Customer Reviews

How to Sail Around the World : Advice and Ideas for Voyaging Under Sail

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3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Preparatory to purchasing my first cruising sailboat in 1978, I purchased Hal Roth's earlier handbook, "After 50,000 Miles." It was a primary reference for my first ten years (20,000 miles) of cruising and passagemaking under sail, and it served me very well. Since then I've sailed another 20,000 miles, and I've read most of the similar "how-to" sailing books written over the years by experienced sailors. Now, with the publication of Mr. Roth's "How to Sail Around the World," I believe that prospective and current cruising sailors have the definitive reference book to support their purchase, planning, and cruising decisions. Few sailors have logged as many singlehanded or "two-handed" miles in the variety of cruising and racing conditions as Hal and Margaret Roth. Few write as well or as engagingly as Hal Roth. "How to Sail Around the World" is a detailed book, very well researched, with careful analyses backed up by more than 200,000 sea-miles of thoughtful experience. The book will give beginning cruising sailors an excellent foundation, and it will give more experienced sailors new insights and techniques. Because of the research and vast experience of the writer, I believe that this is the best book of its type available. I recommend it most highly. It will show you how you can achieve your dream of cruising a bay, an ocean, and then the world.

For sailors who dream about crossing the ocean, or even crossing the bay, here is superb advice from a lifelong sailor who has lived nearly every sailing dream imaginable. But the book is so filled with interesting notions and wry comment that even armchair sailors who never have left the dock will find it captivating. Hal Roth twice has sailed small boats, solo, in the most grueling race imaginable, now called Around Alone. He and his wife have circumnavigated many times. In the book, he presents practical advice that works for offshore sailors but also for weekend cruisers. He talks about costs, construction, sails and sail management, heavy weather, anchoring, dinghies and even food. All these topics and many more are illustrated with Roth's own pictures and drawings which are very good. What sets this book far apart from ordinary instruction texts, however, is Roth's salty sense of humor, his strong opinions, and his gift for telling compelling anecdotes to prove his points. He literally has a world of material and he brings it to the reader in an adventurous style. I loved the book.

This is the third book I've read recently about owning and equipping a sailboat for crusiing. Each of the books has had a particular emphasis, such as outfitting a boat for coastal cruising. But this book is exactly what I wanted for info and the book delivered the goods. Some of the other books had more detailed info on inverters, toilets, reverse-osmosis water systems, refrigeration, etc., but they didn't have info on self-steering gear, the basics of a sextant, the boat log and its contents, paper work when landing at a port, etc. I don't want to give the impression that he doesn't talk about the boat systems in detail. There is enough info available and it's good stuff. It just isn't as extensive as some, but he does cover the topic adequately, and in some cases much better than the other books. Also, the use of a rough cost estimates is very helpful. He puts it in terms of the cost of multiple beers. This I can relate to on several different planes! He does mention some brand names too. Some of these writers have some reluctance to tell you who makes either good or crappy stuff and what it costs. I have a tendency to highlite a book when I read something usefull. Well this book has lots of color. In conclusion...buy this book because it's packed full of very important and interesting info about equipping your boat for bluewater cruising.

One thing Roth never forgets is basic seamanship.His experience shows in every chapter. Lots to learn here. And he definitely does know how to write well. But he does not do as good of job covering the details that affect women on board cruising boats. So if I was trying to encourage someones dream, I'd buy this book along with Lin Pardey's Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew.

Recently I've bought a book from Amazon com. "How To Sail Around The World" by Hal Ruth its an excellent book every thing you need to know about this topic is mentioned in details a lot of photos and sketches.
The book got 29 chapters each chapter have a heading such as:- To find a yacht suitable for the voyage in full details- The best self-steering to choose with digrams explains its operation and you could build one from the diagrams if you wish- Storm management- Navigation and pilot charts as well the place where to buy these charts and their referance numbers and many many more topics covered in the 29 chapters of this book.
The style and the way this book is written is marvellous once you start reading it you don't feel like to stop. In my view Its an excellent book highly recommended to buy.
David Dawud

If you have read other books from Hal Roth, you know his approach to sailing. Plan, equip, then have fun. This book is terrific. Filled with his thoughts on how to make sailing easier, cost efficient, fun. How to handle problems. Etc.
Highly recommended.

I stayed up late to finish this book, and regret the publisher has not seen fit to offer Amazon readers a "Look Inside the Book."

I am adding this book to my list of great sailing manuals, handbooks, and other guides, with the observation that this book is in no way a substitute for those more detail oriented step by step books BUT this book is also unique. It is PACKED with real-world experience and clever sense--much beyond common sense--that is literally priceless. Put clearly, I would not leave this book out of my calculations in planning to acquire and manage an offshore journey that includes an ocean crossing.

Chapter 15 on "Can You Be Seen At Night" is alone worth the price of the book. I have NEVER seen this much useful detail anywhere else, including the so-called everything guides. The author excels at providing contact information and specific recommendations and I absolutely would not go to sea in the future without buying the masthead light he recommends in the book. I also realized that the 65 MacGregor, which I have my eye on, falls just within the 65.6' limits of international regulations on masthead lights sufficing (when sailing), and personally think MacGregor is making a mistake in thinking about a 70' version.

This book has FOUR chapters on storm management, and I have NEVER seen it explained more sensibly, in logical progression. I am not a lifelong sailed despite a provisional D Skipper rating (less celestial), so these four chapters are for me the equivalent of a life-time tutorial that I badly need.

While speaking of celestial, this book persuaded me I have to get on with that qualification. The author is compelling in describing the circumstances under which GPS could go out, both locally or by military dictat, and I finally appreciate the urgency of having celestial capability in extremis.

The rest of the book is a joy. I now wish I had done this when my three boys were still in middle school range. The chapter on home schooling is fantastic, with lots of detail, and I am fully convinced that the author is correct when he says that two hours of focused study a day easily equal a "full" school day with all its distractions and change-ups.

The chapters on fuel for cooking and fuel for heating are both very important, and marvelous supplements to the more sterile ground as covered by others. The author ranges widely, covers the pros and cons well acorss the various fuel categories, and I put down the book knowing a great deal more. This merits a special comment: this author is gifted at talking sense. I understand his words more easily than the more formal manuals.

Final chapters include one on nine ideas covering tools, water, flashlights, mast climbing steps, nonskid desk surfaces, ship's book (history and details of every sail, fitting, etc.), cockroaches, enhancement to the topping lift, and stuffing box leaks with ACE bandages in or out of the hull.

The book does not mention piracy, so I am loading a graphic from an article I wrote recently, and anticipate the need for a global guide to piracy and rapid response services. I also see a need for fully concealable sniper rifles that are impervious to salt-water.

Absolutely a great value.

I've read a number of Mr. Roth's books.His writing skill is excellent.His photography is superb.His knowledge of sailing is that of a true grandmaster.This book has tips for cruising sailers on any level of experience:what works and why; what didn't work for Him and His incredible partner & wife and why.No plans for an around the world cruise is needed to get this book and pick it up often. Much of the great info is valid for most any overlight sail, or any daysail on our great magestic oceans ,lakes or rivers.His humility is gratifying. He's been out there and done that (a thousand times),but He doesn't have to keep showing us His "medals"in every paragraph. His Bibliography and references at the end are a great source to what else is worth exploring in the world of print.If you sail- get this book!

The genuine article. A well written and pragmatic book that will serve as both a good first read and a long term reference text. Highly recommend.

Having read many books on offshore sailing, and being a editor/reviewer for a number of journals and books, I have to say that this is my favorite book on the subject of world cruising. Roth writes extremely well and despite his wealth of knowledge always sounds laid back and practical. The subjects covered range widely but are all relevant and useful. I hope to meet him one day when traveling the far places of the world!