Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia-II
"A bible for ocean cruising people."   --Varen:  Maandblad Voor De Watersport(Belgian magazine) September 1997"I have received the Cruising Encyclopedia...and it is, by far,  the best book about sailing I've read.  Thank you!" --T.T.,  Sweden"I found the 2nd Edition so good I'd like to order a copy to  keep on my boat and leave one at home." --J.Z., Hong Kong"I'm  enjoying it immensely:  300 pages in 4 days, so far." --R.R.,  Mamaroneck, NY"(It) so happens that your Second Edition is timely,  as we are beginning our quest for a 48- to-60-foot blue water sail boat  to prepare to break away into the real blue water.  I am a quarter of  the way through the new edition and enjoy the learning and wit.  Keep  up the good work." --R.W., Naperville, IL"...The book is just  terrific.  Clear, accessible, (and) just as good as advertised."  --B.F., Seattle, WA"...It certainly appears to be worth twice its  price." --S.M. , San Francisco, CA"The book is EXCELLENT - I have  not had much time to look at it in depth, but what I have read,  particularly the sections on yacht design and the philosophy behind  Sundeer and Beowulf, has been fascinating." --T.G., England"I  found (the) books and video to be excellent and well worth the  wait...Good job!" --C.M., Singapore"I've just received my copy of  the updatedEncyclopedia.  It is much more than I'd hoped  for...It looks like a labor of love.  I can only imagine the effort  expended.  WELL DONE!" --D.T., Wesley Chapel, FL"I received theOffshore Cruising Encyclopediaa few days ago...Already from the  first few pages I can tell you that I am completely satisfied.  I think  it is a magnificent book. Congratulations and many thanks." --R.C.,  Switzerland"Just received your much expanded Second Edition  Encyclopedia -- a Beethovenian effort.  We find it very informative..."  --G.S., Guilford, CT"I think you have made a fine book for  sailors." --A.S., Germany"Thank you very much for your new book.   I am thrilled with it." --D.M., Irvine, CA"...I'd like to give you  a bouquet of flowers for a very high- quality...product:The  Encyclopedia." --S.J., Sweden --Readers' Comments onOffshore Cruising Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition"The book is a terrific source of informatin and guidance in my  ongoing boatbuilding/learning eperience." --P.L., Vancouver,  Canada"Having thoroughly enjoyed your last edition of theOffshore Cruising Encyclopedia, I would like to order the  upgrade...I have recently bought a 33- foot boat which I am re-fitting  for extended single-handed cruising.  Your advice so far has been  invaluable, and I look forward to reading the new edition.  Please keep  up the good work." --B.G., Ft. Lauderdale, FL"YourOffshore  Cruising Encyclopediais the best, most complete reference I've  read in 25 years.  We are planning a circumnavigation of the Atlantic  on our new J-42 in two years and your book has cemented my resolve to  do it.  It has been most helpful in planning and outfitting the boat."  --B.S., Grand Rapids, MI"Always great information based on  well-thought-out and practiced ideals." --B.G., Las Vegas, NV"I am  a COMPLETELY satisfied and happy owner ofOffshore Cruising  Encyclopediaand theBluewater Handbook.  I have read both  at least once and I have watched your videos at least a dozen times  each....I am an Electrical Engineer and I always enjoy the detail you  go into with each system you analyze.  Reading your books has made me  aware of things I could not dream about since I have little hands-on  experience...I do not own a boat yet but I do read A LOT about sailing  and I am hoping to sail into the sunset one of these days..." --N.G.,  Pompton Plains, NJ"One of my favorite books..." --J.S., Los Altos  Hills, CA"I have been following articles on your family since the  (first) article on Intermezzo inSail Magazine.  That's a long  time ago!  I have been intrigued since then...Although my sailing  experience has been mostly confined to Lake Michigan, the temptation to  take off and begin a life of cruising is going to become a reality.   With my retirement next year, my wife and I hope to begin our venture  within three years.  (Your book) is of great value to research with  those who have documented their experiences." --M.B. & B.B., Island  Lake, IL"...From your books to...your web site, you are  appreciated.  I bought your First Edition sail boat - Sea Eagle - a  1990 36-foot C&C; racer/cruiser that we have put over 6000 miles on  traveling the Great Lakes." --R.W., Naperville, IL"(The) ultimate  TOME...Can't wait to start picking your minds again!" --J.Z., Los  Angeles, CA"I thoroughly enjoyed...Offshore Cruising  Encyclopedia.  Most of my sailing is coastal cruising, but I have  learned many valuable lessons from your excellent publication.  As a  licensed captain, I do have aspirations of offshore sailing and your  book has certainly helped to prepare me for many situations.  My  compliments to both Steve and Linda, whom I already consider friends  from their writing....Thank you for your efforts." --E.B., Hollywood,  FL"You've provided a tremendous service to the boating community.   I applaud you for your efforts." --J.G."I read this book from  cover to cover, and regularly re-read many portions. You could say it  is my bible, and it is the checklist for my new yacht -- a 60-foot  catamaran..." --W.V., The Netherlands"We appreciate all the good  advice from the Dashews, and put it to work." --C.D., Ft. Lauderdale,  FL"The book is a terrific source of information and guidance in my  ongoing boatbuilding/learning experience." --P.L., Vancouver, British  Columbia  --Reader's Comments on original edition ofOffshore Cruising Encyclopedia"The single most useful text available anywhere for sailors who  are outfitting a boat for voyaging -- full of good ideas, educated  opinions, ingenious solutions, useful charts and tables, and world  cruising savvy." --George Day, publisher and editor,Blue Water Sailing, September 1997The one sailing reference you ought to have is...Steve and Linda Dashew are the Leo Tolstoys  of sailing books.  Their recently publishedOffshore Cruising  Encyclopedia, Second Edition, is not only very long -- 1232 pages,  with more than 2500 drawings and illustrations -- but it's also very  good.  Lifelong sailors with nearly 200,000 ocean miles on a variety of  boats -- and often with children -- they have the on-the-water  experince to write with authority.  Having also been involved in the  design and/or building process of more than 50 large cruising boats  around the world, they've also got a good handle on the technical  aspects.The Dashews' tome works in three distinct ways. First,  it's a fine reference work from which to get a good background on every  conceivable aspect of cruising boats from the bottom of the keel to the  top of the mast.  Everything from the compressive yields of rudder  bearings to bunk dimensions to price comparisons of different hull  materials.  Secondly, there is sensible advice on a world of topics of  interest to cruisers -- such as the pros and cons of different styles  and types of boats, rigs, anchors, and such; on the possiblilites of  making money while cruising; on how to get along with locals, and so  forth.  Thirdly, mamy of the Encyclopedia's topics are backed with  anecdotal stories from the Dashews' seemingly unlimited number of  cruising friends and acquaintances.  As such, TheOffshore Cruising  Encyclopediamakes for enjoyable bedtime reading for non- technical  sailors and women, too.There are two aspects of the encyclopedia  that some might find vexatious. The biggest one is that there are so  many drawings, photos and references to the Deerfoot concept of boats  the Dashews have been developing over the years.  While we've never  been big fans of the Deerfoot concept, the numerous Deerfoot references  and drawings don't significantly detract from our appreciation of the  encyclopedia, and you shouldn't let it either.  The second troublesome  thing is that the encyclopedia is so heavy that only Arnold  Schwarzenegger could hold it up for more than a few minutes of bedtime  reading.  The rest of us will just have to learn to read differently in  bed, as this is the rare kind of encyclopedia that you'll enjoy opening  to almost any page and reading.It's been said that one photo is  worth 1,000 words. After seeing the profusion of helpful photographs  and illustrations in this volume, you'll better appreciate the saying.   The underwater photos of various anchors lying on the bottom, for  example, is very interesting.If you're new to sailing or are  interested in increasing both your theoretical and practical knowledge  of all aspects of cruising, we can't imagine why you wouldn't purchase  the Offshore Crusing Encyclopedia...We at Latitude rarely endorse  anything but going sailing, but we think the Offshore Encyclopedia is  extraordinary.  And we're not even getting paid to say so.  --Latitude 38magazine, July 1997The other day we pulled out our copy of Steve and Linda Dashew'sOffshore Cruising Encyclopedia, originally published in 1989. It  measured one and five- eighths inches deep.  Then we measured their new  OFFSHORE CRUISING ENCYCLOPEDIA, Second Edition and it's a full inch  larger -- that's 436 pages more of information.Steve and Linda  started this second edition two years ago, thinking it would be an easy  update of the information contained in the first volume.  However, so  much has changed in nine years, especially in electronics,  communications, and design, that the project developed into a two-year  job.  Their two daughters -- Elyse and Sarah -- have also contributed  with Elyse's company, EDX Communications, handling the production of  the volume."Hence this somewhat thickly crammed compendium on  cruising yacht design, construction, equipping and usage."Our  apologies if the type is a bit small and layout tight, but we figured  that you'd want as much data as we could cram in -- and cram we did,  right to the limits of what our printers told us they could print and  bind!"Although the page count is only up by 50%, there are over  three times as many illustrations and almost twice as many words.  If  you're like us, you'll need to reach for the reading glasses."  (from  their Introduction)Crammed it is but so well written and laid out  that you don't really mind the narrow margins and closely cropped  photos. It is after all an Encyclopedia and when compared to a full set  of theEncyclopedia Brittanica, the layout seems genuinely airy  with generously sized photos.One of the biggest changes is,  naturally, in the area of communications.  While their 1989 volume  contained sections on VHF, SSB, and Ham, the informations was based on  the more limited communications commonly available.  Just nine years  later, we are used to e- mail, satellite links, vastly improved phone  links and a lot of goodies to help us keep in touch with people and  information on shore. Electronic charting and weather faxes have become  vastly more sophisticated and considerably cheaper. Both are covered in  this new book along with five pages of frequencies for SSB, VHF, and  Ham Nets from our Electronics Whiz Gordon West.Steve and Linda do  tip their hat to the rapid changes in communications and technology. In  fact, during the time it took for the presses to roll and the book to  reach nautical bookstores, things have changed so they opt for an intro  to the section that allows for the rapid changes:"Communications  technology is literally exploding with options.  While SSB, Ham, and  VHS will (probably) always be with us, new times of electronic data  transmission -- not to mention cellular phones with world-wide  capabilities -- are not far off."Another area that was barely  foreseen nine years ago is the asymmetrical spinnaker. We're not sure  when we first heard about them but they were popularized by the new  sport boats, found easy to work with and developed for cruisers.  Rigging and handling them can make a muscle and time saver to cruisers  while providing good off the wind performance.  As the Dashews write,  "If we were buying a spinnaker today and planning to use a pole with  it, we'd go with an asymmetrical before a conventional sail."The  heart of the book and greatly expanded is the edit on the boat itself  -- design, hull construction, steering, rig, deck layout, and systems  -- propulsion, refrigeration, plumbing, heating/air conditioning,  interior.  All the goodies are mentioned but the premise of the  Dashews' book remains the same, "Don't be seduced by the glamour and  sex appeal of some of the things in this book if it means waiting.  If  you really want to pursue the dream, do it now."That is the goal  of this book -- do it now -- get out there and go cruising -- pursue  your dream... A "Salt-Water Guarantee" covers all books irreparably  damaged by salt water which means you've actually taken off and  suffered an accidental leak (just because it's heavy, did you have to  store it in the bilge?).The price of theOffshore Cruising  Encyclopedia, Second Edition, isn't cheap -- $129.95.  For an  introductory period, it's reduced to $89.95 so make the investment  quickly -- it's a wealth of information and, at eigher price, well  worth the bucks.If you are cruising, plan to go cruising, or dream  of cruising, buy this book.  It has an incredible amount of information  and considering the contents and the costs of printing and binding,  it's inexpensive (heck, it doesn't even have one of those pretty color  photo, glossy paper covers -- just a plain brown book with the minor  extravagance of gold embossing).  If you have to, stand in a bookstore  and read the sections on "Earn As You Go Cruising," pages 391-395, to  pay for it. You'll be glad you did. --Santanamagazine, August 1997