Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Wanderer is a 14 foot Fiberglass hull Bermuda rigged sailing dinghy designed by Ian Proctor. One of the main objectives of the design was to produce a robust safe and versatile dinghy that could be used for knockabout day sailing and cruising as well as racing, but was light enough to be handled ashore. The Wanderer has Main and Jib sails it can also be fitted with a Spinnaker. Reefing of the main sail is by slab reefing, the jib can also be fitted with roller furling system. The boat has high intrinsic stability, and the normal wooden centreplate can be replaced with an 85 pound steel centre board which makes it even harder to capsize. The relatively light weight of the boat contributes to its ease of launching and recovery. The design allows for fitting of an outboard motor of up to 3.3 hp. There is very ample storage which includes a waterproof locker for storage of the outboard motor when not in use. ... Read more

Product Description
What could make a man want to sail solo 2,500 miles up the east coast of the U.S. in a dinghy not much bigger than a king-size bed? Fate led him to a 16' open Wayfarer dinghy, literally the biggest boat he could afford. Equipped with a 3.3 HP engine and a pair of sails, but lacking a cabin, galley, bunk, head, or electricity, she treated her new skipper to all the joys of a normal camping trip (rain, bugs, cold, solitude, baked beans) but with a vastly improved chance of drowning. This book tells Lee Hughes' story as he makes his way up the Intracoastal Waterway, learning the ways of the sea by trial and error. By journey's end, not only has he become a sailor, but he has also discovered what's important to him and conquered more than one fear. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Oh, the Irony. (Contains Spoilers)
That fact that Lee Hughes buys a boat owned and adventured by one of the most competent and legendary dinghy sailors of our time stands in sharp contrast with his complete lack of skill and is likely the only reason it was published or purchased. Hughes can thank his stars that he could not afford a blue water vessel as it likely would have ended him.His dialogue-logbook-esque style of writing was interwoven with college grade introspection about persons and subjects which likely interest nobody aside from his immediate circle, and made for an excruciating read.I pushed thru to the end, hoping for some kind of payoff as I had seen it sold in major book stores everywhere and assumed that a publishers investment on this scale was for some reason, but was sorely disappointed to find he wussed out half way thru the plan because he got cold, missed his girlfriend, and maxed out his credit card.

Good, but could do better
This book was very interesting and amusing - inspiring even at times - but very badly let down by the lack of proper maps showing where exactly the author sailed.Despite this, well worth reading.

Light Reading Only
Lee Hughes has written an entertaining narrative about his own effort to overcome his fear of the water by sailing a 16-foot dinghy up the Intercoastal Waterway. One cannot quarrel with the author's ability to keep his narrative interesting, and I enjoyed the book.

But this is not great sea literature. The writing style is clear but not beautiful; Hughes is a complete novice when he starts, so most sailors will already have experienced and learned everything he experiences and learns along the way; and the personal growth evidenced in the voyage is likewise rudimentary, primarily centering around Hughes' adolescent (at age 40) fear of commitment.

This is a light book that you'll very likely enjoy. But you'll also give it away afterwards, rather than providing it a permanent place on your shelves.

Falls short, just like the author's quest
With all the inspirational accounts of people achieving their dreams why should we be compelled to read a book about someone who comes close and then gives up? Never more than a few miles offshore, a little uncomfortable, and homesick - the author throws in the towel. This book does not belong on the same shelf with Tinkerbelle or some of the other classic small boat adventures.

A bit of a disappointment
It's refreshing to see that books are now being published about dinghy cruising.Throughout his trip Lee was very good at regularly updating the Canadian Wayfarer website about to his exciting trip and I had anticipated a really good book to be the end result.This was not the case though as I found his book to be of little merit from a "sailor's point of view" and falters to nothing more than a glorified log-book by a rookie sailor who quite frankly is lucky his inexperience on such an ambitious trip didn't kill him.

This book is defintely NOT to be used as a reference guide for dinghy cruisers.
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Customer Reviews (1)

psychology of racing
What a great read on a long overdue subject.Ian hits the nail on the head in many chapters and the layout is spot on.Every helm and crew should benefit from his easy style and experience. ... Read more

Product Description
The boat.

The Topper's rapid growth in popularity is due to its double life as a high performance racing dinghy and as a fun boat for all the family. It is cheap, easily transported and a delight for adults and children to sail.

The book.

Topper Sailing is packed with information on all aspects of sailing and racing the Topper, from a simple explanation of sailing theory, how to rig, launch and sail your boat, to basic racing tactics and an analysis of boat speed techniques. Topper Sailing is illustrated with dozens of action photographs, all take especially for the book. ... Read more

Product Description
Here's all the advice a dinghy owner needs, whether novice or expert, to maintain a dinghy at its peak. ... Read more

Product Description
The complete guide to sailing and racing dighies, catamarans and cruisers. ... Read more