Every issue of WindCheck includes a look at a new book about sailing (or perhaps the reissue of a maritime classic) and occasionally gives a listen to the music of the sea.
An incredible true story of courage in a savage storm By Michael J. Tougias Christy Ottaviano Books, an imprint of Little, Brown 257 pages hardcover $18.99 Adapted for young readers (ages 9-14) from an earlier book by award-winning author Michael J. Tougias, Fatal Forecast is a gripping story of catastrophe and survival at sea. Mike is peerless in this genre, and he delivers a gripping moment-by-moment account of seventy-two hours in the lives of eight men. On…
By Paul Elvstrøm and Søren Krause Adlard Coles, an imprint of Bloomsbury Nautical $30 Review by Joe Cooper A long time ago in a galaxy far, far…etc., the go-to book on the Racing Rules of Sailing was a pocket-size paperback called Elvstrom Explains the Racing Rules. This was the Great Dane’s overview of the rules and his explanation of situations and outcomes, a precursor, say, to similar publications today written by either of The Daves. Anyone racing…
The Adventures of Captain Marco, Volume 1 By Lesley O’Brien Illustrations by Emmett Donovan Orange Kitty Kreative LLC $18.95 Written for sailors and story lovers from 5 to 95 (and all salty sea dogs), Unfurmiliar Territory is the first in a series of stories by Lesley O’Brien about a rough-around-the-edges orange cat who becomes the Master of a sailboat. Fortune had not always favored Captain Marco. Not long ago he and his brother were shivering in rainy…
Published by YETI and TALWEG 160 pages hardcover $100 Recently released by everyone’s favorite maker of coolers and rugged drinkware, WAVES is a lovingly produced tribute to the motions of the ocean and the duality of water. It’s among the most luxurious coffee table books we’ve seen, and with immersive essays by four legendary surfers, it’s an engaging, thoroughly enjoyable read. The latest in an adventure-oriented series from YETI (presently comprising three other volumes: DUCKS, WHITEWATER and…
A Collection of Essays, Volumes 1 & 2 By Karen Jewell Winged Publications paperback, audiobook & Kindle The author of the popular weekly Water Views column that was published by The Hour newspaper in Norwalk, CT from 2001 to 2012, Karen Jewell has compiled many of her entertaining short essays into two volumes, the second editions of which were recently released by Winged Publications. These columns received three Certificates of Merit for Outstanding Submissions in the Sailing…
Words of wisdom from 50 years afloat By Skip Novak Adlard Coles, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing PLC 304 pages paperback $24 Revered by sailors around the world for his numerous adventures – especially those in extreme latitudes – Skip Novak wrote an excellent column in Yachting World magazine for many years in which his shared his vast expertise on many sailing subjects. Skip has curated, edited and updated many of those original dispatches and supplemented them…
A Voyage Around the Mind, Around the World, Around the Heart By Niamh McAnally Black Rose Writing/Texas 302 pages paperback $22.95 Finding herself unemployed, homeless and divorced in her fifties, Liamh McAnally (pronounced Nee-if Mack-an-alley) changed the course of her life by embarking on a global quest to find purpose by volunteering to work on marine conservation projects on remote islands in Belize, Vanuatu and Tonga. Exploring exotic destinations like Bora Bora, Palau, Fiji and St. Barths,…
By Andy Vavolotis and Jim Nelson Review by Dave Hemenway I have owned a 1966 Cape Dory 10 dinghy since the 1980s and have followed Cape Dory boats for many years. I also own a Greenwich 24, the precursor to the Cape Dory 25, one of Cape Dory’s most successful models. Cape Dory boats have always made sense to me and I have enjoyed sailing on several of their models. I joined the Cape Dory Sailboat Owner’s…
Exploring the Freedom of Maritime Living By Katharina Charpian Published by gestalten 256 pages hardcover $75 Boatlife, written by travel journalist Katharina Charpian and beautifully produced by the international publishing house gestalten, is possibly the most visually stunning book we’ve ever reviewed on these pages. The burgeoning “boat life” movement, described by the author as “just like van life but at sea,” is finding new adherents thanks to the growing popularity of alternative living and flexible…
Building and Sailing a 17th-Century Replica By Richard A. Stone Lyons Press, an imprint of Globe Pequot 267 pages $32.95 The restoration of Mayflower II, a replica of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America in 1620 and launched a nation, by the shipwrights at Mystic Seaport Museum’s Henry B. DuPont Preservation Shipyard in Mystic, CT, has been documented on these pages, as was her historic relaunching in 2019. But there’s much more to the story….
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