One Hand for Yourself One for the Ship: The Essentials of Single Handed Sailing (Paperback)

by Tristan Jones (Author) "THE oil-based system in which the advanced nations live today is sooner or later doomed..." (more)
Key Phrases: The Nautical Almanac, Sea Dart, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
A reference handbook of the essentials of single-handed sailing written for novice and experienced sailors. Jones offers information and advice on the science and art of solo sailing with humorous anecdotes and details. Topics range from accommodations and small-craft cooking to celestial navigation and hazardous conditions. --Soundings, April 1991

Tristan Jones needs no introduction to anyone interested in sailing and yachts. He has logged more miles and more adventure sailing alone than any other person alive in our time. He has crossed the Atlantic many times, often alone and has circumnavigated the globe in small boats. As such, One Hand for Yourself, One of the Ship, sub-titled The Essentials of Singlehanded Sailing is a course on singlehanded sailing by the man most qualified to give it.

There are of course numerous books on singlehanded sailing, but few so readable and full of sheer commonsense and experience, laced with the highly personal perspective of a man who has lived his life on the sea.

The book encompasses arguably every aspect of preparation, fear and technique needed for a person to sail alone, from rigs and rigging to catching fish; celestial navigation to stay alive. He even goes into great detail on the importance of taking along materials so that one can make an emergency mast in the event of demasting and tells you how to construct one.

His advice regarding self-steering is something all cruising sailors should consider very carefully, His own vast experience has led him to believe that for serious cruising you should fit a wind-vane, preferably, in his own words, the Rolls-Royce of wind-vanes, the Aries. He says no electronic or electrical device that he has sailed with has proved 100 percent reliable and that in nine-tenths of the ports of the world, the hopes of finding someone who understands these things is about as realistic as the hope of getting Colonel Qaddafi to adopt the United States constitution.

An invaluable book, written by a man described by the American magazine Motor Boat and Sailing as the Joshua Slocum of our age. --Sailing, July 1992

Product Description
In One Hand for Yourself, One for the Ship, Tristan Jones offers a course on single-handed sailing as filtered through his singular perception of the art and science of that time-honored tradition. Bearing the unmistakable stamp of one who has lived on and for the sea, the text is aglow with memorable anecdotes and detailed insights.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 226 pages
• Publisher: Sheridan House (November 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0924486031
• ISBN-13: 978-0924486036
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #257,475 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tristan Jones--a man not a legend, August 7, 2000

By	Conrad B. Senior (Easton, CT United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I stopped buying Tristan Jones books because I felt there was little substance to them and some fabrication added to help sell them to the publishers. All the books are skimpy fast reads. I hope my opinion is changed, but I'm unwilling to invest in any more of them to find out.

He has a some of good advice for sailors at sea. However, I have to say, that like most of his books I take what he writes with a grain of salt. And, some of what he recommends, I doubt he ever did himself.

That is not to say his advice is bad, just not practical in some cases. I doubt many seaman would follow all of his advice.

For example, he recommends that single handed sailor drag a line behind the boat hooked up to a trip wire arrangement to heave the boat to. Great advice. I doubt anyone follows it or that Tristan Jones did so. That doesn't mean it is not good advice. This sort of thinking is smart thinking, planning ahead for an emergency.

Likewise his advice for having a triangular patch of canvas ready and rigged on the bow with control lines all set ready to cover a hole below the waterline should the unlike event happen that one gets holed below the waterline. This is just something that would get in the way, foul up something else on the boat and cause more trouble than it's worth. I think a better idea is have one ready to go and practice rigging it.

Perhaps these ideas may make sense when you are sitting at a typewriter trying to put enough substance in a book so you can sell it to a publisher. This is my impression of Tristan Jones.

If you get something out of a book like this, you got something that may give you an idea that will save your boat or yourself.

I gave it 3 stars because I felt it was like some of his other books, short books made in an attempt to make money to fund his roving lifestyle as a wandering seaman.

Hey he pulled it off.

Maybe you can too! Bring a laptop if you go cruising, there is bound to be a story in it.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book for solo or small-crew sailors, July 9, 2001

By A Customer

This book has great information for solo sailors or those who could become solo sailors with the illness or injury of one person. My husband and I are the only crew for our 40 ft sailboat. He is the more knowledgeable sailor by far, so if he is out of commission for a while, I will be very grateful for the ideas I have gotten from this book.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If your interested in single-handed cruising, get it!!, December 6, 1997

By	[e-mail] "nauticgiant" (Berlin, Germany) - See all my reviews

Tristan Jones shares the fast experience he has gained over the years in low-budget single handed cruising. He has sailed more miles in small boats than anyone else and it shows. The book is full of very sensible advice on sailing, cruising and surviving. But remember. this book gives his personal opinion. As a reader you have to filter out what you like and what not. A great way to learn!