Multihull Voyaging

The sad thing about most books on specialized subjects is that they are written by people who may respected in their chosen field, but are terrible writers. Tom Jones is the rare exception. His writing may be spartan (as another reviewer noted), but that's because his diction is concise, his words aptly chosen.Of the couple of hundred books I've read on nautical subjects this is one I return to regularly. The clarity of thinking and expression is exceptional.It's about economical, practical voyaging on 2 or 3 hulls. Rather than an exhaustive list of production multihulls and their features, it is about voyaging, what to bring along, what not to, heavy and fine weather sailing, and multihull design.I find it far better than other books on multihulls.

An excellent book about mutihulls, practical, for people who want to sail. Not for people who sail one week a year and have $200,000 holes in the water or people who want air conditioning and tv in their boats. If you want to experience sailing and the ocean, this is the book for you. This book will tell you what you need, what works and doesn't, and how to be safe, written by a man who has done some hard thinking on the subject. Entertaining and enjoyable reading. I wish he would write more books. Highly recommended.

Jones has crossed the Atlantic ocean numerous times in multihulls of his own design. He is cheap to a fault, so if your dream is a 2 million dollar catamaran then this probably isn't the book for you. Jones is a small time boat builder of generally simple boats, and his thoughts run to those subjects. I find his ideas relevant, particularly to those who still build their own boats. Sure there are many more sophisticated boats available from other designers, and I probably wouldn't build a Jones boat. But his ideas are a useful reference to what is really needed to get out there. Jones has figured out how to cheaply do a very expensive thing - take-off to go sailing for months at a time. His ideas are structured around that activity. Many of the expensive multihull features he dislikes (like folding systems) actualy make the occasional sailor's life easier and less expensive. But it's still the case these systems ad cost without doing much to asist your transat.I agree with others who like Chris W's book (you might as well buy both). I recently coresponded with Chris about one of the cheaper of his cruising designs, featured in that book, the E-34. Sorry, no longer available, he suggests his 44' trimaran instead. When I find $2-300 000 I'll get right on that. It's like anything else there is room for all kinds of budgets.

If you're even _thinking_ of building or buying a multihull sailboat you must read this book. Thomas Firth-Jones has done the serious sailing in both catamarans and trimarans that is needed to give advice that pays dividends to small boat users. You will also learn why the boats he designed and built are the way they are. Extra value for multihull boatbuilders can be found in his other book "Boats to Go" (also published under the title "Low Resistance Boats") -- also a must own book.

This excellent volume is one that persuaded us that it was time to build our own boat, which is nearing completion as I write. The book describes multihulls and rigs from a variety of designers, and goes on to detail how the two Joneses voyaged widely at modest cost and with safety, despite their very own hurricane experience in a tiny catamaran.It covers the choice between cat and tri - and they have designed, built and sailed both, so have no axe to grind. The chapter on boat designs is most useful, and contains warnings that are worth heeding if choosing a boat for deep ocean. Jones' writing style is admirably clear and direct, and the illustrations are well executed. He is a boatbuilder and designer himself, after all.I recommend this book heartily to anyone who is going voyaging, in either mono or multi. Even if the voyage is in the mind of the reader, it is well worth reading for the tales.