Sailing Big on a Small Sailboat

By Jerry Cardwell

Revised and Updated by Dieter Loibner

Cruising World, February 2008:

"For many people, a small boat is all they can afford, all they want, or all they feel they can comfortably handle. Jerry Cardwell speaks to all of them, insisting that just because your boat is small, your ambitions don’t have to be. Neither do you have to feel you’re on an Outward Bound training course every time your set sail. Aboard the right boat, fitted out just so (for which Cardwell offers pages of insight) you can be living large on expanses of water great and small, salt or fresh, that a trailer can access but a keelboat can’t. Loibner has seamlessly brought this popular volume into the age of electronic navigation and four-stroke outboard engines with an enthusiasm for the lifestyle that matches Cardwell’s."

Sailing S.A., August 2007:

"The author has 25 years of sailing behind him, all of them on boats less than 30ft long, and many of them trailerable. He says that tiny cabins with no headroom and little comfort are not for him, explaining: 'That is what I call sailing on a small boat!'

And that, he emphasizes, is definitely not for him. He then goes on to explain how you can, indeed, 'sail big on a small sailboat far more easily and for much less money than you can sail small on a big sailboat'.

By small boats, he means, mostly, yachts in the 22-26ft range; boats that can be towed between home and sailing venue. He explains the benefits of buying 'small' such as the purchase price and upkeep costs - then launches into ways and means of upgrading the boat so that it has many of the comforts and mod-cons usually associated with larger yachts. That's what he means by 'sailing big!'

There is lots of advice on how to create space and make use of it. Some ideas are old, some are novel; some are fairly expensive to implement, while others will cost the owner next to nothing. Apart from furnishings and fittings, the author deals with the manifold necessities for safe sailing, trailering and launching.

The small boat sailor intent on getting the most enjoyment from the least investment will find this book not only easy to read, but very interesting."

Small Craft Advisor, October 2007:

"Of all the nautical books that come along, very few relate to the type of smallboat sailing we do. Rarer still is the book that actually focuses on trailersailing. This book is one of the rare ones.

Originally released in 1993 (this is an updated 3rd edition by Dieter Loibner), Sailing Big on a Small Sailboat is 240 pages dedicated exclusively to the selection, purchase, outfitting and safe handling of a trailerable sailboat. Readers with an interest in boats in the 22-26- foot range will find this book particularly appealing, as the author offers mini reviews of the Rhodes 22, Com-Pac Eclipse, Mac 26M and others.

Geared more toward the novice than the expert, Sailing Big is the perfect introduction to the small-boat cruising lifestyle. Cardwell is right on when he says, 'You can sail big on a small sail boat far more easily and for less money that you can sail small on a big sailboat'."

Wisconsin Bookwatch, August 2007:

"Now in a new third edition revised and updated by yachting journalist Dieter Loibner, Sailing Big on a Small Sailboat is 20-year sailing veteran Jerry Cardwell's guide to owning and enjoying cruises on an affordable small sailboat according to the basic principle, 'You can sail big on a small sailboat far more easily and for much less money than you can sail small on a big sailboat.' Chapters offer a basic primer of all aspects of a modest sailboat; how to deal with sailing dangers from physical injury to heavy weather to crew overboard to broken rigging or rudder; what absolute necessities to bring such as distress signals, emergency lights, a global positioning system, and sail repair/rigging tape; how to properly asses the quality of a used boat before spending one's hard-earned money; and much more. Written in a straightforward tone for readers of all backgrounds Sailing Big on a Small Sailboat is a first-rate primer for anyone interested in tasting the thrill of the waves on a modest budget."

Soundings, September 2007:

"Jerry Cardwell took the title of his book Sailing Big on a Small Sailboat from his first law of sailing big: You can sail big on a small sailboat far more easily and for much less money that you can sail small on a big sailboat.

Buyers and sailors learn to evaluate boats ranging 22 to 26 feet, including Catalina, Hunter and McGregor, and to select the boat and accessories for the most enjoyment from the smallest investment. The entries are complemented by both black-and-white photos and line drawings. The third edition of the book, revised by Dieter Loibner, has been expanded to include several new models, including the Com-Pac, Etap, Rhodes and the Santana. Also included is a chapter on safe and smart trailering and ramp launching.

Jerry Cardwell sailed for more than 20 years, always in sailboats under 30 feet, and authored several books, including the first two editions of Sailing Big in a Small Sailboat. Dieter Loibner is a small-boat sailor, author of The Folkboat Story and Sailing editor for Soundings."

“Learn how to evaluate boats in the 22- to 26-foot range and what equipment and what accessories will enable them to sail BIG, and allow you to get the most enjoyment from least investment. This is the third edition, updated and expanded to include newer models to the small boat market.”