Surviving the Storm: Coastal and Offshore Tactics [Hardcover]

Steve Dashew (Author), Linda Dashew (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1999

Everything sailors and powerboaters need to know about storm preparation, gear, and tactics. Includes the most spectacular collection of storm photos and illustrations ever assembled. Also filled with firsthand reports from survivors of the worst storms at sea on record, plus interviews with 33 professional seamen who reveal for the first time their secrets for surviving some of the worst weather on the planet.

Perhaps the most valuable lesson in this book is the concept that by taking an active part in battling the elements, sailors who are prepared can survive in conditions which many would call overwhelming.

Readers of Surviving the Storm will find their definition of heavy weather changing. They will discover that, by practicing the techniques taught by the authors, all of their passages will be faster and more comfortable - not just those taking place in inclement conditions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...An in-depth and long-needed examination of storm tactics and heavy-weather gear for modern boats. The book's strength is the range of experiences and storm-management solutions it details.

The Dashews...take a comprehensive look at the pros and cons of such subjects as heaving-to, running off ...using drogues...and equipment tests of safety gear...Some of the most gripping and useful reading comes in a 67-page section of interviews with top-level professional skippers and seamen, a wealth of seasoned info.

The Dashews aren't afraid to step on some toes ...The makers of safety gear ...touted for storm use won't be happy with field-test descriptions of ...breakdowns or malfunctions...Neither will believers in the "one-tactic-fits-all" approach to storm management. But the Dashews' frankness and open-mindedness is a considerable strength...After all, where dangerous weather is concerned, the more you know the more options you have, and the better your chances of weathering a storm. -- Tom Linskey, Editor, Sail Magazine, December 1999

...Excellent work - thank you...Worth 2x the price. D.H., Nashville, TN -- reader

...The best book on the subject I've ever seen...(A) very important addition to the growing literature targeted at bluewater sailing. -- John Bonds, Safety at Sea educator

An indispensable voyaging resource...With a wealth of stark photographs, and illustrative diagrams, Dashew digests heavy weather from every possible angle - human , mechanical, and meteorological - annotating his treatment by citing countless case studies of real boats in really horrific conditions. No aspect of or item on a typical voyaging sailboat is left unanalyzed. Tactics and storm procedures are outlined. Renowned professional skippers are interviewed and profiled. -- Blue Water Sailing, November/December 1999

Could ultimately save your life. -- Canadian Yachting, Winter 2000

I'm to race in the BT Global Challenge and am enjoying Surviving the Storm. It will come in handy. C.B., England -- reader

Readable as it is long and thorough. Surviving the Storm... makes for some of the most riveting and educational reading we've done in a long time...In addition to covering just about everything you could ever want to know about storm preparations, gear and tactics from those who have been through life-threatening storms, there are first person accounts of storm experiences from amateurs... It's fascinating reading. In addition, the book includes 540 dramatic photographs or illustrations. -- Latitude 38, October 1999

Surviving the Storm is the most sweeping manual on heavy-weather sailing I know. Encyclopedic in scope yet precise in analysis, it is extremely strong on the theories of seamanship and meteorology and also on actual practices in all types of boats. The Dashews...avoid careless overgeneralizing as they sympathetically examine how particular crews in particular boats handled particular storms. The Photographs and the accompanying schematic drawings showing how boats behave in big seas are worth the price of the book alone and demand careful study. -- John Rousmaniere, author, The Annapolis Book of Seamanship and Fastnet, Force 10

You can take a half-dozen different books on storm seamanship with you, or you can take Dashew's Surviving the Storm and have it all in one volume. Not only that, it's a good read when the wind isn't blowing. -- Gregory Jones, Editor, Sailing

You'll likely be a better seaman after finding yourself captivated by this book's fascinating and usually useful accounts of sailors who have been there. -- The Boating News, January 2000

From the Inside Flap

***HERE'S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT SURVIVING THE STORM.***

"The book is a mine of information...(with) an up-to-date freshness that makes it THE successor to Adlard Coles' classic! Well done you lot." Angelo Lavranos, yacht designer

"A very impressive book." Reg Ellwood, marine rescue helicopter pilot

"I purchased Surviving the Storm and The Mariner's Weather Handbook and...have found them to be immensely informative...I have learned much from your books and enjoy browsing your site. I am thankful that you take the time to share your experience and knowledge...You do the world a great service by simply sharing some of your insights and experience. I will look forward to learning much more from you via your site and your books." S.H., Westport, CT

"Your storm book as expected is excellent." D.E., United Kingdom

"I am currently reading your book entitled "Surviving the Storm" and want you to know I think it is one of the most comprehensive books I've read thus far - more like a texbook than the typical books on rough wx sailing." F.J., Morris, IL

"Hi, I've just finished your latest Storm Tactics, it's great. I've also read and loved your others." A.S., Phoenix, AZ

"I was fortunate enough to receive both the Encyclopedia and Surviving the Storm for X-mas. Yea me. Both are hugely informative and exceptionally well done, my complements...Thanks for your time and expertise." E.S., Marina del Rey, CA

"I enjoyed your book very much-essential reading..."B.C., Australia via e-mail

"I want to congratulate the writers for the excellent job done." L.S., via e-mail

"We recently purchased, Surviving the Storm...(We)find the comments and knowledge of those interviewed good food for thought. The interview format is a great idea. This book will be read again and again...Thanks again for a great book." H. & T.H., via e-mail

"Love your books on Weather and Heavy weather." D.S., via e-mail

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 675 pages
• Publisher: Beowulf Pub Co; 1st edition (November 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965802892
• ISBN-13: 978-0965802895
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,232,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great to learn from others, December 26, 2000

By 

secret squirrel (hoy miami; manana buenos aires) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Surviving the Storm: Coastal and Offshore Tactics (Hardcover)

An encyclopaedic covering of various tactics for surviving storms at sea, the dashews succinct writing and cogent organisation drives this hefty book forward. while powerboats are nominally covered, this book is more squarely aimed at the community of ocean going sailboats. Anyone sailing into deep blue water should read this book. A few notes: 1. the conclusions are mature: there is no single right answer, but the best strategy is to experiment with all the tactics in moderately heavy seas before you eventually get caught out in the big one. 2. active strategies (beating in and running off) shine a little brighter under the dashews' light than heaving to or sea anchors/drogues; fair enough. 3. consequently there is a nice treatment of heavy weather sails 4. the book is full of instructive black & white photos that make one sufficiently happy to be drinking tea at home. 5. numerous interviews with salty sailors make for instructive case studies, though several times key details (size of boat, location, crew experience, etc.) are left out. 6. the only weakness is that its numerous interviews and articles largely focus on experienced sailors who have been doing everything right for so long that it's difficult to get them to remember the episodes that taught them. The book is quite thin on disaster stories -which are frequently the most instructive -- and instead spends a lot of time interviewing 100,000 milers who can't remember the last time they were scared. Thus `surviving the storm' tells you merely how to do everything right, not how to avoid doing the wrong things... for those many of us who find the fear of failing (or drowning) particularly motivating from an instructional standpoint, this is a lacuna in an otherwise fine book. Two other sailing books, "MayDay!" and Coote's "Total Loss" admirably fill this gap, but if the dashew's had hit this final nail on the head I'd petition amazon for a 6-star review. At the end of the day, it's a must-read. Rock on steve and Linda, I've got dockage in fort Lauderdale if you ever want to visit.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fact not fiction!, December 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Surviving the Storm: Coastal and Offshore Tactics (Hardcover)

With the advent of popular movies about horrific storms at sea that deal more in fiction than fact it is both refreshing and gratifying to read a book written for us ocean voyagers from someone who has actually lived it!. There are few sailors and even fewer authors that have the experience and dedication of the Dashews. In Surviving the Storm they combine their extensive experience at sea (over 200,000 miles cruising offshore) and their background in boat design and building (perhaps some of the finest sailing boats made) with other experts to separate the hype and fiction from the facts.

After reading this book I had a totally different outlook on most of the major storms we've all heard about and more importantly how to prepare and deal with heavy weather when and if I get caught in it.

As with all of the Dashews' books I've read, Surviving The Storm is written in an easy to read, conversational style with lots of real-world examples and there are plenty of illustrations and photographs to help you see what is going on. No detail is left out - I found this book to be an extensive, in-depth reference of the hows and whys of storm tactics and survival. At just shy of 700 pages it contains a ton of information. I especially like the summaries and numerous side-bar references - they really help.

If sailing is your passion as it is mine I'd suggest a few other Dashew titles as well.

Mariner's Weather Handbook is a great companion to this book and covers every aspect of weather for the sailor. Let's face it - it is better to stay ahead of nasty weather than get caught in it!

The book that turned me on to the Dashews was their massive reference: Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia - it saved me from wasting thousands of dollars and an equal amount of time readying my boat for offshore. It is an incredible book covering everything a cruiser needs to know BEFORE going offshore. I've read (and studied, over and over again) these 3 books and I hardly recommend them to anyone who likes sailing - it is money very well spent!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The One Book You Should Own, September 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Surviving the Storm: Coastal and Offshore Tactics (Hardcover)

If there is one book you should study before heading to sea it is the Dashew's Surviving the Storm. Rather than taking a dogmatic approach to storm tactics, they cover every imaginable tactic, and how it is used in a variety of boats and conditions. The book starts with a thorough analysis of the problems encountered by a variety of boats heading between the islands and new Zealand in 1998. There are some sad stories as well as successes - we learn from both. They go on to make an elaborate explanation of preparation and equipment, anmd then cover tactics in detail.

The Dashew's repeat over and over that there is no magic bullet to heavy weather. You havew to be prepared to use ansd try different tactics as conditions change.

What we liked most was the intervioew format used extensively throughout the book. There must be 70 or more of them. Half of these are with professionals and their comments are very informative. The interviews with amateurs are also worth reading. Some did things the right way, others made mistakes, from which we can all learn.

This book has received great press and while I was at first skeptical of the price and the reviews, having read the book now I can say it is the best investment I have yet made in my plans to go cruising.