Street Donald M. The Ocean Sailing Yacht. Volume II

New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company, 1978. — 597 p. — ISBN: 0-393-03209-4.This book is not directed at the absolute beginner, who knows nothing whatsoever of sailing. Rather, it is a more advanced text, intended for the person who has sailed small boats, raced small boats, and now — caught by old age, an increase in family size, or simply a change in desires — wishes to cruise. This book is designed to enable him to pick a good cruising boat, to equip her, and to cruise with safety, enjoyment, comfort, and also a fair degree of speed. Rod Stephens states that one should cruise at 90 percent of racing efficiency, but I believe that 70 or 80 percent of racing efficiency is enough.
Good old boats, like good wine, improve with age. Witness the fact that Iolaire, after sixty-eight years, is still going strong; we not only cruise in her but also frequently race, with some success. Her hull is little changed from its original form, though her rig, interior, and deck layout have been vastly altered. An old hull, refitted in the light of modern practice, may give many years of wonderful cruising and occasional racing at a cost that is minimal when compared to the price of a brand-new fiber-glass boat. Furthermore, many a new fiber-glass boat is not designed for serious cruising, but rather is designed to be tied up to a marina each night. Sometimes such a boat can be altered and made into a proper cruising boat.
A final point to remember is that if you sit down and study this book and then insist that everything recommended here be installed on your boat before you set out, you will never go cruising. All life is a compromise, and boats are a tremendous compromise — what is gained in one direction is lost in another. Of course you will wish to make your boat as perfect as possible for the cruising you plan to do, bearing in mind the limitations of the boat, your own time, and your finances, but the essential thing is to get moving. To go cruising is far more important than to spend a lifetime equipping the perfect boat.