Upgrading Your Small Sailboat for Cruising

In view of the sky-high purchase and ownership costs of today’s large yachts, more and more people are opting to cruise in smaller boats, ranging downward in size from 30 feet to as small as 15 feet. In a boat with limited space, forethought and good design are particularly important for both safety and comfort — but all too often these are precisely the areas shortchanged in fiberglass production sailboats. Upgrading Your Small Sailboat for Cruising is intended to bridge that gap, with dozens of projects to make a daysailer suitable for cruising, or a pocket cruiser more suitable. The book offers improvements in every area: masts and rigging, flotation, strengthening fiberglass hulls, bow rollers, enclosed cockpits, stowage tanks, water systems, seating and sleeping arrangements, lockers, bulkheads, canvaswork, hatches, and ventilation. These and many other details, taken together, can make the difference between pleasure and misery when cruising in small sailboats.