Sailing books as a gateway drug

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svMira
Master Varnisher
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Boat Name: Mira
Boat Type: Pearson Wanderer 30
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Sailing books as a gateway drug

Post by svMira »

The more I read and the sailing interviews I hear on podcasts, the more I'm sensing a kind of pattern, where young boy/young man ends up reading ______ sailing book, which leads to more sailing books which he contributes to the beginning to his love of boats which at some point gets him on the water in his own boat.

I'm often surprised to learn that I've read that book too, or that I've heard about the sailor but didn't know they had a book. It would be interesting if one could do a study of all the early boat related reading that the addicted/afflicted boaters had done to extrapolate out which books had all contributed to the continuation of the sport. Which books had the most effect? Which books were most common? Who's story was the most inspiring? The list would need to distinguish which books were read before one got into boats, as opposed to the reading one has done after acquiring the affliction.

I'm guessing that three of my top pre-boating influences would have been:
  • Wind in the Willows - Grahame - Read as children's literature way before I had any idea it was a 'boat book'.
  • Sailing Alone Around the World - Slocum - I only remember this one as the guy that poured carpet tacks on deck at night to keep the locals off his boat.
  • Dove - Graham (Actually found the National Geographic articles first)
Not quite sure if books like Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe would be counted in the list or not. After that, there would be quite a pile of adventure books, most of which I've long forgotten.

If we had this information, we could buy these books for our nieces and nephews, donate them to schools and the such. We'd have more boaters in the future then. <grin>
Marvin - s/v Mira - 1971 Pearson Wanderer #174
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CharlieJ
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Re: Sailing books as a gateway drug

Post by CharlieJ »

The one book that got me hooked on sail cruising was "Princess, New York" by Joe Richards
CapnK
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Re: Sailing books as a gateway drug

Post by CapnK »

I like your plan, sign me up. :D

First one that I can recall right off was "Dove", in '78 or so, not sure if it was the Nat Geo articles or the book I read first. But before that, earlier in the 70's I had a library card for the college library, and spent many hours in there during the summer when I couldn't find a buddy to play with, instead reading about adventurers and WWI fighter pilots and those sorts of things that grab a young imagination, so I think by the time I got to Dove there had been something before, I just don't remember exactly what... Maybe Robinson Crusoe, and 20K Leagues, and... :)
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markwesti
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Re: Sailing books as a gateway drug

Post by markwesti »

This book is not really a story type book but there are some good stories in it . First time I got turned on to this highly addictive "book" I was hooked bad .
https://www.amazon.com/Sailors-Sketchbo ... 0915160552
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