Sailing Made Simple: The Comprehensive Guide That Has Helped Thousands Get Started

Deb G: Great book, easy to understand and arrived quickly!

Canada on Jul 10, 2021

straitjack: As a sailor and cruiser for over 12 years, I really like the simplified style that comes straight to the point. Franzel also states right at the beginning that no one should just read it right to the end but go sailing a lot inbetween, which I couldn't agree more. The questions about what is sailing about and how it works are quickly answered, with more details to come when you're ready for it.
But there is one thing about the flying or accidental jibe that he doesn't get quite right (p 23 Fig. 2.18): it hits you earlier than described, for a little different reason. The more straight you're running downwind, the more twirls you get on mainsail's leech. It starts folding your main up at the head, advancing quickly downwards, much earlier than described, and so the described "Blam!" hits you earlier than expected. You don't want this to happen with a mainsail the size of an 18 wheeler.
Keeping that in mind, that little book opens you the wonderful world of sailing!

Germany on Mar 21, 2021

peter brown: As advertised

Canada on Feb 14, 2021

Kim L.: Learning to sail and this book will help the process

Canada on Sep 24, 2020

Gordon McCarty: Easy to read and understand for novice sailors. On the other hand it has lots of neat facts that I consider intermediate. Overall its a great reference book for any sailor!

Canada on Dec 15, 2019

Gary L. Knupp: This is an excellent guide for a new or want to be sailor. The information is given in small bites and the diagrams help with understanding what is being taught.

United States on Mar 05, 2018

Smile Weaver: "To rig the mainsail first find the clew of the sail and, clew first, feed the foot boltrope into the groove in the boom. Attach the tack cringle to the appropriate fitting on the gooseneck then attach the outhaul to the clew cringle and tighten it. Run your hands along the luff from the tack to the head..." HUH???? If that makes any sense to you then chances are you are already familiar with sailing and not a novice. I AM a NOVICE!! That sounds like a foreign language to me - or gobble-de-goop nonsense. And I couldn't find definitions for half of those words in the glossary, much less the text. So much for "basics" -- or to be fair, my definition of 'basic' is obviously VERY different from the author's. And this is on page 13 - not all that far into the book. Now, the truth is, I am a writer researching and attempting to learn just enough info on sailing to put my characters to sea. My characters all live on islands, so I desire them to come across as believable and therefore somewhat knowledgeable. But I am not a sailor - so I need a VERY basic intro to sailing. However, isn't this exactly what a person who wants to learn how to sail for the first time needs as well?? I would...

United States on Aug 24, 2016

Robert Daugherty: This book Is easy to understand for someone that has never sailed before. The diagrams are clear and well drawn. I fill like I could buy a used sail boat and adjust and tune the sails by myself. The book tells what to do in different weather situations from light wind to heavy weather. My only complaint is that I wish I had more to read. I would recommend this book for anyone new to sailing. It was my first book on sailing so I can't compare it to another.

United States on Aug 16, 2013

sebastijank: I'm not new in sailing, but bought the book because I'm moving from my native language to English (as you can see I'm still learning the later), and need to know the English expressions in sailing world. I was pleasantly surprised how much knowledge is packed in a such a tiny volume. The language is not complicated and every beginner can learn a lot. As a matter of fact, I just bought a second copy as a present for my friend, who started to sail with me and is eager to know more about the topic.

United States on Jun 13, 2011

S. D.: Great book - covers all the basics and is enough to get you to the point where you would feel comfortable taking some lessons. Even if you've already sailed before, it's a great "refresher" course on the basics of sailing and the "rules of the road."

I first found this book at the library but I liked it so much, I bought it so I could go over it with my family as often as I wish...

United States on Jan 27, 2009