Care and Feeding of the Sailing

Care and Feeding of the Sailing Crew
by
Lin Pardey, with Larry Pardey

There can't be very many people like Lin Pardey who combine being an accomplished voyaging yachtswoman in her own right, with being half of the one of the best man and wife sailing teams, and half of the best writing team on living aboard and voyaging that the world has ever seen. She is confident enough in her abilities as one of the preeminent voyagers to not be shy or defensive about writing about her handling of what many will see as traditional women's roles as well. This book covers exactly what the title suggests but as a bonus this is woven together with the story of a passage across the North Pacific from Japan to British Columbia. This was the passage on which Lin wrote the bulk of the first edtion of this book while also handling the domestic functions she discusses here and her share of watches and sail changes in a tough passage.

Somewhere in reading this book and others that Lin has co-authored, I'll bet a lot of people will think of Helen of Troy, who was said to have "launched a thousand ships". Having read these books most men would undoubtedly rather have a woman like Lin by their side than Helen. Further than that surely many thousands of people have read Lin's writing and launched their own ships. So in a very real sense I'm sure Lin has launched many times the number of ships that Helen so indirectly did. Too bad Helen you've met more than your match in Lin Pardey.

Whether you are weekending or moving aboard Lin will help you outfit a far more practical galley than you'll ever see at a boat show. You'll learn that good meals can be prepared even in rough weather. How to stay well rested is explained as a sailor's art form. But this isn't really a "cook book". There is real practical information on nutrition, finances, working with the officials you meet in port, and getting the paperwork done to enable visiting other countries. Entertaining on board, keeping any crew who might be vegetarians properly feed, and choosing practical clothing rather than the bizarre "yachting gear" one so often sees are all covered. Modern technology in the galley is carefully discussed, and believe me this is an area which needs a critical eye.

If there is one portion of the book that I can't review it is the discussion of buying wines and liquors for entertaining guests and your own enjoyment, your reviewer's idea of an exotic special treat in the drink line is what I call "Chateau Coca-Cola" and mostly I don't drink anything more exciting than cocoa. However I presume that the information presented on finding good quality in this area is just as carefully worked out as allthe rest. You'll be glad you got this book. $24.95 Reviewed by Tom MacNaughton