Autorentext

Beth A. Leonard and her partner, Evans Starzinger, left high-powered international management consulting jobs in 1992 and set sail aboard their Shannon 37 ketch, Silk, on a circumnavigation that they completed 35,000 miles and 3 years later. Within a few months of returning to shore they realized they could no longer fit into their old lives. What was to have been a sabbatical became instead a permanent new life. It took them 4 years to build an aluminum sloop capable of sailing the high latitudes, and they spent the next six years sailing Hawk to the ends of earth, from the high Arctic to Cape Horn. They have won awards from the Ocean Cruising Club (UK) and the Cruising Club of America, and were members of U.S. Sailings Safety at Sea committee from 2002 through 2004.

Klappentext

"Belongs in the bookshelf of every cruising vessel."--Blue Water Sailing"If you are serious about that extended voyage, read The Voyager's Handbook."--Sailing"Every now and then a new voice emerges in the world of sailing literature that stands out, a voice that is both clear and of lasting quality. The appearance of such a new voice is something of an event, and that's what we'd call the publication of The Voyager's Handbook."--Blue Water SailingThis inspirational and comprehensive manual leads you step by step through every aspect of choosing, planning, and following the voyager's life. Using three example boats representing three cruising lifestyles--Simplicity, Moderation, and Highlife--Beth Leonard helps make your bluewater dreams come true, whether you're sailing on a shoestring or a CEO's pension.Starting with the things you can't do without--an enthusiastic crew, a seaworthy boat, and, of course, money--Leonard offers sage advice on how to select crewmembers who are truly committed to the voyage, how to choose the right boat for you, and how to find just the right approach to financing your voyage and making the most of every dollar spent. Managing life from a floating home and keeping that home livable, seaworthy, and safe requires you to become, among other things, the ship's purser, engineer, doctor, cook, and cruise director. You'll discover how to prepare for these new roles and put necessary equipment and arrangements in place before you untie your docklines.This exquisitely detailed guide also helps you master the skills you'll need to handle a boat at sea with a small crew, including

• Weather forecasting
• Passage planning
• Watchkeeping
• Heavy-weather sailing
• Emergency management
• Midocean repairsComplete with dozens of easy-to-use graphs and tables for quick reference, along with the hard-won wisdom of experienced cruisers, The Voyager's Handbook is the ultimate resource for anyone who is planning, preparing for, or just dreaming about a great adventure on the high seas.

Inhalt

Foreword to the Second Edition by Herb McCormick

Foreword to the First Edition by George Day

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I: The Essential IngredientsChapter 1. Committed Crew

WHAT MAKES FOR SUCCESSFUL CREWS? . Composition of Successful Crews . Cruising with Kids: What Age Is Best? . Characteristics of Successful Crews . BUILDING VOYAGING PARTNERSHIPS . Critical Elements . Tips for Cruising with Kids . Laying the Groundwork . DECIDING WHEN TO GO . Timing Issues . Timing Options . THREE VOYAGING CREWS

Chapter 2. Adequate Financing

ALTERNATIVES FOR FINANCING THE DREAM . Precareer: Earn as You Go . Sabbatical: Save Enough to Finance Several Years . Early Retirement: Stretching the Retirement Income . Part-Time Voyaging or Working Aboard: Continuing Your Career . HOW MUCH DOES VOYAGING REALLY COST? . Living Expenses . Avoiding Budget Busters . Annual Boat Expenses . Capital Costs: Two Case Studies . Discretionary and One-Off Expenses . The Cost of Two Cruises . HOW MUCH BOAT CAN YOU AFFORD? . Refit Costs: Some Rough Figures

Chapter 3. A Bluewater-Capable Yacht

NARROWING THE FIELD . What Type of Boat Do You Want? . Steve Dashew's Hybrid Designs . Where Do You Intend to Cruise? . What Size Boat Will Suit You? . The "Average" Bluewater Voyager . What Age Boat Will Suit Your Budget? . EVALUATING INDIVIDUAL BOATS . Screening Criteria: Stability and Durability . Common Structural Problems in Older Boats . Bluewater Survey . Second Boats . The Test Sail . One Couple's Search . THE SEARCH PROCESS FOR THREE CREWS . Two Boats, Two Voyages

Part II: Refitting and Equipping the Yacht for Bluewater VoyagingChapter 4. Upgrading for Offshore

COMMON UPGRADES TO OLDER PRODUCTION BOATS . Make Your Boat Watertight . The Ins and Outs of Stainless Steel . Improve Your Boat's Ventilation . Improve the Anchoring Arrangements . Revitalize the Rig . Preventing Corrosion between Dissimilar Metals . Problem-Proof the Engine and Propulsion System . Modify Your Boat's Interior . Common Electrical and Plumbing System Upgrades . Increase Safety Above- and Belowdecks . UPGRADING THREE OFFSHORE VOYAGERS

Chapter 5. Sails and Sail Handling

OFFSHORE SAILING REALITIES . Offshore Sailing Conditions . Crew Size . Boat Size . OFFSHORE SAILS AND SAIL HANDLING . Temperate and High-Latitude Passagemaking: Managing Variability . Modern Sail Materials and Their Uses . Modern Line Materials and Their Uses . Trade Wind Passagemaking: Maximizing Downwind Performance . SAIL INVENTORY FOR THREE OFFSHORE VOYAGERS . Additional Pretrip Preparations

Chapter 6. Anchors, Anchoring, and Mooring

ANCHORING BASICS . Ground Tackle for the Bluewater Voyager . Beyond Anchors and Rodes: Additional Anchoring Equipment . Anchoring Technique . Raising a Fouled Anchor . Real-World Situations . MOORING AND BERTHING BASICS . Lines, Fenders, and More . Real-World Situations . GROUND TACKLE AND MOORING EQUIPMENT FOR THREE OFFSHORE VOYAGERS

Chapter 7. On-Deck Essentials: Dinghies, Self-Steering, and Safety Gear

DINGHIES AND OUTBOARDS . Choosing a Dinghy . Selecting an Outboard . Equipping Your Tender . Tender Choices for Three Offshore Voyagers . SELF-STEERING . Wind Vanes . Electric Autopilots . Self-Steering Options and Solutions for Three Offshore Voyagers . ON-DECK SAFETY EQUIPMENT . Preventing Collisions . Preventing Crew Overboard . Abandoning Ship . On-Deck Safety Solutions for Three Offshore Voyagers

Chapter 8. Other Equipment: Navigation, Communications, and Comforts and Conveniences

NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT . Position Finding . Beyond the Depth Sounder: Additional Instruments . Charting Options . The Cruiser's Laptop . HIGH-SEAS COMMUNICATIONS . The Ship's Barometer . Radio-Based Systems . Satellite-Based Systems . COMFORTS AND CONVENIENCES . Refrigerators/Freezers . Watermakers . Heating and Cooling Systems . Other Goodies and Gadgets . EQUIPMENT CHOICES FOR THREE OFFSHORE VOYAGERS

Chapter 9. Configuring Your Electrical System

ANALYZING ELECTRICAL NEEDS . A Back-of-the-Envelope Calculation for Daily Energy Usage . Calculating Loads . A Few Useful Electrical Notes . Generating Options . Stowing Electricity . An Alternative Approach to Balancing the Electrical System . Optimizing Charging . Battery-Down Exercise . ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS FOR THREE OFFSHORE VOYAGERS . How Long Can You Leave the Boat?

Chapter 10. Putting It All Together: From Refit Plan to Balanced Boat

A REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE: REINVENTING GINNY . A Sensible Four-Year Refit Plan . Executing the Plan . Tallying the Bottom Line . REFIT PLANS FOR THREE OFFSHORE VOYAGERS . Refit Plans and Time Frames . Why Weight-Carrying Ability Matters . Comparison of Three Balanced Boats . What We Left Off . . . and Why

Part III: Liveaboard SkillsChapter 11. Liveaboard Essentials: What to Bring and How to Stow It

MANAGING SPACE . Maximizing Stowage Space . Organizing Stowage Areas . The Stowage Plan . ALLOCATING SPACE: THE ESSENTIALS FOR…