Sailing Adventures

There are two series of books that are a must for anyone who loves stories about the age of sail; The Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian and the Hornblower series by C. S. Forester. Click on these for more information.

Heavy Weather Saili ng by Adlard Coles and Peter Bruce is one of the best books you can read. It is not really an adventure story, but is rather a collection of accounts of actual experiences in storms at sea in small sailboats. It is written as a study of survival tactics. Don't venture into open water without reading this. It may save your life.

Knockdown by Martin Dugard. This books tells the story of the deadly 1998 Sydney toHobart Yacht Race. A great book.

Close to the Wind by Pete Goss. During the Vendee Globe nonstop, single-handed, round-the-world race in 1996, Pete Goss turned back into a hurricane force headwind to rescue a fellow competitor. Another must read.

Godforsaken Sea by Derek Lundy. This is the fascinating story about the 1996-97 Vendee Globe single-handed race around the world. It is spellbinding.

The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger makes you aware of the awsom power of the sea.

The Hungry Ocean: A Swordboat Captain's Journey by Linda Greenlaw. The author, Linda Greenlaw, was probably the only female captain of a long line boat. Her boat, the Hannah Boden was a sister ship to the Andrs Gail, the long liner that was lost at sea in The Perfect Storm. The Hungry Ocean is a great story about life on a long line boat.

Dark Wind , by Gordon Chaplin. This book contains a harrowing description of a typhoon that wrecked the authors ship and swept him and his girlfriend into the sea.

Sailing Alone Around the World. by Joshua Slocum is perhaps one of the greatest true adventure stories ever written about sailing in small vessels. Joshua Slocum was the first to sail around the world alone and his story is captivating.

On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers is a different sort of sea tale. It tickled Ol' Sailor John's fancy. All of you old Pirates should read this one.

Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea by Gary Kinder. If you like treasure hunting, you will like this one.

My Old Man and the Sea by David Hays is a great book about a father and son sailing around Cape Horn in a small sailboat. A good gift for your dad or son if you taught him everthing he knows about sailing.

Maiden Voyage by Tania Aebi is an account of an around the world alone voyage by a teenage girl. (The first woman and the youngest person ever). It is a great story, especially for young women who love to sail.

Flirting wit Mermaids: The Unpredictable Life of a Sailboat Delivery Skipper by John Kretschmer and Micca Leffingwell Hutchins. This is an enchanting book with lots of sailing and real adventures. What a life.

1421: The Year China Discovered America by Gavin Menzies.  This is a remarkable book.  If you are interested in nautical history you must read it.  

The Island of Seven Cities: Where the Chinese Settled When They Discovered America  by Paul Chiasson.  This book references 1421 and builds on the evidence of Chinese discovery.