Good simple book for new sailors or helpers (3rd mates)
Got it for a friend to help me, but not to take over command.
I have even been corrected for using the word Rope instead of Line
If you learn everything in this book, you will be a very knowledgeable sailor

I have not received this item nor have I received any email explaining why not after one month so I would characterize my experience as poor.

Jim Word

This was very helpful as a first step before you take a personel lesson. I was aware of all of the terms and what was about to happen. Great book. I have red it more than once.

Turns out sailing is pretty complicated. Especially if you're trying to cross the ocean on a 32 Contessa.

I give this book five stars for saving my life. I almost tried to cross the ocean with me and one other; neither of whom has any water experience at all. Considered other alternatives to my problem resolution after chapter 1.

Save your money and your time returning this book. It was written in an effort to make money only.

An enjoyable, humerous review of the basics. Having been away from sailing for a few years (2 decades) I wanted to brush up on the fundamentals, this was a GREAT way to do it. I found out I hadn't forgotten as much as I thought.
I can see where a beginner would benefit also.

After deciding to try my hand at sailing this season, I decided to purchase this book; it was the best thing I could have done to learn! In adition to knowing what terms are for what (jib, keel, etc), I was able to learn about how to sail safely and handle common disasters. Thanks for a great book :-)

This is a great book; well-written and informative, and I recommend it highly.

Here is my "how I learned to sail" story:

I accidentally ended up in possession of an O'Day Sprite (10 foot dinghy), but knew nothing about sailing. I put it at my buddy's house; he had a place on a lake, and he promised to teach me how to sail. One day, he walked in, tossed me a bag of parts, and said "Go rig your boat!" He came down with me and taught me equipment terminology, and showed me how to rig the mast. We ended up replacing the mast stays, but everything else was okay.

We got it rigged and got the sails on. He looked at the sails, then looked at the boat; then he said, "That's an awful lot of sail for that boat." He took it out for a quick spin to make sure everything was working, then he put me in the boat and had me try to sail it, while he shadowed me in the Whaler, shouting instructions. The one thing I learned that day was that accidental jibes can cause death rolls (I didn't actually "learn" it until later, but that's what happened). We ended up towing the Sprite back in with the Whaler, and that ended my first lesson.

I went out and bought "Sailing for Dummies", spent a week reading and re-reading it from cover to cover, went back to the lake, and successfully sailed the boat for hours. I never did capsize it again, although I've had it darn near horizontal in a strong breeze. My friend likes to tell people he taught me how to sail; I always correct him and say he taught me how to capsize, which was just as valuable a lesson.

I spent several summers sailing both the Sprite and and my buddy's Hunter 170, then "graduated" to keelboats. He kept telling me that that the Sprite was the hardest boat I'd ever sail; bigger boats are easier.

I got a combination membership/keelboat class at a local sailing club in Boston, learning how to dodge the freighters coming in and out of the harbor, navigation, mooring, anchoring, etc; all the stuff that has less to do with the act of sailing, but necessary for sailing out in the real world. From time to time, I'd go back to "Sailing for Dummies" to brush up on items I hadn't needed prior to that point. I ended up taking additional classes and got a number of certifications.

I've used the "Sailing for Dummies" 2nd edition as a text in my University Continuing Education class, because I can find no better for the purpose. For those adult students who might be shy about taking such a book home for their children or others to harrass them about, I provide a nice fake cover that reads something like "Advanced Nautical Navigation Techniques for Exceptionally Bright Mariners."

This book is well written. I continue to buy this book for friends who want to learn more about sailing. As a result, I get better and better crew members on my Catalina 36.

While not as good as Gary Jobson's Sailing Fundamentals, this is a good beginning book for sailors.

This is an excellent resource guide for those who are beginning sailing. The only thing it lacks is an adequate number of photos illustrating processes & procedures on the water.


If I would have had such a book, back in 1990 when I purchased my own Cruising Sloop keelboat, it would have helped to make my learning curve a lot easier.

Lusting to sail the Bahamas, this is the first sailing book I have read, and it was just what I needed. It is nicely written, so that I could read it like a novel. They have a good sense of humor and they cover a lot of what you need to know.

The basics of sailing are told with personal experiences which make this handbook fun and entertaining. You'll learn things about sailing you didn't know you would need to know.

Anyone who has read a Dummies book has a good idea of what to expect. This book is not much different. All the basics are there, from setting the sails to dropping the hook safely. The Islers do a nice job of trading off personal experiences. These make the book a little more interesting and gives the reader a chance to get in touch with the writers.
The instructions for sailing seem fairly complete yet the writting style is such that the reader does not fall asleep. The book moves along and does not drag. Much information is included on where to go or where to look for more specialized information.
I would have rated this book 5 instead of 4 except for just one reason. The copywrite is 1997. For the most part this is not a problem; sailing is sailing. Ocassionally though a reference is made to a race or other upcoming event that is already history.
Good read.

An excellent reference, with chapters that address things you will need to know, but didn't know you needed to know. But, I found that it was so comprehensive, that the "Annapolis" book was a better beginning how-to-sail guide, this book was more of an intermediate reference. Minor note: the diagram on p. 366, How to Tie a Figure-Eight Knot (Figure 19-2), is incorrect.

An excellent reference, with chapters that address things you will need to know, but didn't know you needed to know. But, I found that it was so comprehensive, that the "Annapolis" book was a better beginning how-to-sail guide, this book was more of an intermediate reference. Minor note: the diagram on p. 366, How to Tie a Figure-Eight Knot (Figure 19-2), is incorrect.

We are buying our first sailboat and needed to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible. This book is easy to follow and really is very helpful in helping the reader to get a solid understanding of what is what and how it works and what to do. I also found it entertaining and humorous. We will give this book a prominent place of honor in our new boat and will refer back to it often. If someone wanted to learn to sail, this is the first book they should read.