The Voyager's Handbook Reviews

• The MBA goes sailing

  
  By A1NSIH8QGVB5C6 on 1999-12-28
  A few of the other customer reviews have pointed out that the author may not be the most experienced sailor in the world, and that her circumnavigation experience was limited to relatively non-dramatic tradewinds sailing. While this may be true, what I found most helpful about this book was the author's open-minded analytical approach to the issues, and the fact that she backed her opinions up with her surveys and "research" results. She also presents various alternative solutions to the reader- for example when she specs out how a cruiser can be outfitted in either a simple, a moderate, or a complex way. This is very helpful in a field that tends to be dominated by more "fundamentalist" writers such as the Pardeys or the Dashews who bring their own conclusions very much to the table when they share their experiences. In that sense, I think her relative lack of experience can be a virtue, in that she seems to have kept an open mind.
  
  

• Good Information, Well Written

  
  By A3GQOZDJV9IR9B on 1999-03-29
  This book has recieved many 5 star reviews. I reserve that for the very best. I give this 3 stars instead of 4 because the authors do one annoying thing. They did an around the world cruise and made many mistakes as well all do. But they never come out and say. We blew it on this- we were lucky and figured it out later. Instead they write that this is the way to do it period. This may be a nit-picky gripe but I believe there are lots of right ways and I will learn more about learning from others mistakes, what they did wrong, why they did that, and why they won't do it again. Then from them just telling me this is the right way- accept it - we know. Not withstanding my sort of negative review this book is well written and informative. Would I buy it again? Yes- bearly.
  
  

• The most thorough and readable cruising handbook to date

  
  By on 2001-09-10
  We bought our cruising boat one year ago. Three years before that we started buying/reading every cruising "how to" book out there. Tania Ebei's book, Maiden Voyage, got the whole dream thing started, and this book finalized it. You'll find each chapter complete and filled with relevant and detailed information. I have yellow highlights throughout the entire book. I refer to it monthly, especially the monthly maintenance section. It got to be my bible, until my husband thought he'd explode if I offered "Beth said..." during any of his projects. OK, so I gave some other books a shot, some written for the woman cruiser, and I joined cruising associations, but none of them have come close to the first rate information Beth provided. As detailed and meticulous as you could ask for. Before I start a project for the first time, I still take Beth out and read her chapter on whatever it is, and believe me, she addresses it all from the cost of cruising, what equipment you need and what it will cost, what each piece of equipment will draw from you batteries, how to provision, how to package the foods to prevent moisture and cockroaches etc...Buy this book!
  
  

• Getting ready to go

  
  By on 2000-07-01
  This book was by far the most complete guide to cruising and living aboard that I was able to find. As long-time charter boat people, in mid-1999 we purchased a sailboat in France and sailed to the Caribbean, where we now live. Before leaving, we read everything we could find for advice. This book was far more complete than anything else we could find. We found that we had much less experience and knowledge than we had thought before we read it. No book has ALL the answers for living aboard and sailing, but this comes the closest.
  
  

• Well researched and authoritative. An excellent book.

  
  By on 1998-04-13
  For anyone contemplating crossing an ocean in a small boat, this is the most informative book available on the subject. Leonard successfully combines the experience of her three-year circumnavigation with the analytical skills of a high-powered business consultant--the job she abandoned. Because she was a total novice when she initially set off, she looks at voyaging through fresh eyes, no small advantage in a field too often ruled by dogma. Voyager's Handbook addresses every imaginable aspect of offshore cruising. I found the book to be extremely well researched, and Leonard's recent firsthand experience makes it authoritative. Definitely two thumbs up. I recommend it without reservation. --Don Casey
  
  
• a good writer, but does she have enough experience?
  By on 1999-02-15
  When I first saw this book and read the reviews I felt that no publisher would spend this much and produce a book that looked this good unless it was either written by someone who knew what she was writing about, or made it clear that her ideas were only opinions, not based firmly on real hard earned experience. A three year sailing experience limited to one boat does not seem to make this woman an expert - especially on the matter of real seamanship, heavy weather, and such. I'd say this is a good look at a really easy voyage using the trade winds, not too much happened to test the people or boat. But it definitely is not a handbook and people looking for real serious seamanship advise should look elsewere. I did agree with many of the ideas presented here, just wish the author had stuck to what she really knew, not tried to write the complete handbook. voyage.
  
  
• Too much detail ?
  By A296X0IO0WVDUM on 2001-01-27
  An overall very well written and informative book. The detail is overkill in places, I especially got a kick from the one page instruction on how to wash clothes in a bucket. People needing this detail should not be cruising.

  The contradictions arise when opinions in the book are contradicted by later actions eg. the praise of a ketch in many places in the book is tempered when one realises that their ketch was replaced by custom built cutter. As with all books of this type the opinions that they contain are a snapshot in time and do not represent definitive answers.

  Advice and information contained in the " Handbook " genre is merely that, there is no substitution for practical experiance, especially when washing clothes.
  
  

• An excellent book, still my cruising bible
  By A3NKC59LMPFZ8L on 2003-03-30
  I bought this book about 3 years ago as it was by far the most detailed and easily read book on the topic of blue water cruising. The book is filled with factual information as well as opinions based on the authors experiences. The first chapter covers the psychology profile of successful voyagers. This section is a must read for couples condsidering a live aboard lifesyle. The remainder of the book covers all the information required to live and travel safely on your sailboat. PS when you buy this book don't lend it to anyone it took me 6 months to get it back from a friend.
  
  
• Excellent Handbook
  By A3H78NCT3DJMY2 on 2003-03-10
  Beth Leonard, the author of this book is an MBA and it shows in the organization and structure of her book. In parts, much like a textbook, "The Voyager's Handbook" lays out useful information and facts in well researched tables, charts, and diagrams. Interspersed with these data driven sections are numerous vignettes and personal accounts from Leonard's 3 year circumnavigation. Her often poetic descriptions contrast nicely with the drier facts that make up the more technical side of cruising. Overall, a detailed combination of "here's what I experienced" and extensive research.
  
  
• A fantastic and versatile handbook for the wanna-be cruiser
  By A3O1ET42R6RLMP on 2004-09-06
  I am new to sailing. None of the "fundamentals of sailing" books answer any of my questions about the decision and preparation required to travel the world on a sailboat. Nor do those books adequately describe the "best practices" for a successful journey. This one does.
  
  Apparently, the author was a management consultant prior to her long voyage and it shows - she does an excellent job of distilling and summarizing relevant information by use of word, diagram, and especially charts and tables, which I found to be enormously informative. But it's not just facts and figures, there is also a wealth of anecdotal information from not only her own voyage but also from the voyages of others whom she met.
  
  In summary, it is a great read even if you just skim it first and then read it later in detail, or if you just want to use it as a shelf reference. I am learning a lot about what I want in a boat and what I want to do with one and this book deserves all the credit for making me think and consider all of the many options available.
  
  I hope you enjoy it too.
  
  
• Everything you need to know on how to work a boat.
  By on 1999-04-30
  This may be the best reference book ever for anyone going anywhere in a boat. Beth Leonard answers all the questions, and then raises and answers more. Well written, and spiced with actual experiences in the open ocean when knowledge is not optional. Plenty of easy to understand tables so you can compare equipment and techniques to see for yourself. This book should be packaged with the hull of the boat.
  
  
• A must read if considering cruising
  By A369JKEBKSTV3Y on 2005-12-11
  Beth Leonard made the cruising lifestyle come alive for me from
  the terror of their first storm to the idylic calm anchorages of the pacific. Her attention to detail and presentation of information is superb and much more useful than the many other books I have read on the subject. If you could only buy one book to read about how to go cruising then this is it.
  
  
• Does three years experience make you an expert?
  By on 1999-05-07
  Inspite of good writing, excellent graphics and design, this is still a book written by an inexperienced sailor. To call it a handbook, is presumptious. Good information, but a lot of more experienced people have written far better. Worth the money? Probably, if you take it with a grain of salt.
  
  
• Worth reading
  By APSYQD6KKWBWD on 2005-08-15
  This author has copped criticism for being an inexperienced "yuppie" whose early lifestyle - a lifestyle she now decries as meanginless - helped pay for some easy cruising. This opinion is small minded. The simple fact the book is written by an honest woman gives it a rare and compelling resonance. Any man trying to honestly sell the cruising dream and any woman seeking a fair appraisal of what to expect from that dream will benefit from Bluewater Cruising. Does this book cover its topic exhaustively leaving no stone unturned? Not always - but none truly do. Does the book present our favourite subject in a different and useful way? Yes, I believe it does.
  
  
• An Excellent Book
  By A3QN5BOCSOT95N on 2005-09-30
  Just finished reading this excellent book on voyaging. The last few reviews left me wondering if the author would really have the experience to write about cruising. SHE DOES!!!
  
  She covers the important topics in a very readable way. For instance, she talks about weather patterns. Then draws a world map with all the major cruising paths, that shows when good weather occurs and when hurricane seasons occur, and the map only covers two pages. It made it easier for me to figure out when I needed to travel in each area.
  Another interesting portion was about the ketch rig versus cutter rig. This is not your standard discussion, it explains how to use a ketch rig in all weather conditions.
  
  I also enjoy her stories of meeting local people and finding local anchorages. Some other topics which I found very helpful was the trials of shipping repair parts, clearing customs, and water conservation.
  
  She covers many important topics in great detail and with some interesting sidebars. However, this book is not meant to be an encyclopedia and it does not talk about every aspect of voyaging.
  
  I would highly recommend this book. It is very readable, is informative enough to be helpful.
  
  
  
  
• WHAT A MASTERPIECE!!!!!
  By on 2006-12-06
  First of all, I am not a child of 13, this was the only space I could find to write this review. As a matter of fact, I am a grandmother and I have recently return from a two year, double handed, Atlantic circle. I have sailed all my life.
  
  Beth Leonard has produced the most valuable book I have ever seen for cruisers of any level. I wish I could give it to everyone I've met along my voyages. I can't think of anyone who would not benefit. Certainly not a frilly coffee table item, instead, something of real value. An encyclopedia of research and a dedicated documentation of pratical information.
  
  
  
• Buy this book FIRST! Best ocean voyaging preparation manual
  By A1C3M3BNCTLLXK on 2007-09-30
  To sufficiently prepare for, what we plan will be at least five years of ocean voyaging, we have purchased and read more than 20 books, in addition to subscribing to Seven Seas Crusing Association and reading greater than fifty online articles, user forums, blogs and websites. The Voyager's Handbook, is by far, the single best resource for preparing to sell out and sail off. The book is extremely well organized and conveniently offers topic specific browsing or cover-to-cover reading. We each read the book, with great appreciation, the first week it arrived. My husband and I have raced sailboats and cruised both sail and power boats for over twenty-five years. We have cruised and raced offshore. We have owned thirty boats. I mention this only to demonstrate that we are experienced boaters. We were thrilled at the quality and scope of this publication. We were seeking a comprehensive checklist/action plan and gained much more. We would have saved countless hours and over $500 if we would have found this book first. Neither of us know the author or anyone financially benefiting from the sale of this publication. We took the time to write only to help others prepare more efficiently, as we have benefited from the comments of both readers'and professional reviewers.
  
  
• Engaging from the first page and satisfying to the last....
  By A3MIEZNZACPZCW on 1999-01-26
  The Voyager's Handbook : The Essential Guide to Bluewater Cruising by Beth A. Leonard will surely become a cruising classic. Written in a personable style that is easy to read and engaging, Beth covers every aspect of cruising from pre-boat purchase to returning home after a long cruise, and everything in between. I'm a healthcare professional and her information on medical provisioning is right on the money. Beth's book answered hundreds of questions I had about long voyages. Her description of making pizza was right out of I Love Lucy. This will most definitely be on the bookshelf of our cruising home next to Chapman's Piloting, my professional reference books, and the Holy Bible. Thanks, Beth for sharing your knowledge with the world.
  
  
• Truly splendid!
  By A2MM8OVNGGNNCR on 1999-10-31
  This book is a must-have! The author's approach is friendly, informed, full of wonder, and enlightening. She has reached a perfect balance of educating without overriding the awe of sailing into a new port and discovering all a new location has to offer. She has told her readers just enough to allow them to make their own smart decisions. I hope to see S/V Hawk while cruising so that I may say, "Thank you."
  
  
• Excellent resource & very readable
  By A1JW8T9SVB7LWZ on 2007-01-10
  This is the book we have been looking for! Very easy to read, but has lots of very useful information for anyone wanting to go offshore sailing. Gets you organizing your thought processes and keeps you focused. Good sense of humor and very descriptive - feel like you are right there with them in the discussions. Recommend to anyone thinking about offshore but also read her other book as well!!
  
  
• Excellent if planning to refit a boat for offshore
  By A2XUSC7S9T53V2 on 2007-03-17
  Terrific book which finally made it clear to me why I had been ground into the dust refitting an older boat; namely, the enormous number of jobs and the huge amount of labour required to refit a 20 year old boat, even if in moderately good condition.
  
  Table 4-5, page 117, lists desired upgrades for three styles of offshore voyagers - simplicity, moderation and highlife. Their costs and labour are shown in detail in Chapter 10, Putting it All Together From Refit Plan to Balanced Boat, pages 248-266.
  
  There is also a real world FOUR YEAR refit example and information on what was left off going from Leonard's Silk to Hawk.
  
  This is NOT in the first edition, which for me makes the second edition the only choice.
  
  This book is as necessary as Hal Roth's How to Sail Around the World and Nigel Calder's Mechanical and Electrical Manual and Cruising Handbook
  
  
• Wonderful and Informative
  By A36J8CV0ZJXJ2Z on 2000-03-30
  I am so happy to own this wonderful book. I am using it extensively to prepare myself and my boat for cruising and am sure that I will continue to use it during our voyage. Well put together, easy to understand, filled with important and pertinent information.
  
  
• Great book written from experience.
  By on 1999-02-10
  I found this book to be very enlightening. A must read for those going offshore. The book covers everything you need to know : type of boat to buy, finances, heavy weather, crew considerations, provisioning, etc. I have been sailing for 10 years now and learned a great deal! This book would be a great first step for those planning to sail away from it all.
  
  
• fantastic book
  By on 1998-04-09
  if you want to go bluewater yachting you must read this it tells you all you need to know about what you need and how to judge your boat and what it needs to be able to voyage a real must for the sailor wanting to voyge longdistances
  
  
• A fascinating perspective on voyaging
  By A1I6ELIM3YKSCH on 1998-09-16
  What types of food are available in what markets? How much more time does it really take to maintain a gold-plated, gadget-laden boat than a stripped to essentials cheapie? What kind of equipment should you take, and what will it take out of you? How can you deal with a wife or husband who doesn't have the enthusiasm you do for cruising the world?

  Many of the answers to these questions will surprise, intrigue and fascinate you. She gives us the news, good and bad, in a straightforward and engaging style. An easy must-read and a well-earned five stars.
  
  

• getting started
  By A201LUMDBMGMQR on 2002-01-06
  hi,
  I thought that your book was what I am looking for. I am a student in collage and when I graduate I am going to sail around for as long as I want. I was trying to find litearture on sailing and this has everything in it that I was looking for. thank you,
  Trever VanCampen.
  
  
• I liked the first edition better
  By AW05AKDL6VTI1 on 2007-02-08
  Some things are best left as they were. The first edition was simple to read, and did not seem to be trying to be the most complete guide to cruising ever written. Unfortunately I loaned my copy to a friend and it never came back so I ordered a new copy and got this one. I think the author has tried to write about too many subjects and include too many different ideas- it comes off like a compendium of conflicting ideas. Also this book more than the previous edition shows the author has a pretty big budget. Not the best guide for those of us with more limited funds.
  
  
• Don't Leave Shore Without It!
  By A1OR11EL25SCDJ on 2007-11-27
  This updated and expanded second edition of The Voyager's Handbook is a must-read for couples contemplating the cruising life, and a must-have-aboard for any cruising vessel being prepared for long-term voyaging. Beth Leonard has lived what she writes. She has taken care to provide invaluable wisdom and insight based not only on her own lived experiences as a master voyager but also those of countless others from all walks of life and on an assortment of vessels that have sailed to just about every corner of the earth. Simply stated, well-researched, and written by a seasoned and highly competent voyager, The Voyager's Handbook will make your life more comfortable at sea and may save your life or that of another cruiser's - I would not plan to leave shore without it.
  
  
• Best book I've read on the subject to date - Very Useful
  By A2S1XCZVMJDSD6 on 1999-01-09
  Great book - full of facts but easy to read. Great for convicincing significant other of the merits of bluewater sailing - I'm the one in a thousand women trying to convince a husband to sail around the world with me and he wants facts - this book had plenty. Very impressed! Lots of detail on cost, time and energy required.
  
  
• Excellent guide for those thinking about heading offshore
  By on 1998-05-08
  There are a lot of "offshore cruising" text books out there, but this one stands head and shoulders above the rest. It's very clearly written, up-to-date, and has a more honest assessment of what it really takes to survive and enjoy cruising than most of the other more "Macho" cruising books.
  
  

• World Cruising Routes
• How to Sail Around the World : Advice and Ideas for Voyaging Under Sail
• Offshore Sailing: 200 Essential Passagemaking Tips
• Storm Tactics Handbook: Modern Methods of Heaving-to for Survival in Extreme Conditions, 3rd Edition
• Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook: A Compendium for Coastal and Offshore Sailors