Rating: 
Summary: Tops in some areas, good in all, flaws are minor.
Review: "Vol.I" is the 1993 edition of "The Sailor's Bible" that's been often updated & refined since 1956 and it shows. (There's also a Vol. II in a larger format and written for classroom use; it's said to cover the same material in more depth--but with half the pages?) Vol. II may be a better choice for home than this Vol. I which is now called the "on-the-water" version. Vol. I, this book, is very encyclopedic, useful for beginners through advanced levels. All sailing topics are covered and some (e.g., hull speed) are treated in more detail than most other books. The author, a sailor-artist, provides 1000s of helpful simple pictures & diagrams. It's comprehensive covering hulls, keels, rigging, sailing rigs, etc., from caravel to ULDB, OD dinghies to inboard cruisers. Sprinkled throughout are little gems of history or experience that enliven the reading. Many detailed pictures, some cutaways & parts are labeled, of 22 popular OD dinghies & cats plus 9 cruising boats (1 cat). A glossary of 38 pages covers about 1500 terms. Topics include splicing, first aid, recovering from capsizes, groundings, etc,; it has the practical advice that can keep some mishaps from becoming disasters. Good coverage of reefing, hull forms & high seas, broaching, pitch-poling, getting pooped, heaving to, etc. It's not perfect: All print is in blue (non-photo?) ink. The index is so-so but not great. Since it's intended as a reference, the writing is usually brief, in sound bites; when topics have a longer treatment (e.g., hull speed) the style remains so the bites feel pasted together. And some of the charts (e.g., avoiding collisions) have been photo-reduced to the point they're hard to read. But still, at the price, it probably has more facts per buck than any other sailing book.
Rating:
Summary: Tops in some areas, good in all, flaws are minor.
Review: "Vol.I" is the 1993 edition of "The Sailor's Bible" that's been often updated & refined since 1956 and it shows. (There's also a Vol. II in a larger format and written for classroom use; it's said to cover the same material in more depth--but with half the pages?) Vol. II may be a better choice for home than this Vol. I which is now called the "on-the-water" version. Vol. I, this book, is very encyclopedic, useful for beginners through advanced levels. All sailing topics are covered and some (e.g., hull speed) are treated in more detail than most other books. The author, a sailor-artist, provides 1000s of helpful simple pictures & diagrams. It's comprehensive covering hulls, keels, rigging, sailing rigs, etc., from caravel to ULDB, OD dinghies to inboard cruisers. Sprinkled throughout are little gems of history or experience that enliven the reading. Many detailed pictures, some cutaways & parts are labeled, of 22 popular OD dinghies & cats plus 9 cruising boats (1 cat). A glossary of 38 pages covers about 1500 terms. Topics include splicing, first aid, recovering from capsizes, groundings, etc,; it has the practical advice that can keep some mishaps from becoming disasters. Good coverage of reefing, hull forms & high seas, broaching, pitch-poling, getting pooped, heaving to, etc. It's not perfect: All print is in blue (non-photo?) ink. The index is so-so but not great. Since it's intended as a reference, the writing is usually brief, in sound bites; when topics have a longer treatment (e.g., hull speed) the style remains so the bites feel pasted together. And some of the charts (e.g., avoiding collisions) have been photo-reduced to the point they're hard to read. But still, at the price, it probably has more facts per buck than any other sailing book.
Rating:
Summary: Coast Gaurd , Merchant Marine, day-world sailor: MUST HAVE!
Review: Having spent six years in the United States Coast Guard, and being an able-bodied Merchant Marine, and now the owner of three sail boats, I have found this book to be invaluable & right on the money. What Chapmans & The Blue Jackets Manual don't cover Mr. Royce does with down to the second of arc accuracy. It is a thoughly enjoyable reference that no boat should venture into the water without.
Rating: 
Summary: Fall of the American Sailor
Review: I certainly agree that "The process of puzzlement and Gestalt will occur in repeated iterations" when reading Royce and I also believe it is "arguably the most essential book to keep on board one's small boat for reference by the captain or the most novice of crew". However, high performance sailboat design has created the need for a new sailboat primer and Royce's work is badly in need of update. The fall of the American sailor in world competitions such as the Americas Cup and Around Alone is directly related to the popularity of Royce whose work even in 2003 results in the manufacturing of new pocket cruisers that sail like those illustrated. There has been a revolution in sailboat
thinking and today this book should be viewed for historical interest rather than as a primer for learning how to sail because boats designed for high performance are sailed much differently than the style advocated in Royce.
Rating:
Summary: Strikingly candid, up front with VERY GOOD TO KNOW INFO
Review: My wife took a sailing class in 1984 and I glanced at this book when she wasn't using it...I STOLE it from her and read it religiously...It was so basic, yet so damn informative that it made a profound impact on me...THIS IS THE BOOK to give the beginner...I am sure that this book is what made me successful with boating for the last 15 years...I am recommending it to EVERYONE I know...I am a USCG licensed Master with sailing endorsement and have been a US Navy DIver since 1974...I have been on the water a long time and this book is A KEEPER!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: perfect!
Review: Only telepathy could have provided a faster & more pleasant experience.
Rating:
Summary: perfect!
Review: Only telepathy could have provided a faster & more pleasant experience.
Rating:
Summary: An invaluable but oddly written work.
Review: Patrick Royce packs more bits of information onto a page than any other writer of any genre. Unfortunately his mastery of paragraph construction and linear thinking leave something to be desired. Nonetheless, this is THE best book from which to learn about sailing. The beginner will often find himself thinking, "I don't know what the hell he's talking about." After spending some time aboard he'll return and exclaim, "Ah-Ha! That's what he meant." This process of puzzlement and Gestalt will occur in repeated iterations.
Rating:
Summary: An invaluable but oddly written work.
Review: Patrick Royce packs more bits of information onto a page than any other writer of any genre. Unfortunately his mastery of paragraph construction and linear thinking leave something to be desired. Nonetheless, this is THE best book from which to learn about sailing. The beginner will often find himself thinking, "I don't know what the hell he's talking about." After spending some time aboard he'll return and exclaim, "Ah-Ha! That's what he meant." This process of puzzlement and Gestalt will occur in repeated iterations.
Rating:
Summary: Royce's Sailing Illustrated Volume 1
Review: This book is a must for any sailing enthsiast. It not only provides useful information on all aspects of sailing, sail boat design by does so with numerous sketches and pictures. A wonderful book for a reference amnual.
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