The Best Sailing Books: 25 Stories Inspired by the Sea

The Best Sailing Books: 25 Stories Inspired by the Sea

A list of the best sailing books, including memoirs, novels, and biographies, that represent the most fascinating nautical stories ever written

After recently compiling a list of the best sailing movies we've seen, I was prompted for some related reading. Fresh from a shipment of sailing bestsellers (and not-so-bestsellers), I've put together a list of the best sailing books.

The list covers everything from epic voyages, survival stories, investigative biographies and sailing manuals – with a few coffee table reference books thrown in.

The best sailing books

The following list is in no particular order. If you have any suggestions that you think deserve a place on this list of the best sailing books, please add them in the comments below.

Sailing Around the World Alone by Joshua Slocum

In 1895, Joshua Slocum wanted to prove that a man could sail around the world alone. Some 46,000 miles and three years later, he completed the first single-handed circumnavigation of the world in his 34-foot sloop, the Spray.

A Voyage For Madmen by Peter Nichols

In 1968, nine sailors set out on the most daring race of all time: to circumnavigate the world single-handedly without stopping. It was a feat that had never been accomplished before and would change the face of sailing forever. Ten months later, only one of the nine men would cross the finish line.

The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst by Nicholas Tomalin and Ron Hall

One of the best sailing books I've ever read. Donald Crowhurst was a candidate in the aforementioned race around the world. Hopelessly overwhelmed, he tried to pull off one of the biggest frauds of our time.

The Last Grain Race by Eric Newby

This was one of the first sailing books I ever read and it got me hooked. In 1939, a young Newbyer sailed aboard the Moshulu, the largest sailing ship still used in the so-called “Grain Race” to transport grain from Australia to Europe. His story of the passage has become a classic.

Kon-Tiki: In a Raft Across the Pacific by Thor Heyerdahl

The adventure of Thor Heyerdahl and his companions on their raft across the Pacific has gone down in legend as a feat of endurance and courage. This is that story in Heyerdahl's own words.

The Annapolis Book of Seamanship by John Rousmaniere

Since the publication of the highly acclaimed first edition in 1983, this book has set standards. Used as a textbook in sailing schools worldwide, The Annapolis Book of Seamanship thoroughly and clearly covers the basic and advanced skills of modern sailing.

alt=“Montage of the best sailing books “>Atlas & BootsSome of the best sailing books

A race too colorful Chris Eakin

Chris Eakin recreates the drama of the epic first Golden Globe race. He speaks to everyone touched by the event: the survivors, the widows and the children of the deceased.

Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Seaby Steven Callahan

I'm only halfway through this gripping story and it's already one of the best sailing books I've ever read. Steven Callahan's dramatic account spent 36 weeks on the NYT bestseller list. In many ways it is the model for the new wave of adventure books. At the time, he was the only man known to have survived alone at sea for more than a month.

438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Sea Survival by Jonathan Franklin

In 2012, Salvador Alvarenga left the coast of Mexico for a two-day fishing trip. After 14 months, he was washed ashore after drifting over 9,000 miles.

Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian

The first of Patrick O'Brian's famous Aubrey/Maturin novels, considered by many to be the greatest series of historical novels ever written. There were 20 completed - and one unfinished - in the series, which is set during the Napoleonic Wars.

Gipsy Moth Circles the World by Francis Chichester

First published in 1967, just months after completing Chichester's historic journey, the book was an instant international bestseller. It inspired the first solo race around the world and remains a timeless testament to the spirit of adventure.

Tania Aebi's maiden voyage

Tania Aebi was an unassuming 18-year-old in New York City. She didn't want to go anywhere until her father offered her a challenge: Choose college or a 26-foot sloop. The only catch was that if she chose the sailboat, she would have to sail around the world alone. Off she went.

alt=”another montage of the best sailing books”>Atlas & BootsA few more of our favorites

DK Complete Sailing Manual by Steve Sleight

DK is known for producing beautiful reference books and this sailing manual does not disappoint. Now in its fourth edition, the book covers the basics of sailing, mastering navigation and maintaining your boat.

The Ashley Book of Knots by Clifford W. Ashley

First published in 1944 and reprinted many times since then, this superb, fully illustrated knot book was compiled by Geoffrey Budworth with the help of other members of the International Guild of Knot Tyers.

Swell: A Sailing Surfer's Voyage of Awakening by Liz Clar

Clar chronicles her 2006 solo trip through the South Pacific in search of great surf. She tells her story in gripping detail, sharing stories of self-confidence, loneliness, connection to the earth and surfing.

Once is enough by Miles Smeeton

This timeless classic is a thrilling true story of survival against all odds. Smeeton and his wife sailed their 46-foot ketch Tzu Hang in the wild seas of Cape Horn, following in the footsteps of the ancient sailing clippers through the world's most notorious waters.

Last Man Off: A True Story of Disaster and Survival on Antarctica by Matt K. Lewis

The waters of Antarctica, 1998. 23-year-old Lewis has just started his dream job aboard a deep-sea fishing boat. A storm is coming. With the captain missing and the crew forced to abandon ship, Lewis flees to three life rafts where the fight for survival begins.

A World of My Own: The First Nonstop Solo Round the World Voyage by Robin Knox-Johnston

In 1968, a tiny ketch named Suhaili slipped out of Falmouth almost unnoticed. Ten and a half months later, Suhaili joyfully returned to Falmouth to a fantastic reception for Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail single-handed non-stop around the world.

alt="another montage of eight sailing books">Atlas & BootsA few more of our favorites

The Proving Ground by Bruce Knecht

This is the story of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart boat race, the most dramatic in yacht racing history. Of the 115 boats that started, only 43 finished. Knecht recreates these dramatic hours and the agonizing fear of those fighting for their lives in the eye of the storm.

The Regatta Rules of Sailing for 2017-2020 from the Royal Yachting Association

The essential manual contains the updated international code and racing signal flags. Waterproof versions are also available.

The Long Way (La Longue Route) by Bernard Moitessier

The Long Way is Bernard Moitessier's own incredible story of his participation in the first Golden Globe Race, a non-stop circumnavigation of the three great Capes of Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn.

Left for Dead: 30 Years On - The Race is Finally Over: The Untold Story of the Tragic Fastnet Race 1979 by Nick Ward & Sinead O'Brien

The second edition is updated with a new chapter detailing Nick's eventual completion of the Fastnet Race, 30 years after his first, ill-fated attempt.

Love with a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche

Sometimes hilarious, often harrowing and always poignant, this memoir is set against the backdrop of the world's most beautiful and remote destinations. Equal parts love story and travel memoir, the book is funny, charming, and proof that risks are worth taking.

Two years before the mastby Richard Henry Dana Jr.

A memoir first published in 1840, written shortly after a two-year sea voyage beginning in 1834. To this day, the book is considered a valuable historical resource describing California in the 1830s.

Godforsaken Sea: Racing in the World's Most Dangerous Waters by Derek Lundy

In 1996, 16 sailors set out from the Bay of Biscay to embark on the Vendee Globe - a single-handed yacht race through the world's most treacherous and remote seas. Only six completed the course, six others withdrew, three were torn from sinking boats and one disappeared without a trace.

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