Books for Your Boat

Outfitting the Offshore Cruising Sailboat by Peter I. Berman ($20; 2011; Paradise Cay Publications). In this book, cruising sailor Peter I. Berman presents a compelling case for finding an affordable, used sailboat—and then paints a realistic picture of the work and expense that getting it blue water ready will entail. Starting with suggestions about rig and engine and concluding with tips on seaworthy accommodations and boat-buying advice, Berman walks a potential buyer through some of the many tradeoffs involved in finding just the right boat.

His best recommendation? Focus on the essentials, then go sailing.
-Mark Pillsbury

Sail Away: How to Escape the Rat Race and Live the Dream by Nicola Rodriguez ($30; 2011; Wiley Nautical). Nicola Rodriguez and her husband, John, set sail in July 2002 from their native England, and, as she says in the intro, 25,000 miles, eight years, two hurricanes, and two sons later, she wrote this book.

Written from the refreshing perspective of someone who chose the cruising life not as a retiree but as someone who decided to break away from the workaday world, this gorgeous book is a step-by-step guide for anyone, but especially 30-somethings and 40-somethings, thinking about taking the leap.
-Jen Brett

The Reef Set: Reef Fish, Reef Creature and Reef Coral Identification by Ned Deloach and Paul Humann ($76; 2nd ed., 2002; New World Publications). Fish-identification books are a dime a dozen, and we had several aboard. Unfortunately, every time I discovered something new, it seemed that I’d rarely find what I was looking for in a book—until I bought this trilogy. It’s designed in a way that makes it easy to identify the fish, and it includes color photos and details related to each one, including habitat and behavior. Because we love snorkeling, this set wins, hands down.
-Jan S. Irons

Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region by Donald and Lillian Stokes ($12; 1996; Little, Brown and Company). When the first frigate bird soars above your boat or a brown booby lands on your wind generator, you’ll wish you had a bird book aboard. We prefer books with full color photos and information about habitat and range all in one place, and this one fills that bill.
-Jan S. Irons

An Illustrated Field Guide to the Birds of Panama by Ernesto Ponce and Giselle Muschett ($50; 2006; Ediciones Balboa). Easily available throughout Panama, this work describes the many birds native to that country.
-Jan S. Irons

Usborne Spotter's Guide: Flags of the World by William Crampton ($8; 2003; Usborne Books). Before leaving U.S. waters, we rarely had the opportunity to puzzle over the national identity of boats we encountered. Now we seem to consult our flag book daily to identify neighbors in our anchorages. 

-Jan S. Irons

Sport Fish of the Gulf of Mexico by Vic Dunaway ($12; 2000; Wickstrom Publications). The first time that our new trolling rod sang, we reeled in a two-foot-long fish—but was this fish edible? Dunaway’s full-color photo of the Spanish mackerel made identification easy, and the Food Value section in the description let us know that dinner, indeed, was on our hook.
-Jan S. Irons

Weather: An Introduction to Clouds, Storms, and Weather Patterns ($6; 2001; Waterford Press) and Instant Weather Forecasting by Alan Watts ($13; 4th ed., 2011; Adlard Coles Nautical). These works help answer questions about clouds overhead or triple rainbows, among others. The format of Instant Weather Forecasting juxtaposes a full-page photo of a cloud with a chart listing the weather trends and timing associated with that cloud, including wind, visibility, precipitation, temperature, and barometric pressure.
-Jan S. Irons

Weather Predicting Simplified: How to Read Weather Charts and Satellite Images by Michael Carr ($55; 1999; International Marine). This is the best reference manual for weatherfaxes, surface-analysis charts, and wind/wave charts that we’ve come across. Written by a licensed captain who’s also been a professional weather router for world voyagers, it’s useful for understanding weather forecasts, identifying unrecognized symbols on surface-analysis and wind/wave charts, and providing basic information necessary for learning to predict weather.
-Jan S. Irons