The Hitchiker's Guide to the Oceans by Alison Muir Bennett (Adlard Coles Nautical, £11.99)
Want to sail round the world but don't have the time/boat/budget to take your own boat? This book, first published in 1990 and now in its sixth edition, tells you how to go about it - whether an experienced sailor or learning the ropes, looking for adventure or topping up your sea miles.
Yacht migration maps show where the seasonal bottlenecks occur, and help to pinpoint the best places and times of year to get a crew place. Complete with fully updated information and website addresses, and a new colour section, the new edition will be welcomed as a skipper's reference, as well as by aspiring crew.
It is packed with information about:
- How to find a crew position
- How to maximise your chances of being taken on as crew
- Where yachts gather and when
- Rally locations
- How to be in the right place at the tight time
- What to expect from different kinds of skipper
- What will be expected of you as crew
- Job opportunities along the way
- Sailing as a profession, including superyachts
The book has comprehensive sections covering mental preparation, physical preparation and financial and administrative preparation, and there are also useful appendices, including a vital checklist.
Reading this book may just persuade you are not suited to travel the oceans after all - but it is much more likely to inspire you to have a go at “crewing around the world.”
