World Cruising Essentials : The Boats, Gear, and Practices That Work Best at Sea (Hardcover)

by Jimmy Cornell (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This comprehensive third volume in Jimmy Cornell's acclaimed and successful World Cruising series is the ultimate authority on boats, gear, and techniques for long-distance cruising under sail.

Distilled from surveys of 15,000 sailors by the world's leading promoter of blue-water voyaging, it answers in detail the most frequently asked questions on world cruising, including what boats people are sailing, what navigation and seamanship practices work best, what equipment is really essential, and more.

From the Back Cover
"No one should think of setting off around the world without first consulting Jimmy Cornell's works."--Practical Boat Owner

World Cruising Essentials is a unique book that presents a comprehensive overview of the current world cruising scene.

Based primarily on data Jimmy Cornell has collected during his 15 years as organizer of 27 transatlantic and 5 round-the-world rallies, as well as his own circumnavigations, this book distills the experiences of over 15,000 rally sailors who collectively have sailed 18 million miles, as well as the views of thousands of other sailors worldwide. It is this collective knowledge and consensus viewpoint that distinguish this book from other cruising handbooks, most of which present only their author's opinions and experiences.

World Cruising Essentials examines trends and changes that have taken place in the world cruising scene since its forerunner volume, World Cruising Survey, was published in 1989. It explores all areas of interest to anyone making preparations for an offshore voyage. The size and type of boats, equipment installed, electrics and electronic gear, practical aspects of life afloat, communications, formalities worldwide and the human aspects of cruising are all considered, and frequently asked questions addressed.

World Cruising Essentials includes a wealth of practical advice and information for all long-distance cruisers and will be welcomed by the cruising community for its invaluable insight.

Where do the boats go? World movement and distribution of cruising yachts

The cruising boat today: Size, material, rig, equipment, breakages

Life afloat: Provisioning, refrigeration, watermakers, engines and fuel, energy consumption, generation, self-steering gear, anchors, tenders, watchkeeping, weather, pets

The ideal cruising boat: Improvements and comforts

Safety: Piracy, firearms, personal safety, collisions, abandoning ship

Practical aspects of cruising: Formalities and restrictions, cost, communications, tourism, long term planning

Psychological aspects of the cruising life: Crew, expectations, seasickness, the female point of view

The future: Significant incidents and lessons

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (February 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071414258
• ISBN-13: 978-0071414258
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #76,933 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent source of information, November 3, 2004

By	xpda - See all my reviews

Cornell offers his own viewpoints as well as those of others, does a good job of labeling facts vs. options, and answers a lot of questions I had about cruising. Safety equipment, storms, piracy, dangerous areas, firearms, and communications are all covered well. Common equipment failures are given, along with statistics to back them up. For example, how often does the mast of a cuising yacht really fail, and how?

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Zaggats of cruising, July 13, 2006

By	InterviewGuy (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

I am not a world cruiser and have only ventured a few miles from shore and then not too far from the other side of the sound within which we sail every summer. This book was a disappointment. It is basically a distillation of the periodic surveys the author conducts of people who cruise in small yachts either on their own or as part of an offshore rally such as the ARC. The problem for me is that the book amounts to a collection of advice, not from people who necessarily know that much about cruising, but instead from those it was convenient for Cornell to interview. It's like a Zaggat guide, filled with lots of pepole's opinions but not necessarily people who know anything about food. Frankly, I don't know enough to judge whether this interviewees ideas are right on, or that interviewees ideas are nonsense-- that's not my point. I was looking for a single authoritative voice, not a report on what a collection of people with the funds and gumption to cross oceans happen to believe. This one is going back.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A statistical report. Name misleading. , March 10, 2007

By	Dan Kav (Israel) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was disappointed buying and reading this book. From its name, I was sure that the book tells you what BEST WORK AT SEA. I found it gives statistics of many boaters most of them amateurs, using this or that equipment. Implying, that what all amateurs and others are doing is the best. I bought the book to know what Jimmy cornell thinks is best. The problem with amateurs, and I am one of them, that we get fludded by info from manufacturers, and "Friends". There is a lack of professional advise in these areas.

Dan