Cruising Under Sail
by
Eric C. Hiscock

Publishing Page

Eric & Susan Hiscock were the world's premiere sailing couple for a great many years. This remains the most detailed and complete single work on fulltime living aboard and voyaging. Mr. Hiscock was a very meticulous man and a very experienced sailor, liveaboard, and voyager. He put everything he knew about these subjects in great detail into this book. Generally speaking if you are a good sailor and equip your boat and your mind according to the information in this book, you will be prepared to voyage as you will upon the face of the waters.

To me the difference between the Hiscock's approach and that of some other voyagers is best based upon two stories. When asked why he did not carry any sort of two way radio Mr. Hiscock replied that if they got into any trouble it was up to them to get themselves out or perish because he didn't want to be a bother to anyone else.

The other story was told by someone who was just getting ready to cross the Atlantic and found that he was in the same harbor as the Hiscocks and Humphrey Barton. He undertook to get the advice of such famous voyagers. Mr. Hiscock welcomed him aboard and pulled out books, charts, and pilot charts and gave him a thorough education in the navigational, weather, and ship management questions he needed to address. When he subsequently rowed over to ask Mr. Barton's advice he was told, "Head south until the butter melts and turn right." On the whole, interesting as both of these people are, I think I would be most comfortable sailing with the Hiscocks.

Since Eric was the writer I speak mostly of him but we should bear in mind that he never would have lived this life without his wife and shipmate Susan. His admiration for her shines through all Eric's books and she was very widely looked up to. It is a compelling testimony that there must have been thousands of men of all ages who spoke of Susan as their "ideal women".

If you only buy one book about the liveaboard and voyaging life, to date this would be the one. (tm)  $31.95