I finally got the book from another retailer, and the book provides valuable information not only about choosing a sailboat but basic sailing skills. However, the copy I ordered from Amazon came so late that I was out of town. Then, because they required a signature on a cheap paperback most people wouldn't want, it's being sent back and I'm waiting for my card to be credited. Another company sent the book promptly and I've had it for a week while Amazon still can't manage to credit my account yet.

Great book, I have read it several times in bits and pieces. I love the chapter about the different boats; it gives a good idea of their price. A+

I love to sail but buying my first sailboat is quite the adventure. This book makes reading about all the details enjoyable and even humorous at times. I especially appreciate all the great illustrations to help understand the parts & various conditions of boats.

There has got to be better books out there for the first time sailboat owner than this. The information is very sparse and lacking in any kind of detail. As an example there is a chapter on "From Whom Should I Buy?" that is two pages long. Even a novice such as myself knows that you are either going to buy from a private owner or a broker. In fact there are 39 chapters in this book, and they are all about two to three pages long. The book just does not flow well. In the introduction the author makes you feel as if after reading this book you will grasp all the basic concepts of boat ownership and sailing, when in fact you walk away with more questions about sailing then when you started reading the book. The one thing the book did tell me was that I better read other books on the subject before I continue on the path to sailboat ownership. One thing I would recommend is that you get profesional instruction on sailing and ask a lot of questions of other boat owners before you decide to buy a boat and start sailing. If you feel you need to read this book, get it at the libarary, and save yourself the money.

I bought this book for a friend who is looking to buy her first boat. My decision to buy this particular book was based to a large extent upon the positive reviews that had been posted. Upon receiving and reading the book, however, I was fairly shocked that it had been rated so highly.
I know how to sail, but even if I didn't, I would still be a little insulted by the child-like, basic level of the material. I might buy this for my 9 year old son who is just being introduced to sailing - it would be appropriate at this level. However, I can't imagine this book being useful to anyone with any basic understanding of sailing, and certainly not useful for a person who possesses the necessary level of knowledge to even be considering buying a boat. If you need to read the part about "How do I make the boat go", save the $11 you would spend on this book and either take a basic dinghy sailing course or buy a truly educational book on the subject.
I'm glad that other buyers were satisfied with their purchase of this book - however, I immediately returned mine.

Excellent book. Really enjoyable read as well as informative about sailing lifestyle and everything you need to know about buying your first sailboat.

This book is what you need to get you from the livingroom to the water.
Rev. Robert VanZandt

My husband and I have signed up for ASA Sailing classes, so we have been reading many "how-to" books on sailing. Lots of these books jump right into sailing lingo, and so the subject matter is very confusing for the novice sailor.

We finally found Your First Sailboat when we looked for books on the subject of buying a sailboat. This is the book we should have read first!! Daniel Spurr writes humorously about the selection of boats, and along the way, we learn about sailing techniques as well. He approaches the sailing sport with clarity and common sense, and he writes in plain jargon, not the technical language that would overwhelm a beginner.

We love this book!

As a newbie to sailing, I found this book a to be a wonderful overview of sailboats and sailing in general. The book is organized into short chapters covering just about everything I wanted to know before deciding to purchase a sailboat. The diagrams are just right- helping to illustrate key points quite handily. I would definitely recommend to others looking for an overview of sailboats.

I just got this book two days ago, and am so far very pleased with it. It organizes every single question I've ever had into concise, well-diagrammed, and sometimes humorous chapters. For example, the two-page chapter "What if the Boat Does Sink" certainly isn't an exhaustive study of the topic, but does give you extremely good pointers and common sense advice that will help you respond better to such a worst-case scenario.

I think another good treatment of a subject is in the "What if the Boat Heels" chapter. It's a question that I imagine a lot of beginning sailors have, often accompanied by nervousness about how much heeling is normal and safe. The answer to this question has proved surprisingly elusive to me, so it was nice to see a little bit written on the topic, and to have my concerns addresses directly.

What this all means is that this book does a phenomenal job of covering the bases. I would feel 100% more qualified to go buy and sail a boat after reading it. Of course, it's no substitute for comprehensive guides of special uses, such as offshore cruising, real foul-weather sailing, instrument navigation, etc., but it's a fantastic primer book for the price. Enjoy.