The Complete Sailor: Learning the Art of Sailing by David Seidman
The Complete Sailor goes beyond other learn-to-sail books to cover navigation, boat design, and seamanship. Encyclopedic in scope, yet warm in style, it conveys the magic as well as the techniques of sailing. Among other topics covered are: anchoring, rope work, rigging, weather, rules of the road, trailering, and working the winds. The Complete Sailor takes you from the first sail to a mastery of small-boat handling.