Sailing Magazine
The author needs no introduction as he has, for decades now, produced the finest guides for cruisers, including ‘World Cruising Routes’, ‘World Cruising Destinations’ and ‘World Voyage Planner’.
Cornell is not a man who sits back and writes about cruising. He gets ‘down and dirty’ and goes out and does it – hence the title of this book. With 200,000 nautical miles experience, he is more than qualified to offer advice and share his experiences with cruising folk as he has 3 circumnavigations, plus passages to the Antarctic and Arctic to his credit. And a successful transit of the Northwest Passage too.
This book is based on his extensive knowledge of offshore cruising, and covers all subjects of interest to anyone planning an offshore passage. All aspects are covered in an informative and entertaining manner. This is a rather weighty tome, and covers voyage planning, navigation in the age of electronic charts, weather and weather routing, engines, emergencies and more, lots more.
In his foreword Cornell indicates that in recent times those who had little offshore experience tried to make up for this by buying all the latest gear and becoming totally dependant on equipment, much of which they could not repair themselves if it failed. “I believe that one should resist becoming a slave to technology” he advises.
If you are planning a passage, or simply dreaming of buying a boat and heading out to the blue yonder, this book will give you a hands-on account of what to expect and how to plan. And most of all how to do it safely.
