Ocean Sailing Book Review

Your Adventure on the High Seas Starts Now

For many sailors, an ocean passage is the big dream. But worry about having the right experience, the right boat or the 'right stuff' keeps many from setting out. Ocean Sailing paints a picture of what crossing oceans is really about, told through the experiences of those who have already ventured across the world's oceans themselves. Members of three great cruising clubs - the Ocean Cruising Club, Royal Cruising Club and the Cruising Club of America - share their vast experience, and focus on the practicalities of ocean sailing to allay the anxieties and doubts of prospective ocean cruisers.

Paul Heiney, a British broadcaster and ocean sailor, asked his friends in the well-respected bluewater sailing clubs to share their expertise in various areas of ocean cruising. Topics covered range from safety to boat outfitting and preparation, budgeting, communications, equipment breakdowns and repair, choosing destinations and routes, health and weather. It also covers topics often neglected, such as the pros and cons of rallies, solo sailing, and sailing with families. It even offers practical advice on dealing with issues from afar, like managing mail, banking and prescriptions.

Heiney previously wrote the poignant and touching story One Wild Song: A Voyage in a Lost Son's Wake when his son (with wife, Times columnist, Libby Purves), Nicholas, committed suicide at age 23. Nicholas was a keen sailor and to try to deal with his grief, Paul set out to sail solo from the UK to Cape Horn and back. Thought-provoking and beautifully written, Paul's story made this very personal account a universal tale. He then set about to help others pursue their own tall tales through Ocean Sailing.

Ocean Sailing by Paul Heiney
Hardcover, Adlard Coles, 5 Sep 2019, 288 pages, £35
ISBN-10: 1472955390 ISBN-13: 978-1472955395