"I was so lost in the sight that I forgot the presence of the man who came out with me, until he said... half to himself, still looking at the marble sails, 'How quietly they do their work!'"

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast

"Men in a ship are always looking up, and men ashore generally looking down."

John Masefield, The Bird of Dawning

Recommended Reading for the Beginner

In a previous blog post, I suggested that a good first instructional book was Sailing for Dummies. I stand by that recommendation for all of the reasons discussed in that article but understand that some people are put-off by the book title and may feel that their skills and abilities are already beyond the "dummy" level. I can understand that and won't be critical of those who fall into that category. Instead, I will offer you this alternative text.

Another great book that will introduce you to the art of sailing is The Complete Sailor, by David
Seidman. With 240 pages of text and illustrations, the author provides an excellent resource for both the beginner and novice sailor. The book includes sections on the wind, weather, sails, rigging, anchoring and much more.

There are technical details on calculating a boat hull's speed-length ratio and keel design if you are interested in such things. Seidman also offers valuable advice on racing strategies. The book offers a broad range of useful information from a different teaching approach than Sailing for Dummies.

I believe that Jennifer and Peter Isler do a better job in Sailing for Dummies of providing practical hands-on advice for the beginner, and their illustrations and images are more helpful than artistic.

Both books are relatively inexpensive so I will close with this advice. Buy both of the books! You are certain to find each book to be helpful for the beginner and one will be certain to become your favorite go-to resource as you continue pursuing a sailing education.

"A very queer thing is the wind.
I don't know how it beginned,
And nobody knows where it goes.
It is the wind, it beginned and it blows."

John Masefield, sailor and Poet Laureate of England