The Circumnavigator's Handbook by Linda Dashew, Steve Dashew (1983, Book, Illustrated)

This was the first of the Dashew's many books on sail cruising that I have read. My concern was, that with their many miles of cruising experience in sailboats worldwide, it would be a technical treatise that would be difficult for this cruising wannabe to understand. I found the exact opposite to be the case. You feel as if you are sitting across the kitchen table from them, sipping on a coffee and reliving their experience's. I derived a great deal from reading the book as I prepare to cruise my own 45 footer in the Caribbean, so much so that I promptly purchased 4 more of their books (on E-Bay, of coure). I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in cruising aboard a small sailboat and expect that the other books will be equally entertaining and informative.