"Plain Sailing"

Shortly after our Spanish Virgin Islands sailing trip last April, fellow crewmember and well-known author Dallas Murphy emailed me a copy of his manuscript-in-progress, Plain Sailing: Learning to See Like a Sailor, A Sail Trim Manual for New Sailors. I took my time working through it, and I was impressed. It was packed with information I have never read anywhere else. It filled some gaps in my understanding of sail performance and reignited my desire to experiment with achieving perfect sail trim.

I have searched the Internet since then for signs that Plain Sailing had been published so I could buy a copy, but there have been no references to it. On a whim, I emailed Dallas recently with the idea of helping him get the book published if that was what it would take. He appreciated my offer but informed me that the book had been commissioned by a friend who owned a one-man publishing business, so he was committed to following through with him.

Well, it was worth a try. When Plain Sailing is finally published, it will be a reference that every sailor would find useful. Keep an eye out for it.