The Complete Cruiser: The Art, Practice, and Enjoyment of Boating (Paperback)

by L. Francis Herreshoff (Author) "VIATOR Ahoy, aboard the Piscator!..." (more)
Key Phrases: watch tackle, flange eye, reef pendant, Block Island, Miss Prim, Cape Cod (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Famed yacht designer and author L. Francis Herreshoff takes us on family style cruises in American waters, during which all sorts of boats and boating skills are explained while they are used. He tells about the adventures of the crews of the catboat Piscator, the ketch Viator, and the engineless whaleboat-style ketch Rozinante. There are anecdotes and examples and a wide variety of boat lore in each chapter, as well as adventures, races and coastwide cruises and historical harbors to visit.

From the Back Cover
"Inspired by Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler, this book is accurately subtitled The Art, Practice and Enjoyment of Boating. L.F. Herreshoff presents his own highly individual prescription for happy voyaging under sail and power, as exemplified in an imaginative narrative he tells about the adventures of the crews of the catboat Piscator, the ketch Viator, and the engineless whaleboat-style ketch Rozinante. If there is one Herreshoff keynote, it is that simplicity afloat is the surest guarantee of happiness." --Dolphin Book Club

"This charming classic is the only book around on enjoying the minutiae of cruising of the sort that most people do--gadding about one's local bays and islands, ideally with a couple of boats separating for adventures and rejoining at anchorages, indulging in anything-goes races, just messing around. It can be a high art, proves this aristocratic tale." --Next Whole Earth Catalog

"...a delightful 370 page monologue about shoal versus deep draft, accommodation plans, the proper fish chowder, rowing techniques and the blessings of a head equipped with a cedar bucket, among other subjects." --John Rousmaniere, Yachting

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Product Details

• Paperback: 382 pages
• Publisher: Sheridan House; Reprint, First paperback edition edition (January 25, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0911378677
• ISBN-13: 978-0911378672
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #395,868 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A look into the soul of cruising, April 6, 1999

By	chrisseattle "chrisseattle" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This book is written as a story, but the plot elements really only exist in order to string together pieces of information in a fashion which is entertaining to read. Topics covered include how to make a proper chowder, how to launch a boat off the beach, binoculars vs. telescopes, a good bit of boating history, anchoring, and many, many others. Herreschoff is quite opinionated, and this book is definitely an antique, but it is good reading and much of what he writes still applies today.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Insight and Opinions, November 20, 2004

By	Sailing Triathlete (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

The primary purpose of the book is cruising advice and L. Francis Herreshoff shares some inginuity while covering topics such as cooking, exercise, ground tackle, paint, wood treatment, workshops, tenders, piloting...

Also like many great cruising yacht designers, Herreshoff is full of opinions. Here are a few examples:

On Exercise: "...the young American is too lazy to paddle...if they had taken a moderate ourdoor exercise like paddling, their nerves would be much more at rest and they would enjoy life more, and live longer."

On Power Boats: "We don't hate all power boats, only those modern freaks that look like the result of a collision between an automobile and a dining car...The motor boat designers have to design craft down to the taste of foolish and uncouth individuals...It's a shame that they are not compelled to anchor away from the yacht club for they spoil the looks of the waterfront."

Class: "...vacationing women whose desire to look risque had taken the place of wholesome feminie beauty."

I learned much from this entertaining book and will read it again.

4.0 out of 5 stars Now I have a better understanding of the term "classic" , March 22, 2007

By	Guy "IowaGuy" (Marion, IA USA) - See all my reviews

I thought this was a wonderful book. It tells a simple story of people meeting up and going sailing, including a cruise of several days. In the process of telling this story, the author imparts a continuous stream of sailing knowledge throughout. I just completed a review of "Sea Steading", by FitzGerald, and just realized that these books have the same philosophy on sailing and opinion on powerboats. But, this book is more of a joy to read.
The Compleat Cruiser is a bit dated, written in the 50s I believe, which adds an interesting historical aspect. But, it is also a shame that the story isn't updated to reflect what we would find today in the locales described in the book. Read the book and then find a kid to give it to, you might create a sailor out of him or her.