Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 623.8223
EAN num: 9780393033113
ISBN number: 0393033112
Label: W. W. Norton & Company
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 310
Printing Date: 1987-05
Publishing house: W. W. Norton & Company
Sale Popularity Level: 211706
Studio: W. W. Norton & Company
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Rated by buyers 
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I've been seeking information for a couple years now, and without fail, the online sites are full of information that ranges from the silent majority with little to offer, a few heavily biased individuals that believe theirs is the only good boat, and the resident alleged expert (naval architect with not a single claim to fame, but can spew copy as good as any xerox). Many newbies are often left with the wrong impressions. This book cuts to the heart of it, and, despite what another reviewer stated on limited keel information, there's more than one page, as it is often integrated with other associated hull design issues. The answers are there. The 5 boats mentioned are, stay with me now, EXAMPLES of different boats that all incorporate good designs. None are all-inclusive, but show how different approaches all come together to make good boats. Without pointing fingers at newer designs, the book also delves into how these newer designs are not so good for bluewater excursions. Racing? There's little on this other than discussions on how bluewater stability affects safety, and that safety addresses larger issues. This is not a take-you-by-the-nose and lead you to where you want to go book....many of said online experts would poo-poo it because they happen to have said unstable or marginal boats. This is a clear, thoroughly enjoyable book that clears up the questions. Special thanks to Cajun Clearance Book Co. for getting the book out faster than expected, and in perfect shape. (I missed the feedback deadline).
Rated by buyers 
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I bought the book because I am looking for a blue water cruiser to take me round the World.
I liked the design explanations especially stability. However I was astonished at the brevity of the section on Keels. Less than a page on one of the most controversial aspects of blue water sailing.
The section on "Five Good Boats" is disappointing in that the boats are not widely available, apart perhaps from the Pearson. In an article in the Pearson Owners association web site the designer implicitly states the Pearson range were designed for coastal work.
There is no mention of any of the popular boats generally regarded as offshore suitable.
The author - the Technical Committee of the CCA, is no doubt a prestigious and experienced body, but it is heavily involved in racing and I think this shows.
The addition of a section on popular "offshore" boats and their strengths and weaknesses would have put my rating up to 4 stars.
Rated by buyers 
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This collection of articles by a Cruising Club of America committee of the surviving gods of 20th-century sailing, especially the venerable Olin Stephens, lays down the dogmas of bluewater sailing design and safety as they were agreed upon by these worthies at the close of the century. Their lament at the undue influence of racing design on consumer cruising boats is commendably progressive, but otherwise the material is a chronicling of their conservative preferences in traditional equipment. The chapter on anchors takes a step backward, recommending as the primary anchor the fisherman, a design not in production even in 1987 (based on the author's experiences in 1962!); 4 of the 5 boats in the chapter on good designs were custom models not affordable to the general public, letting us all know where we (and they) stand in the class structure of sailing. Read this material for its intrinsic value and recover your sense of modernity by having a go at Garry Hoyt's book "Ready about", which is the New Testament and road map to the 21st century future of sailing.
Rated by buyers -
Whether you are a novice about to buy your very first boat or an old salt who wants to add a little more practical knowledge, this is an excellent book. Some of the recommendations may seem like overkill for the casual weekend sailor, but it is best to be prepared, if not in equipment then at least in knowledge, for the worst conditions. There is a big difference in knowing and not knowing how much your boat falls short of ideal preparation. This book could give you a sense of where to set the standard.
Rated by buyers -
A good well written book with essential information clearly explained. If you know exactly what type of characteristics you want in a boat (performance, safety, etc) then this book will help in finding the right boat though the criteria laid out in the boat by various authors are not easily found or reconciled in one boat design. Will make further investigation more productive to be sure. Certainly a jumping off platform for the very first time buyer and more reading is needed for a true understanding of the concepts resented in the book.
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