House; First Edition edition (January 25, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574090348
• ISBN-13: 978-1574090345
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,969,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humor at its Best-An Easy Read, February 8, 2000

By 

Mike and Gloria Brady (Kansas City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From the Fo'c's'le (Paperback)

This is a great collection of humourous essays. We kept reading portions aloud to each other as they were too well written and humourous to keep to oneself! Short essays made it possible to put it down between readings and look forward to the next read. Definitely worth a place on any weekend sailor's or liveaboard's shelf.

5.0 out of 5 stars A -very- funny writer. If you can find a copy, BUY IT, July 24, 2008

By 

R. Barry (Charlottesville VA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: From the Fo'c's'le (Paperback)

For my money, David Kasanof is the funniest maritime writer of all time. Years after I ran out of time for boats, wooden or otherwise, I kept up my subscription to "Woodenboat" just for the laughs Kasanof's column provided. I still have a complete file of his own ill-fated publication, "Classic Boat Monthly." Anyone know of a suitable place to donate that?