Best sailing writers

A List of Books to get you Inspired for Your Next Sailing Adventure. Whether you are an old hand or a Landlubber who is new to sailing, this round up of books is bound to get you to dive into the world of sailing. After reading your way through this list, you will have a good idea of what the sailors themselves were up against on their journeys.

* If you feel that I have missed some important titles here, please get in touch! I want to hear your suggestions! And be sure to read to the end because I have included a recommended reading list!

So Without Further Ado and in No Particular Order:

Bernard Moitessier (1925–1994)

A true Vagabond and Adventurer, Competed the first Golden Globe non-stop round the world Race in 1968 and was likely to win, however he decided to sail on to Tahiti instead of returning to the Finish line in England…

The Long Way

A Sea Vagabond’s World

Sailing to the Reefs

Robin Lee Graham

At the age of 16 he set off from home with 3 cats on what was to become  a 5 year, 33,000 mile circumnavigation…

Dove

The Boy Who Sailed ‘Round the World Alone

Joshua Slocum  (1844–1909)

The Nova Scotia born seaman and adventurer became the first person to solo circumnavigation.

Sailing Alone Around the World

John Rousmaniere

A prolific writer, he wrote around 30 books, many about sailing and seafaring guides.

Fastnet Force 10

The Annapolis Book of Seamanship

After the Storm

Derek Lundy (1946–2022)

Born in Ireland and then moving early on to Canada, he found a love for sailing 

The God Forsaken Sea

The Way of a Ship

John Kretschmer

Sailing a Serious Ocean

Cape Horn to Starboard

Sailing to the Edge of Time

At the Mercy of the Sea

Flirting With Mermaids

Used Boat Notebook

Rob Mundle (Historic)

Captain James Cook

Under Full Sail

Bligh

Robin Knox-Johnston

A World of My Own

Running Free: The Autobiography

Don Casey (Sailboat Repair)

Don Casey’s Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual

Inspecting the Ageing Sailboat

Hull and Deck Repair

This Old Sailboat

Lin and Larry Pardey

Self-Sufficient Sailor

Cost Concious Cruiser

Storm Tactics Handbook

Details of Classic Boat Construction

Capable Cruiser

Hal Roth (1927–2008)

Seafaring Triology

Two Against Cape Horn

Handling Storms at Sea

After 50,000 Miles

How to Sail Around the World

Pete Goss

Close to the Wind

Rescue from Beyond the Roaring Forties

Mark Chisnell (Racing)

Sailing Gold

Mastering Data to Win

Dinghy Systems

A Sailor’s Guide to Regatta Preparation

Rick Page

Get Real, Get Gone

Stay Real, Stay Gone

Miles Smeeton (1906–1988)

Once is Enough

Because the horn was there

Ellen Macarthur

Taking on the World

Race Against Time

Liz Clark

Swell: A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening

Julie Bradley 

Escape From the Ordinary

Crossing Pirate Waters

Tania Aebi

Maiden Voyage

Wendy Hinman

Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey

Sea Trials: Around the World with Duct Tape and Bailing Wire

Liesbet Collaert

Plunge: One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary

Jasna Tuta, A Drop in the Ocean

Recommended Reading List

• The Long Way – Bernard Moitessier

• Kon Tiki – Thor Heyerdahl

• The Boat That Wouldn’t Float – Farley Mowat

• Sailing around the world alone – Joshua Slocom

• The lonely wind and sky – Chichester

• “Voyage for Madmen” – Peter Nichols

• Dove – Robin Lee Graham

• Two Years Before the Mast – Richard Henry Dana

• The Philosophy of Sailing – Christian Williams

• One Hand for Yourself and One for the Ship – Tristan Jones

• My old man and the sea – David and Daniel Hays

• All this and sailing, too – Olin Stephens

• The Venturesome Voyages of Captain Voss – J.C.Voss

• Orca – John Pennington

• Sensible Cruising: The Thoreau Approach – Don Casey and Lew Hackler

• Desperate voyage – John Caldwell

• The Race- Tim Zimmerman 

• The Walkabouts – A Family at Sea

Rescue , Disaster and Survival

• Close to the Wind  – Pete Goss

• Fastnet  Force Ten-  John Rousmaniere

• Adrift: 76 days lost at sea – Steven Callahan

• In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex – Nathaniel Philbrick

• Shackleton’s endurance

• 438 Days – Jonathan Franklin

• Pride of the sea – Tom Waldron
• (1998 Sydney to Hobart )
• Fatal Storm – Robert Mundle
• Proving Ground – Bruce Knecht
• Knockdown- Martin Dugard 

Sailing Fiction

• The Sharks – Jens Bjørneboe

• Far Tortuga – Peter Matthiessen

• Bernard Cornwell

• Joseph Conrad

• Riddle of the Sands – Erskine Childers

• Patrick O´Brian

• The Aubrey-Maturin series – Patrick O’Brian

• The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway

• Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome

By no means exhaustive, I hope that there are some books here that you have not yet read. Happy Reading !

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And as always, Fair Winds, Following Seas and God Bless