Courses	Private School	FAQs	Bookstore	Links	Contact Us
ASA Course Decriptions	Schedule	Details	Offshore Passagemaking	Why Choose Blue Water	Charters

Offshore Passagemaking (ASA 108) Reading List

The following is a reading list for the Offshore Passagemaking Standard. This list is divided into Required Reading, from which the course material will be drawn, and an Additional Reading list, which are reference material or cover more advanced topics. We will not be using the Additional Reading books directly, but any of them would be a valuable addition to your library. This list is not exhaustive, there are many more usefull books available.

Required Reading

Adlard Coles' Heavy Weather Sailing by Peter Bruce (Editor) Hardcover - 288 pages (October 1999) McGraw-Hill; ISBN: 0071353232 Although titled after Adlard Coles classic, not much of the original material remains. 27 chapters broken into two parts - Expert Advice and Storm Experiences. Expert Advice covers yachts design and construction, stability, spars, rigging, meteorology, drag devices and more. The valuable Storm Experiences section details personal experiences in storms such as the 1979 Fastnet Race and the Queen's Birthday Storm of 1994. In the forward, Peter Blake writes "This book should be read and re-read by all yachtsmen and yachtswomen, whether they have aspirations to cross and ocean or simply potter about the coastline, whether they are skipper or crew. Not every idea examined will apply to every situation, but the knowledge gained may one day be invaluable." Order Here

Survivor by Michael Greenwald Paperback (October 1989) Blue Horizons Pr; ISBN: 0931297036 Other Editions: Hardcover Primary Source on sailing disaster/survival stories and info Survivor was written to help sailors survive boat disasters. Edited by National Best-Sellers Steve Callahan (Adrift) and Dougal Robertson (Survive the Savage Sea), the book contains true stories and practical How-To chapters about survival. Stories about the struggle for life in tiny survival craft, daring rescues, tragic failures. Order Here

World Cruising Routes (4th Ed) by Jimmy Cornell Hardcover - 512 pages 4th edition (October 1998) McGraw-Hill; ISBN: 0070134065 More than 500 sailing routes through the world's oceans laid out with descriptions of season, highlights, charts, GPS waypoints, and navigational hazards. This is the only book of its type for cruising sailors, the only comprehensive cruising guide to all the world's oceans. Order Here

Mariner's Weather Handbook by Steve Dashew, Linda Dashew Hardcover - 594 pages (December 1998) Beowulf Publishing Co.; ISBN: 0965802825 Ruud Kattenberg, Editor, Zeilen "This is not just another book on meteorology. This is a book about sailing, risk analysis and weather tactics..(and) how a sailor can translate this knowledge on board and act accordingly. " Order Here

Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual, 2nd edition by Nigel Calder, Stephen Pollard International Marine Publishing Hardcover THE best book on the variety of maintenance issues on boats. Covers boat maintenance, mechanical and electrical systems, sails, rigging and more. SAIL magazine says "This book should come as standard equipment with every boat." Order Here

Yacht Design Explained : A Sailor's Guide to the Principles and Practice of Design by Steve Killing, Doug Hunter Hardcover - 256 pages 1 Ed edition (July 1998) W W Norton & Co; ISBN: 039304646X Sailboat design explained in a way that all boat owners can understand and put to use. Yacht Design Explained uses state-of-the-art graphics, dynamic charts and photographs, and clear explanations to show what makes hulls, keels, ballast, rudders, foils, masts, and sails work. It reveals why certain designs perform well and others fail. Order Here

Advanced First Aid Afloat by Peter F. Eastman, Peter F. Eastmen Paperback - 212 pages 4th edition (August 1995) Cornell Maritime Pr; ISBN: 0870334654 This fourth edition of a sailing classic covers emergency medical care at sea, examining common accidents and ailments which can occur when medical care is unavailable and not likely to be immediate in forthcoming. Diagrams and photos accompany step by step treatment options, while the revised edition includes drugs, dosages, and the latest methods. Order Here

Recommended Reading

Storm Tactics Handbook : Modern Methods of Heaving-To for Survival in Extreme Conditions by Lin Pardey, Larry Pardey Paperback - 176 pages (March 1999) Paradise Cay Publications; ISBN: 0964603667 Methods of heaving-to for survival in extreme conditions. Trysail and para-anchor technology for all types of boats and sailors. Order Here

The American Practical Navigator Originally by Nathaniel Bowditch The most complete book on navigation available. "A single, comprehensiveion navigation science reference which explains modern navigational methods while respecting traditional ones." And at $24.95 the best bargain around. Order Here

Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of the Offshore Yachts by John Rousmaniere (Editor) Hardcover - 310 pages 1st Ed. edition (May 1987) W W Norton & Co; ISBN: 0393033112 Order Here

The Complete Book of Anchoring and Mooring by Earl R. Hinz Cornell Maritime Pr; ISBN: 0870334522 Order Here

World Cruising Handbook by Jimmy Cornell, Doina Cornell Hardcover - 527 pages 2nd edition (October 1996) Intl Marine Pub; ISBN: 0070133964 A companion volume to Cornell's World Cruising Routes, this practical edition provides a rich source of essential information on planning and executing any overseas voyage. Order Here

The Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew by Lin Pardey (Introduction), Tadami Takahashi (Illustrator), Larry Pardey Hardcover - 388 pages 2nd edition (March 1995) Pardey Productions; ISBN: 0964603608 This essential guide is filled with the most useful, up-to-date information on all facets of preparing for blue-water adventuring. The Pardeys provide expert tips on buying, provisioning, and storing food for cruising as well as on every other aspect of crew comfort. Order Here

The Complete Rigger's Apprentice : Tools and Techniques for Modern and Traditional Rigging by Brion Toss Hardcover - 392 pages 70 edition (August 1997) McGraw-Hill; ISBN: 0070648409 The definitive reference on the art and science of rigging, this massive work combines and updates Toss' renowned Rigger's Apprentice and Rigger's Locker. Lavishly illustrated with drawings and numerous graphs, tables, and other illustrations on all aspects of rigging. Order Here

Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia-II by Linda Dashew, Steve Dashew Hardcover - 1232 pages (July 1997) Beowulf Publishing Co.; ISBN: 0965802817 Ocean Navigator, September/October 1997: "This...second edition...is a good source...for people interested in pursuing the voyaging lifestyle. At 1,200 pages...the second version is even more in- depth than the first edition. Put simply, it includes discussions on just about everything from light displacement hull design to keeping your kids happy on long passages." Order Here

Where There Is No Doctor : A Village Health Care Handbook by David Werner, Carol Thuman, Jane Maxwell Paperback Revised edition (May 1992) Hesperian Foundation; ISBN: 0942364155 Order Here

Where There Is No Dentist by Murray Dickson Paperback (June 1983) Hesperian Foundation; ISBN: 0942364058 Order Here

Advanced Topics

Seaworthiness : The Forgotten Factor by C.A. Marchaj Hardcover (January 1987) Tiller Pub; ISBN: 0877422273 Order Here

Sail Performance : Designs and Techniques to Maximize Sail Power by C.A. Marchaj Hardcover - 416 pages (September 1996) McGraw-Hill; ISBN: 0070402507 Order Here

Oceanography and Seamanship by William G. Van Dorn, Richard Van Dorn (Illustrator) Hardcover - 440 pages 2nd edition (February 1993) Cornell Maritime Pr; ISBN: 0870334344 Based on the premise that those who challenge the sea will have a better chance of survival if they have a knowledge of its characteristics, the author applies the science of physical oceanography to the practical needs of the seafaring community. The book begins with a complete discussion of the ocean's origin and nature and life at sea, and includes a discussion of meteorology, ocean currents and wave motion, and ship dynamics. The final sections of the book deal with strategies for heavy weather seamanship and emergency procedures. Order Here