Handling Storms At Sea

For a number of reasons we haven’t been able to get back on a boat since our trip to Tunisia. In the mean time we continue to plow through our still growing sailing library.

While we were on that trip, we didn’t really come across any really bad weather, but while up on night watch in the middle of the Med, it did make us wonder about the nasty conditions that could occur, and while I’ve got a pretty good tolerance for stressful situations, and have been exposed to all manner of weather conditions in other environments, I know next to nothing about how to manageĀ a sailing vessel in “sporty” conditions.

To try and help remedy this, I bought Handing Storms At Sea a while ago, but only now just got through it.

Provided you have a basic understanding of conditions and on-board gear, it is a very easy read and will serve to do one of two things:

1) give you more confidence about what gear to consider and how to plan for, and react to, bad weather at sea; or

2) scare the hell out of you due to what can occur and convince you to never get away from the sight on land and a quick escape.

I hope the former is the response of most people, as Hal lays things out in a logic progressive manner and reinforces each previous topic as he advances through his “5 secrets.”

He references his own vast experience and numerous other works from other authors, while admitting that there will be those who may advocate a different course of action than he is espousing. There is also a large bibliography at the back for further reading and to help you expand your own library.

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