Multihull Voyaging [Hardcover]

Thomas Firth Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998

This book is a guide to short-and long-distance voyaging in catamarans and trimarans. The author covers a wide range of multihulls for cruising, from the smallest and simplest to the popular mid-size boats of 30-35 feet. Multihulls are very different from monohulls because they sail faster but tolerate less weight. Accordingly, they must be equipped and provisioned differently, and they must be sailed differently.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Sheridan House (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0924486562
• ISBN-13: 978-0924486562
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #983,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Spartan, March 27, 2002

By 

D Paul "D Paul" (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Multihull Voyaging (Hardcover)

The word aptly describes the authors cruising style, and unfortunately his writing style. Chris White's "The Cruising Multihull" covers all of the same subjects in much greater detail, providing information which will let the reader make his/her own intelligent choices.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible book!, February 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Multihull Voyaging (Hardcover)

By his own right, Jones should have enough experience from which to draw upon without trashing the work, lives, and experiences of some of the most respected multihull designers, builders, sailors, and what the hell...the entire multi industry. This guy was dated, ten years before writing this book. His is a voice which severely disservices the entire world of multihull design, building, and sailing.

At the very least, I had hoped to read a personal account of Jones' experiences aboard his multihulls, but what I found was banal generalities foisted up as specific facts. Contained within this assemblage of piss and vinegar are mostly Jones' observations of everyone else's mistakes and shortcomings without ever allowing that he may have a few chinks himself. I was tremendously disappointed with this book.

I found no discussion of recent multihulls, with the exception of the Gemini cats and a few words on the production Farrier tris. A better title for this book would have been, "How to Cheaply Sail Aboard Multihull Designs of the Sixties, Putting Yourself and Fellow Sailors at Risk of Collision, Injury, and Death".

A more sound discussion could be found within the pages of Chris White's, "The Cruising Multihull" and would leave one with the feeling of having been educated, rather than having listened to the disertation of a megalomaniac.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid sailing experience that entertains, May 20, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Bedford, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Multihull Voyaging (Hardcover)

This excellent volume is one that persuaded us that it was time to build our own boat, which is nearing completion as I write.

The book describes multihulls and rigs from a variety of designers, and goes on to detail how the two Joneses voyaged widely at modest cost and with safety, despite their very own hurricane experience in a tiny catamaran.

It covers the choice between cat and tri - and they have designed, built and sailed both, so have no axe to grind. The chapter on boat designs is most useful, and contains warnings that are worth heeding if choosing a boat for deep ocean.

Jones' writing style is admirably clear and direct, and the illustrations are well executed. He is a boatbuilder and designer himself, after all.

I recommend this book heartily to anyone who is going voyaging, in either mono or multi. Even if the voyage is in the mind of the reader, it is well worth reading for the tales.