I also feel that I should mention that Roz Gordon and Manuel de Lizarriturri did the editing, design and added the index and glossary. Without their help the book certainly would have been more cumbersome.
I did not write this book to teach someone how to sail. On the contrary, it is for those who already have some sailing skill but are considering leaving the security of their home port to sail to other ports or even other countries.
The purpose of this book is to express the reality of cruising—both good and bad. I hope the reader will read between the lines and understand that the 25+ years I have been sailing and cruising have been the best years in my life.
The information in this book was gained from 12-years and over 25,000 nautical miles of coastal cruising. Additional experience was gained from another13-years of offshore cruising of about 50,000 logged nautical miles. During the 13-years I was away, there were many yacht deliveries and great experiences while working ashore in foreign countries. One of my favorite countries was Papua New Guinea.
Finally and most importantly, is the experience I gained from 9-years of working and owning the reputable boat building company, The Sam L. Morse Company.
This is a big book that is full of information about cruising. There are many illustrations to help clarify written details and to assist the reader in better visualizing the situations and the techniques suggested. Where appropriate, there are personal stories so the reader can understand why the author made his decision about a particular topic. .
