Shakedown Cruise: Lessons and Adventures from a Cruising Veteran as He Learns the Ropes

Description

Long before he was one of America's leading yachting writers, Nigel Calder was a novice cruiser with ambitions grander than his experience. Nigel and his partner Terrie were young and foolish, with a home-built boat that was new and untested, one child already and another on the way - but they were determined to complete an adventurous 18-month voyage from New Orleans to Venezuela and back. It was the voyage that made Calder the yachtsman he is today, a marvellous romp through the West Indies, seeing an unspoilt Caribbean, while learning hard-won lessons from direct experience - troubleshooting engines, kedging off shoals and reefs, and most importantly navigating Nada, a yacht that quickly became very much part of the burgeoning Calder family too. An adventure story and a colourful travelogue in one, Shakedown Cruise is a must-read for all who are curious about what it takes to become a cruising sailor or create an adventurous life, as well as those who are just looking to sail along with Nigel and his family.

Nigel Calder is now the foremost American yachting writer, noted for his expertise on electrical and sailboat systems. He is the author of the Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual and Marine Diesel Engines, both published by Adlard Coles Nautical, as well as How to Read a Nautical Chart and Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook. He lectures widely and writes regularly for SAIL magazine and other nautical publications.

This is an extraordinary book ... so valuable and intriguing. What emerges is a story and a narrative voice that is at turns thoughtful, funny and brilliant. * Ocean Navigator *