Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Sailing [Paperback]

John Vigor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2005

There are many frustrated sailors out there and with the baby boomers starting to retire many finally have the freedom to indulge their sailing dreams. This book is intended to guide them. Aimed at sailboat owners of all kinds, this reference book contains 200 entries packed with solid practical advice and valuable tips. The reference format offers the reader opportunities to open the book at any page and browse endlessly. Cartoons by SAIL Magazine cartoonist Tom Payne enliven the text. A comprehensive appendix covers some 50 technical topics.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...it is always interesting and very readable." -- Sailing, November 2005

"Filled with practical advice, this book is a winner." -- The ENSIGN, May/June 2006

"It's fun to page through and you just might learn a thing or two. " -- Soundings, December 2005

"This book is easy to read. It imparts some very valuable information in a fun package." -- Good Old Boat, October 2005

"This is a great reference book for those just entering the world of sailing, and entertaining." --Latitudes & Attitudes, December 2005

About the Author

John Vigor is a former managing editor of Sea Magazine and the copy editor for Good Old Boat Magazine. He has contributed numerous articles and photos to Cruising World, Sail, Yachting World, Good Old Boat, Practical Boat Owner, and many other maritime publications. He has written ten books on boating subjects, ranging from children's adventure to reference books to a travel/adventure memoir. As a newspaper journalist, he has worked on three continents and written a daily humor column for large metro dailies for nearly 20 years. He lives with his family in Bellingham, Washington.

Product Details

• Paperback: 187 pages
• Publisher: Sheridan House (August 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574092111
• ISBN-13: 978-1574092110
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #99,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Sailing > Instructional
  • #72 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Boating

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great book of sailors' "lessons learned," well worth the price!, September 30, 2007

By 

Nolan P. Clark (Kaiserslautern, Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Sailing (Paperback)

This is a great, easy-to-read book of sailors' "lessons learned," written by a man with much more experience at sea than most of us will ever have. It is not a book intended to teach you how to sail, but one with the intent of telling you how to avoid problems, both on and off the water. It is organized alphabetically, by subject, and the end of the book includes many useful tables, formulas, etc., that you might not easily find anywhere else. It covers various preventive techniques, ways to correct problems if they do occur, and things that merchants and repairmen might never tell you unless you know to ask. I also like that this book includes a fair amount of humor, and that the subjects covered are not all purely technical. Vigor goes so far as to address the phenomenon of "hearing voices" at sea, various superstitions, and even how to rename a boat in a way that doesn't cause it to become unlucky. This is a great little book and is well worth the price

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tidbits from someone who clearly knows his way around boats, December 4, 2005

By 

---- Neil H. "A Trailer Sailor's Library" (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Sailing (Paperback)

This is an alphabetical listing of boat issues, common misconceptions, followed by the authors opinion on the issue.
He is clearly knowledgeable, but each area is so short you don't get the full benefit. I found myself reading them and thinking, I wish he would have said more about this.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 200 entries which blend humor with solid practical advice, December 9, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Sailing (Paperback)

If you think a serious approach is inherent in a book like John Vigor's Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Sailing, think again: there's no orthodoxy to sailing, and plenty of truths to tell - and Vigor reveals them in 200 entries which blend humor with solid practical advice. From knowing what kind of documentation is needed to sail into foreign waters to renaming or repainting a boat, Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Sailing avoids many pitfalls.