Heavy Weather Sailing: book review

Considered by many to be one of the most important books to have onboard, this latest edition of Heavy Weather Sailing deserves a place on your bookshelf, says Julia Jones

Heavy Weather Sailing (8th edition)
Peter Bruce and Martin Thomas
Adlard Coles, £39.99

Former Ocean Cruising Club Commodore Martin Thomas joins Peter Bruce for the latest edition of this classic book.

The basic mix remains first-hand experience of extreme weather and storm conditions with expert reflection and advice.

Some are tragic, such as Richard Heath’s account of the loss of Reliance AC and others particularly human and encouraging such as Francis Hawkings’s attempts to evade Super Typhoon Surigae in 2021.

He recommends ‘singing, laughing, swearing and taking credit for good luck’ as permanent additions to his toolbox.

Even pusillanimous coastal sailors like myself could advantageously keep those tools on board.

The new edition includes several new topics and new contributors.

Martin Thomas’s personal interest in high latitude sailing is used to good effect throughout the book, not only in the chapter dedicated to that topic.

Susanne Huber-Curphey, who, among many other achievements, is the first woman to navigate the North-West passage single-handed, has been recruited to add her experience with the potentially game-changing Jordan Series Drogue.

Continues below…

Heavy weather sailing: preparing for extreme conditions

Alastair Buchan and other expert ocean cruisers explain how best to prepare when you’ve been ‘caught out’ and end up…

Surviving a Force 11 storm with a series drogue

Small cruising boats are not fast enough to sail away from bad weather. Tony Curphey shares how a series drogue…

Adventure: guide to sailing in storms

Award-winning sailor and expedition leader Bob Shepton regularly sails some of the most storm-swept latitudes in the world. Not bad…

Storm tactics from the Golden Globe Race: Jean-Luc Van Den Heede

Golden Globe Race skippers share their experiences of ocean storms, providing lessons for all of us about how to cope…

She expresses her sadness at the scale of losses in the 2018 Golden Globe Race, some of which she suggests may have been preventable if competitors had selected alternative tactics than to keep on running before the September storm.

Martin Thomas’s medical background gives authority to his admirably clear chapters on seasickness and medical emergencies and his decision to include a chapter on yacht tenders is also welcome.

Other new chapters include one on lightning strikes and an encouragingly upbeat appraisal of the performance of foiling yachts in heavy weather.

I was tempted to skip the two chapters on power boat design and handing in big seas, as being something I am never likely to undertake.

In fact, I found them fascinating and informative.

The authors’ expert insights into wave densities and steering techniques had something to teach even the slowest of the slow.

This impressive book should be on every sailors’ bookshelf, whether we risk being caught out in the North Sea or Southern Ocean.

Messages such as ‘prevention is better than cure’ and ‘common things are common, so prepare for them’ are applicable to us all.

The dramatic scenarios of Heavy Weather Sailing – with its superb photographs — will ensure that these well-worn pieces of advice are more than cliches.

Buy Heavy Weather Sailing from Amazon (UK)

Buy Heavy Weather Sailing from Amazon (US)

Buy Heavy Weather Sailing from Waterstones (UK)

Buy Heavy Weather Sailing from Foyles (UK)

Buy Heavy Weather Sailing from Google Play

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Enjoyed reading this?

A subscription to Yachting Monthly magazine costs around 40% less than the cover price.

Print and digital editions are available through Magazines Direct – where you can also find the latest deals.

YM is packed with information to help you get the most from your time on the water.

• • • • Take your seamanship to the next level with tips, advice and skills from our experts
      • Impartial in-depth reviews of the latest yachts and equipment
      • Cruising guides to help you reach those dream destinations

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The post Heavy Weather Sailing: book review appeared first on Yachting Monthly.