Tricks of the Trades [Paperback]

Bruce Van Sant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2002

Bruce Van Sant writes the popular guide The Gentleman’s Guide to Passages South which many cruising sailors call their "Bible" for traveling through the islands of the trade winds to South America. It has advice that BlueWater Sailing calls "priceless".

In Tricks of the Trades, Van Sant widens the scope to handle questions of health, thieves, con artists, corrupt officials, equipment, brokers, outfitters and more. You find sound counsel for "single handers" and unique tips on how to find and outfit a boat for your trade winds cruise.

In his fourth decade of living and cruising foreign, Van Sant has amassed stratagems for sailors cruising abroad for the first time. Not how to survive, but how to live well while cruising safely and comfortably. In short, Tricks for successfully cruising the islands of the trade winds.

Tricks of the Trades presents a lively documentary from Van Sant’s 45 years of sailing and seven years of trawlering. It gives graphic and detailed accounts of natural effects you can use to cheat the ceaseless winds and wild seas of their power to deny you safe and comfortable passage through the islands of the trades of any ocean.

Product Details

• Paperback: 182 pages
• Publisher: Cruising Guide Publications (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0944428622
• ISBN-13: 978-0944428627
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #332,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Sailing > Excursion Guides

More About the Author

Orphaned by World War II, Van Sant worked his way through childhood at dozens of crazy jobs. He learned to sail early by borrowing sailing skiffs from beach lifeguards. After university he got a job and a sailboat with a plan that, when the sailboats got big enough, he'd get out of the rat race and go sailing to simpler places for a simpler life.

He spent four decades of cruising, working, writing and speaking in countries of Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, picking up six languages along the way, four of which he used well enough to make a living on local economies. By 1979 he had settled into cruising the myriad islands between Florida and South America.

Having long ago "copped out" or "gone Galt", Van Sant no longer copes as a tiny cog in the big machines of the so-called developed countries. He got used to living freely, without every step insured or hobbled by cat's cradles of regulations, government programs, monthly bills and nettling bosses. He lives without ever-present signs of "NO smoking", "NO fishinig", "No swimming, loitering, littering, entry, passing, parking in the park -- NO!".

The younger, freer America where he grew up haunts visits home, where he finds himself longing to escape to the America of his youth. He always did the next best thing and sailed away again. If you want to escape, he can tell you how. You can read some of his and others' adventures in world cruising in Margarita Cat.

Van Sant has, alas, sold his last boat and lives ashore with his wife Rosa in their home, Kembali ke Tanah, high over the sea in the Dominican Republic. See Kembali at www.LuperonCruising.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Definite "Keeper" - filled with valuable useful info, September 12, 2004

By 

Janice Marois "janice142" (cruising, eastern seaboard) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tricks of the Trades (Paperback)

I loved this book! Absolutely the *best* I've yet read for a more mature cruiser. Written by the author of Gentleman's Guide to Passages South, "Tricks of the Trade" is an amalgamation of the wisdom Van Sant has accumulated over the decades afloat. You see, so many of these boating books seem to be written for physically fit 30-something's with far more stamina than I have -- oft times I've felt overwhelmed by what seems the norm for these kids.

[Oh, I enjoyed Bill Bradley's book "On Board With Bradley" for liveaboard boaters that marina hop... that is a good book too.] However, "Tricks of the Trades" has earned a place aboard and has become a much used reference. Gosh, it's like having the captain sitting a spell and explain things to me, his willing to learn audience.

Bruce Van Sant is an older gent, and I find his insights invaluable as far as coping with my own declining physical strength and more -- heck if it's not falling apart, it's not mine! (laughs) His advice is practical, versus pie-in-the-sky high-$$ solutions that may work, or might break down and cause serious problems. His suggestion for anchor raising makes such clear-as-a-bell sense one wonders why it isn't standard advice... and for the record, I intend to be a two cuppa. (smile)

I suspect his theories on boat repair will become my own as well. His experiences rang true, and I think his methods will work for me. Practical advice -- I like it and agree with most of his conclusions regarding repairs.

The section on weather I still have not yet fully internalized. It's complicated -- not something I could read once and understand immediately. That's okay though, as I'm keeping my copy of this book.

I don't know that I agree 100% with his views mind you, but there is a lot of wisdom found within the pages of this book. I'd recommend purchasing -- and would go so far as to suggest you pay retail!

Tricks of the Trades: A definite keeper.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars may not be enough - Great Book!, March 8, 2006

By 

George L. Ray (Cape Fear, NC, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tricks of the Trades (Paperback)

The author has a wonderfully informative and easy to read style. The book is packed with real golden nuggets of cruising / liveaboard information. Insights into human nature and societies and their application to a cruising lifestyle are unique and valuable.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your money!, December 5, 2009

By 

J. Aufderheide "Coloradobluej" (Trinidad, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tricks of the Trades (Paperback)

Fellow Sailors:

Please don't waste your money on this latest book by Van Sant!

Let me explain. This book is a MAJOR rehash of Van Sant's earlier "Gentleman's Guide . . ." but does not contain nearly as much. If you don't have his Geltleman's Guide, then buy that. Van Sant is VERY knowledgeable and if you can stand for and get by his pompous tone and condescending egocentric attitude(s)telling you how great he is, you will learn a great deal. My trick was to read until I started muttering to him while I read, and then put the book down for a while. I am glad that I bought the earlier book and got through it. I regret buying this one but I thought it would cover new material.

Smooth sailing!