The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat [Hardcover]

John Vigor (Author)

Book Description

Series: International Marine | Publication Date: September 1, 1999

This text is a hands-on guide to evaluation and upgrading. The book's questionnaire tells you if your boat is blue-water capable, and the step-by-step illustrated instructions show you exactly how to refit for ocean voyaging.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

What reviewers have said about John Vigor's books. The Practical Mariner's Book of Knowledge--"The perfect, practical gift to give or receive."--The Ensign. "Since boating involves such a variety of disciplines, finding a single, comprehensive source of instructional information has been virtually impossible--until now."--Rhode Island Boating. The Sailor's Assistant--"An excellent addition to any sailor's library."--Sailing. "Vigor presents an incredible amount of material in a very clear way."--Ocean Navigator. "I recommend it to all readers without qualification. It will probably see more use than any other book in your collection.--The Ash Breeze. Discover if your cruising sailboat is offshore-capable--and how you can refit for worry-free bluewater voyaging. Whether you're planning an offshore voyage or just want to make your boat more stout and safe for sea, this book is the perfect start.

About the Author

John Vigor has sailed more than 15,000 ocean miles in boats 11 to 40 feet. He is the author of The Practical Mariner's Book of Knowledge and The Boatowner's Handbook. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Intl Marine Pub (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071343288
• ISBN-13: 978-0071343282
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,111,990 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST Buy For Anyone Serious About Venturing Off Shore, January 13, 2000

By 

Bill Williams (Escondido, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat (Hardcover)

In The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat, author John Vigor covers the requirements for any sailboat venturing beyond coastal waters. He first defines what makes a boat suitable for offshore sailing, then provides a virtual checklist of improvements that can "harden" a boat in order to meet the requirements for heavy weather sailing. In one chapter there is are 56 questions to test the fitness of any boat. The final score on this test helps the sailor determine whether or not a boat is blue water capable. He also addresses the operation of a boat on a long voyage, and what should be expected in the way of weather. Provisioning is also addressed in this book. An appendix covers the Catalina 27, a model that has over 6000 boats manufactured. His assesment is that this boat is the "Volkswagen Beetle" of the boating world, and is a very seaworthy choice for it's price and size. He tells of Patrick Childress making a solo circumnavigation in a Catalina 27. Any boat owner contemplating a long offshore cruise would be well advised to read this book before venturing out without making the improvements suggested.

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Advice, January 22, 2002

By 

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

This review is from: Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat: A Guide to Essential Features, Handling, and Gear (Paperback)

You can easily pick up three books on offshore sailing and get three separate opinions of what type of boat you need. A fast boat will get across the pond faster. A big boat adds stability and can carry lots of accessories like auxiliary generators and water makers. John's theory is that you should get a boat that can be handled well by a small crew and tough enough to handle any weather that you are likely to run into. Since his opinion parallels my own, I can only assume that he is obviously a sailing genius. This book is highly recommended for anyone contemplating a voyage over the horizon.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy This Book, June 18, 2003

By 

GEORGE R. FISHER (Boston MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat: A Guide to Essential Features, Handling, and Gear (Paperback)

Even if you do not plan to sail shorthanded thousands of miles offshore it's a very good idea to understand in detail what makes your boat seaworthy in difficult circumstances and to make it so.

This book is a very thorough and very readable treatment of the subject of everything you need to know about a sailboat (except how to sail; that part is assumed). These sorts of things distinguish good sailors from the mass of recreational sailors and I, for one, have an ambition to become the former. If you do, too, then this is a great book to read several times.

The Black Box theory of why some people are lucky and others aren't relates to preparedness and if only once in your life you need it, then it's worth it to you and your companions to have taken the trouble.