Daniel Spurr

Praise for Your First Sailboat"Here's a book for first-time sailboat buyers that offers practical information they can really use toease the transition to boat ownership. The buying guide to 84 of the more popular used sailboats will be particularly helpful when making the rounds at the boatyard." -- Cruising World"Spurr strikes just the right balance in this book of logic, education, and humor, without ever talkingdown to the reader." -- Latitude 38"Have fun. Save time. Save money. This book omits everything you don’t need to know." -- Great Lakes BoatingCan a keelboat tip over?How can I determine what boat I want?Once I do, what's a fair price to pay for it?Should I buy it new or used?How can I tell the difference between a used boat and one that's used up?Now that I have it, how can I start sailing quickly and safely?Your First Sailboat has answers to all your questions about selecting, buying, maintaining, and usingyour first boat. This user-friendly guide covers issues that other books ignore, including how to choose between a trailer sailer, daysailer, raceboat, cruiser, or multihull; what hull material is best for your first boat; whether to buy new or used; where to shop; how to judge quality and condition; where to keep your new boat; and what to do about gear, loans, insurance, and annual maintenance. Special features of this second edition include:An up-to-date descriptive buying guide to 84 recommended sailboats of all types and sizes, from daysailers to racers, cruisers, and multihullsHow-Do-I? sections that cover boat handling, maintenance, and navigationWhat-If? segments that cover a variety of worst-case scenarios that you may worry about--from getting lost, to sinking, and when to look for the next sailboat!Straightforward and fun, Your First Sailboat gives you just what you need to stop asking questions andstart sailing.

Is your boat ready to go cruising?Just about every sailboat—used and new—can make a good cruiser, but only if the hull-deck structure, rig, and systems meet certain standards. Spurr’s Guide to Upgrading Your Cruising Sailboat tells you what those standards are, and gives you all the help you need to refurbish and upgrade every structure, surface, fitting, and system on your boat—stem to stern, project by project.This all-in-one guide leads you step by step to a seaworthy, crew-friendly boat with top-notch cruising performance. Not only will you learn what to look for when you buy a new or used boat, you'll also learn how to reinforce your boat’s hull and structural components, redesign and replace rigging, upgrade electrical systems, and much more. Special features include:A detailed survey of 70 used and new fiberglass sailboats best suited to offshore sailingGear and equipment recommendations by brand nameConstruction details and other essential features of a strong, safe cruising boatHow to make critical repairs to the deck, hull, bulkheads, blisters, and portlights

'Anybody even thinking of sailing out of sight of land would want Bill Seifert aboard, whether in person or in print. As he describes what gear and skills count the most, Bill generously calls on his many experiences offshore and in boatyards. Since many of his stories are pretty funny (when they aren't painful), "Offshore Sailing" is one of the most winning boating books I've read - as well as one of the most helpful'. John Rousmaniere, author, "The Annapolis Book of Seamanship and Fastnet: Force 10". Bill Seifert has sailed 100,000 offshore miles and has thirty years of experience as a yacht builder, racer, manager, and delivery skipper. He has encountered just about everything that can go wrong with every aspect of a boat, from deck to galley, electricals to plumbing, fuel pump to rigging, and he's earned a worldwide reputation as a crack nautical problem-solver.In "Offshore Sailing", he shares his hard-won solutions to a host of boat design, construction, equipment, and seamanship dilemmas. He tells you what works and what doesn't, and step by step - with the help of detailed illustrations and photographs - fills you in on what you need to know for safe, comfortable passagemaking. Experiencing diesel engine surge-and-die syndrome (SAD)? Tip 132 tells you why it's happening and what to do about it. Worried that your bilge pump might not provide adequate pumping power in rough seas? Tip 8 shows you a simple way to measure its true pumping capacity. Want to make companionway dropboards lockable from inside and outside? See tip 71. Batteries charging too slowly or not at all? Tip 111 tells you how to locate and stop hidden power drains.