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Books by John Kretschmer
“John Kretschmer’s superb writing transports you to the sea – and so much more.”
a gift to us all.”
Selected in 2018 as a
Lyons Press Maritime Classics
“This delightful book will take its rightful place among the classics of voyaging literature”
~ Dallas Murphy, author of Rounding the Horn and Plain Sailing
“John Kretschmer’s book is as perfectly shaped and flawlessly written as such a story can be. In addition to being the best depiction I have ever read of what it is like to be inside a hurricane at sea, At the Mercy of the Sea is as moving a story of a man’s failure and redemption as can be found anywhere in the literature of the sea. This book is surely destined to become a classic.”
~ Peter Nichols, author, Sea Change and A Voyage for Madmen
“…a first-class, strongly recommended reference written especially for anyone from a novice mariner to an experienced sailor…”
~ Midwest Book Review
“If you plan on buying a used boat, this book is a necessity”
~ Latitudes & Attitudes
“Before you start pounding the docks looking for a potential cruising boat, read this book. The author, who is as knowledgeable as you can get, recommends 40 boats in detail, pointing problems, costs, etc., to save you from any expensive mistakes”
~ Latitudes & Attitudes
Skipper's Cockpit Guide
Author: Bo Streiffert, US Editor: Nathan Zahrt
This guide has been a favorite with skippers around the world for many years, as shown by these reviews:
‘A brilliant aide-memoire or instant revision for exams’ Kelvin Hughes
‘An ideal companion above or below decks’ Practical Boat Owner
‘A handy reference… one of the most comprehensive guides that I have seen’ Lifeboat
‘A lot of good information… a useful aid to have on board’ Gaffers Log
Invaluable for experienced sailors as an aide-memoire, as well as for beginners and students, this essential quick-reference guide covers a wide range of topics such as seamarks, buoyage, pilotage, lights, boat handling, anchoring and mooring, ropes and knots, heavy weather sailing, man overboard, grounding, fire aboard, distress signals and VHF radio. The splashproof pages and spiral binding enable it to stand up to the demanding marine environment.
This North American edition covers the IALA-B Buoyage System.
This is the first edition of this popular guide for boaters in the US and Canada.
editorial reviews
Book Review: Sailing to the Edge of Time by LYDIA MULLANJAN 2, 2019
An accomplished sailor and writer, Kretschmer tells the poignant, yet relatable tale of a lifetime’s love of sailing in his new book Sailing to the Edge of Time. Beginning with his first fateful trip around Cape Horn in a 32ft sloop named Gigi, Kretschmer takes readers with him as his adventure unfolds, covering hundreds of thousands of miles in the company of everyone from friends to celebrities to teachers and kids. As he does so, he also seamlessly weaves in plenty of practical sailing advice with his sea tales, making this book as useful as it is entertaining. There’s no shortage of joy, peril and watershed moments as Kretschmer tells an insightful and quietly triumphant story of how he experiences life to the fullest by leaving onshore toils behind…
A familiar storyteller and seaman goes deep in his latest book. 2018 December 14 By ERIN L. SCHANEN
SAILING readers will be more than a little familiar with Contributing Editor John Kretschmer’s vast collection of sailing stories; you’ve been reading them on the pages of this magazine for decades. They are alternately funny, terrifying and tear-jerking.
With several books under his belt, Kretschmer’s style as a storyteller is well defined, but in Sailing to the Edge of Time, readers will find hints of a new side of the sailor, one that contemplates bigger questions.
Although they might be a bit more introspective, the nature of Kretschmer’s stories hasn’t changed much. They are still fast-paced, full of characters you long to meet and laden with enough rich detail to make you taste the salt on your lips and feel the wind in your hair. Thanks to a life at sea he’s got enough of them to always bring something fresh and, in the case of Sailing to the Edge of Time, he also brings a healthy dose of practical information on choosing and refitting a boat and basic tenants of seamanship….
For the Times-Union By Tim O’Connell / Nov 25, 2018 at 2:01 AM
If you have ever sailed out to sea in a small boat, you will find this memoir by professional sailor John Kretschmer evocative and profound. If you are thinking about doing it and/or looking for a sailboat, you will find it indispensable. If you are just seeking a story of an adventurous life well spent, you will find it fascinating.
In “Sailing to the Edge of Time,” the lifelong sailor’s sailor tells his story in vignettes about his trips, his boats, his philosophy and his many friends, all the while dispensing the invaluable knowledge gained from 300,000 offshore sailing miles, including 20 transatlantic and two transpacific passages.
With his many friends and fellow adventure seekers, the captain takes us across the Gulfstream to Bermuda, crisscrosses the Caribbean, from Hawaii to Seattle, north to Newfoundland, and across to Ireland, Scotland and the Mediterranean.
A must-have for any sailor’s library.