Cruising Fundamentals

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Editorial reviews

Product Description
Written to complement the ASA's teaching methods, Cruising Fundamentals addresses small-boat daysailors who wish to move on to overnight cruising in a larger boat--one more than 27 feet long. The book leads the reader through five progressively more advanced levels of boat handling, each divided into sections covering knowledge and techniques that can be learned ashore and those best learned underway. A chapter called Sailing the Cruising Yacht, for example, presents important information on readying the boat for sail, VHF radio protocol, and right-of-way rules before examining such topics as heaving-to and steering a compass course. This effective and logical progression makes the book a great learning tool not just for those graduating from smaller to larger sailboats or from daysailing to cruising, but for inactive sailors needing a refresher and for anyone planning a bareboat charter. The volume includes material on all aspects of piloting, maneuvering under power, managing the galley, diesel maintenance, passagemaking, and anchoring techniques.

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Customer reviews

review by: Sailor date: 2008-07-28 rating:
Just OK
This is a fine book, along with Sailing Fundamentals, if you're taking the corresponding ASA course(s). All the information is valid but is geared to passing the course as opposed to just teaching sailing. Additionally, my ASA course instructor said that ASA is getting ready to drop both of these books.

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review by: date: 2008-01-17 rating:
great information for one with sailing experience
This book was well laid out in a simple to read format and supplied information along with concise sailing exercises to perfect ones skills. After reading for two evenings I know, without a doubt, that my boat handling techniques have moved up a notch. It is practical and applicable to true bareboat sailing encounters.

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review by: date: 2003-09-12 rating:
A sailing instructor's view
It is a big step for an intermediate sailor to go to the Caribbean and bareboat charter a 40' vessel. We use this book to take the intermediate sailor to this level. Cruising Fundamentals contains a vast amount of detailed information and yet it is organized in logical steps to bring students to the desired level of competance without overwhelming them. This book contains many excellent photographs and sketches. The basic navigation information is excellent without going too deep and the review questions are good for self evaluation (am I really getting it?)
I particularly like the way systems are presented and compared. For example, the House DC system vs the shore power AC system, diesel engines vs gasoline engines featuring the differences and types of cooking fuels discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each.
This is an all round excellent book that can be read straight through or used as a reference. I understand the second edition is in the works and I look forward to getting it.

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review by: PBR date: 2003-06-28 rating:
Very Beginning Level- Not all that great
I have never been cruising and really did not find this book to be very enlightening. It was VERY basic. You can expect things like "This is the hull, this is the sail" kind of stuff. I was really looking for more advanced topics like weather, emergency situations, planning a long distance cruise, etc.
This book is really for those of you thinking about buying a sailboat for cruising and have absolutely no boating experience. It touches on basic troubleshooting (and I mean basic) but does not really go in depth. I also purchased SAILING FUNDAMENTALS by Gary Jobson (Author), and found this book to be worth every penny. I would only recommend Cruising Fundamentals to those of you dreaming of cruising in the future, not very useful for anyone actually doing it.
I would rate this book at a high-school reading level.


review by: date: 2000-08-04 rating:
Outstanding Followup to Sailing Fundamentals book.
This is American Sailing Association textbook for more advanced sailing topics and the the second of a series. The major plus of this book is that it teaches you how to sail with all the information you need to learn in the proper order you should learn it.

There is an advantage in learning the material in a time tested manner. Every time an instructor like the author, Harry Munns, teaches a course it gets better. This book gets the benefit of his tried and true, tested methods of sailing instruction. It works well.

This book follows "Sailing Fundamentals : The Official Learn-To-Sail Manual of the American Sailing Association and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary"

Get them both.

Each book follows the ASA Basic Keelboat, Basic Cruising, and Bareboat charter courses.

Reading the books and then taking the courses will give you a jump start on your sailing skills.

Most sailors have knowledge like swiss cheeze--with lots of holes. The books will give you knowledge like American Cheeze--no holes.

Buy both books--you won't regret it. Read them and then take the courses for maximum effectiveness.

This is the path to skill, safety, and confidence on the water.

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