Our Favorite Sailing Resources

Written By Geoff Dargan

Sailing is a journey of self discovery and learning that can last a day, a week, a few years, or an entire lifetime. To help you along the way, this is a compilation of all of our favorite sailing, technical, and weather resources. Like everything in this knowledge base, we add new information as we learn, right along with you, and find it worthy to post in American Mainsail’s sailing resources list.

A Quick Word About How to Use these Resources

Learning about the world of sailing, at first, can feel like drinking through a fire hose. There’s so many things to learn: so many resources vying for your attention, so much gear to try, so many article to read, so many opinions to consider. My advice is this: read a lot - as much as you can - but try to remember to keep it simple and actually go sailing.

I really like the graphic on the left - it’s, unironically, an iceberg. At the top of the iceberg, all the knowledge you can see and touch is explicit knowledge - documented information. Organizing this information is important, but it’s only ultimately useful to your sailing skills if you can turn these physical (or digital) resources into tacit knowledge. Knowledge you can use, knowledge that you understand and have made your own. To build your tacit knowledge, spend some time with the resources here, absorb them, think about them, talk about them with sailing friends and on forums, BUT most importantly GO SAILING! Experience will cement your knowledge base and make it truly yours.

The BasicS - “Where do I start If I want to Learn How to Sail?”

  • Learn How to Sail 101: https://www.cruisingworld.com/learn-to-sail-101/

    • The very basics of sailing: points of sail, starting to sail, setting sails, trimming and tacking, using telltales, and rules of the road

  • American Sailing Association’s free online course - ASA 101: https://asa.com/free-online-sailing-course/

  • State requirements vary, but you may need to obtain a boating license before skippering your first boat. Many states have mandatory boater’s safety education requirements in order to obtain a boating license. See this link for information about the boating license requirements in your state:

  • https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/boating-safety-courses.php

    • List of boater’s safety classes. Be sure to verify that the course you choose to take meets the requirements set forth by your state.

  • Look to see if there is a local sailing club or community sailing center in your area. This can be an amazing place to learn how to sail in a cost-effective way and “get your feet wet”. Community sailing centers are how I initially learned how to sail.

General Sailing Books

  • The Complete Sailing Manual (DK Complete Manuals) - Steve Sleight

    • If you only ever buy one sailing book, this is the one you want. This is a high-quality DK Manuals book. Reads like an encyclopedia of sailing but with beautiful, large pictures. Covers an absolute wealth of information on the world of sailing including sailing dinghies, sailing small boats, cruising boats, nautical weather and navigation, racing, etc. This book will probably get you up to speed faster on the sailing world than any other resource. If you are even remotely interested in getting into sailing I recommend that you buy this book. The pictures alone are worth the cost of the book.

sAFETY AT sEA AND preparedness

  • Safety at Sea Core Topics Handbook - 15th Ed. (free PDF), compiled by Sally Honey

  • Dangerous Marine Animals - Bruce W. Halstead

    • Sailors (and SCUBA divers too!) often find themselves in remote destinations, surrounded by all kinds of foreign creatures; miles away from any formal medical care. Familiarizing yourself with dangerous aquatic life can make sure that you avoid any chance encounters with a critter that could ruin your day.

  • Your Offshore Doctor - Dr. Michael H. Beilan

    • Worth having on any vessel, especially one that ventures “out there” for extended periods of time, whether that be a weekend or a month!

  • Heavy Weather Sailing - Martin Thomas, Peter Bruce

    • The quality of marine weather reporting has increased substantially since the early days when yacht travel began to become popular (1960s/1970s). Smart sailors live and die by weather reporting. However, the sea can still be an unpredictable beast. Being versed in heavy weather sailing and seamanship is a skill that can keep you safe in all kinds of conditions.

Sailboat Technical Books

  • Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual 4/E - Nigel Calder

    • “The Bible”. If you can only buy one book, buy this one. I have a copy of this book in hardcover on our charter boat, and a Kindle version so I can reference it on my phone. Covers nearly every aspect of maintaining a sailboat. The author is extremely experienced, and has contributed significantly to ABYC (American Boat and Yacht Council - see link below) standards over the years.

  • How Boat Things Work: An Illustrated Guide - Charlie Wing

    • Charlie Wing provides some awesome, detailed illustrations of boat systems in this book and does a great job of breaking sailboat systems down into easy to understand descriptions. Helpful advice, knowledge, and wisdom is sprinkled in. Diesel engine details are limited to modern Yanmar diesels, but the concepts can be generalized.

  • Inspecting the Aging Sailboat (The International Marine Sailboat Library) - Don Casey

    • There are SO MANY old sailboats on the used boat market. Many of them will take more money and time to get them ship shape than they’re worth. How do you find the right, older boat? Don Casey’s book is aimed at the many buyers that find themselves in the used sailboat market, searching for the diamond in the rough.

  • Don Casey's Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual: Including Inspecting the Aging Sailboat, Sailboat Hull and Deck Repair - Don Casey

    • If you’re rebuilding an older sailboat, this is a great book to have. More aimed at bigger refinishing jobs and fiberglass repair. Tons of helpful descriptions and illustrations.

  • Surveying Yachts and Small Craft - Paul Stevens

    • Considered the go-to reference for marine surveyors, very technical, but you’ll find detail here that you won’t find anywhere else when it comes to determining the condition of a sailboat.

Sailing Technical Books

We’re big nerds about the science behind sailing here. Here’s our favorite technical sailing books.

  • The Physics of Sailing Explained - Bryon D. Anderson

    • This is a fantastic entry-level primer to sailing from a scientific perspective. It’s an easy read that’s very accessible by anyone interested in the science behind sailing. If you’re interested in diving into the technical/scientific/engineering side of sailing, I recommend starting with this book. If you’re still interested, pick up the next book below.

  • The Science Behind Sailing - Joop Slooff

    • If you have a bit of a technical background (or want to challenge yourself), this is an amazing book that really gets into how sailing works, from sailing is complicated because sailboats operate in two fluids: air and water. Joop Slooff covers sailing aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, stability, and much more. Particularly of interest to me was the great detail that Joop goes into regarding the configuration of sails; sail aspect ratio, camber, sweep, upwash and downwash - Slooff covers everything. Slooff’s background is in research for America’s Cup teams.

  • The Art and Science of Sails - Tom Whidden

    • Partly a book on the science of how sails work, and partly a book on the art of sail making and sailing itself. This book is the latest edition of Tom Whidden’s legendary books on sail aerodynamics. Tom is the founder of North Sails, perhaps the most prolific racing sail maker of all time. This book is an incredibly informative and entertaining read; loaded with fantastic illustrations and diagrams. If you are interesting in the specifics of aerodynamics applied to sailing, I would jump straight into this book.

General Links.

Cruising and Tourism Links

Sailing Technical Links

Magazines

  • https://www.practical-sailor.com/

    • In my opinion, Practical Sailor does some of the best technical testing, how-tos, and reporting available anywhere. A subscription to this magazine will pay for itself your very first year of owning your sailboat. Think of it like the Consumer Reports of sailing.

Links Local to Portsmouth, NH

  • https://www.grayandgrayyachts.com/

    • Gray and Gray Yachts is a trusted yacht broker located in York, ME. They are knowledgeable, honest, and care about sailors.

  • https://www.newenglandsailingservices.com/

    • New England Sailing Services provides yacht delivery services. Captain Chris Loader holds a 100-ton USCG Master’s license certificate and is extremely knowledgeable and capable, specializing in sailing yacht deliveries.

  • https://www.atlanticaquasport.com/

    • This dive shop, located in Rye, NH, is the place in the northeast to go for SCUBA diving gear, training, and wisdom. Don Stevens and Barbara Buntrock are accomplished divers that take care of their customers like family. Don has operated the shop in this location since 1972 and is a national treasure in the diving community. Barb holds a USCG Master’s license and is an accomplished sailor.

  • https://www.landingschool.edu/

    • The Landing School - Arundel, ME. Offers courses and full degree paths in sailing yacht design, wooden boat building, fiberglass boat building, marine systems, and more.

Marine Standards Organizations

  • https://abycinc.org/?

    • The American Boat and Yacht Council sets the standard of marine construction in the USA. Most insurer’s require construction and upgrades to comply with ABYC standards. Not only that, but it’s just plain safe to pay attention to the standards any time you’re taking on a project.

Specialty Marine Supplies

  • https://www.boulterplywood.com/

    • Boulter Plywood Corp. - located in Medford, MA. Supplies a large variety of specialty marine lumber, plywood, and veneer. Ships all over the world.

  • https://boatbuildercentral.com/

    • Boat Builder Central carries all kinds of boat building and repair supplies, including resins (epoxy, polyester, vinylester), fiberglass cloth, paints and varnishes, and tools.

Geoff Dargan
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