At a recent webinar on the subject of “Voyage planning in a changing world” I was asked to describe the role of my various books in planning a voyage, and the order in which they should be bought.
For those who are experienced sailors and have done some ocean passages, the best book to start off with is the latest edition of the Ocean Atlas because it gives you a very good idea of the weather conditions and critical seasons that you will encounter along your proposed route. The latest edition contains a wealth of data on recent phenomena that have a direct bearing on voyage planning and the consequences of climate change on offshore sailing.
World Voyage Planner should also be acquired early in the planning process, as it contains all essential information on the choice of suitable boat and equipment, as well on preparing the boat and crew for a long voyage. This section is based on scores of surveys and interviews with experienced long-distance sailors. The book also gives practical advice on safe seasons and routes, a worldwide network of service hubs for emergency repairs, medical facilities, international flights, etc.
The next source should be World Cruising Destinations. This compendium of 197 maritime nations provides a detailed description not only of the countries that you may be planning to visit, but also their history and main attractions, but also all essential information on local yacht clubs, marinas, boatyards and facilities.
Once you have decided which route you would like to sail you should acquire the latest edition of World Cruising Routes, which gives details of over 1000 routes in all oceans of the world. The book is now in its ninth edition and is regularly revised and updated with any significant changes that have occurred, from facilities to formalities, safety factors as well as weather and climate conditions.
For those who do not have much offshore experience and do not know what to expect from a long voyage, I would highly recommended my latest book, Sail the World with Me. This book was written for a person like I was myself when I was dreaming of setting off on world voyage, and didn’t know where to start. The book describes my various voyages over all these years, but also includes a lot of practical information on voyage planning, dealing with emergencies, energy generation, automatic pilots versus wind vanes, on board pharmacy, provisioning, meals, watches, sailing as a family, education etc. Every chapter that describes a stage of one of my voyages is followed by a practical chapter that deals with specific subjects as mentioned above.
I assure you that if you read this book, you will learn a lot not only from my own experience but also from my mistakes and how I learned to deal with a wide variety of emergencies during fifty years of sailing. My memoir also provides the opportunity to understand how important it is to have the right attitude and mindset when embarking on a long voyage.
Jimmy Cornell
London 23 September 2024
