Beth A. Leonard - The Voyagers Handbook

The Voyagers Handbook

Second Edition

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO BLUEWATER CRUISING

Second Edition

Beth A. Leonard

To my father
who gave me the courage to dream,
and to Evans
who gave me the strength to live my dreams.

Copyright 1998, 2007 by Beth A. Leonard. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-0-07-178448-1
MHID: 0-07-178448-9

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W HAT IS IT about offshore sailing, extended cruising, and long-range voyaging that makes the pastime so very appealing to such a vast range of people from so many walks of life? Thats a question to which Ive given an inordinate amount of thought over the years (its an especially appropriate topic to ponder on a midnight watch hundreds of miles from the nearest speck of soil). Ive come up with a few answers.

Sure, theres the incredible beauty of it, particularly when youre creaming along before a fresh breeze and beneath a sky full of stars on a perfectly balanced boat, or when a lush, green island looms on the horizon after many miles and days on the blue, blue sea. And, of course, theres the challenge in it, for theres no other activity on the planet quite as testing, unique, or fulfilling as guiding a small vessel across a vast body of water safely and efficiently. Finally, theres the wonderful harmony to it, for there are few things more enjoyableand, in this day and age, more relevant and importantthan harnessing the clean, fresh power of the wind and currents to propel our dreams and ambitions.

Cruising sailors are, by nature, both engaged and engaging, or at least thats the way it seems to me. They are people whove made a conscious choice to set forth into the world with open eyes, hearts, and mindstravelers, if you will, who are bound and determined to take the road less traveled. That may be one of the less-kept secrets about cruisers: Sure, they may come from various places and backgrounds and stations, but when all is said and done theyre not very different at all. On the one hand, self-sufficiency and independence are their bywords; on the other, theyre part of a grand community that relies upon all its members for advice, guidance, laughter, and friendship. Its this wonderful dichotomy that makes the cruising world go round.

But what about our initial query: Why the appeal? I reckon the ultimate answer is pretty basic. Quite simply, the best thing about voyaging is that its a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and understanding. No two passages are ever the same. Even the most experienced sailor among us some day will be faced by something he or she has never seen before. At that point, theyll employ their wits and wile to address the matter, and another chapter in their personal history will be in the books. The best part of sailing? Its a journey, a quest, which never, ever ends.

And that brings us to the book you now hold in your hands.

Over the years, Ive had the distinct pleasure of assigning and editing numerous sailing stories from Beth Leonard. Whether crafted at sea or in port, theyve always been written in crisp, clear, straightforward prose that always delivers. Her voice is clear, eloquent, straightforward, and authoritative. Naturally, she and her partner, Evans Starzinger, have sailed far and wide; its a prerequisite for tackling a tome such as this. More important, they stopped and looked and listened all along the way.

I know all this because Ive come to realize that, in her own journey, Beth Leonard has not only become a wonderful sailor, but also a fine teacher. I know this because Ive learned so much from her.

Now, with this terrific, wide-ranging resource, so can you.

Herb McCormick
Cruising World

O CEAN CRUISING AND world voyaging have a way of changing a person, or a couple, in ways that never occur ashore. Once you have sailed across an ocean, watching the moon move through a whole cycle and meeting the great sea mammals on their own turf, you never see our home planet and our little place in it quite the same way again.