A Relaxing Account About Cruising in New England

If you have been thinking about sailing in New England there is a book that defies the common adage that “a picture is better than a thousand words.” The Coast of Summer”, written by Anthony Bailey takes you through a leisurely summer cruise through Southern New England. Reading it feels very much the way someone might spend a summer exploring the well traveled and more out of way place.

The writing is based years of summer cruising memories but the author is able to combine it into a book that is not only seamless but is also able to move your from place to place with that languorous pace that is so often the attraction of moving with a sailboat. This makes for a very relaxing but yet captivating read as you learn to appreciate with the author the return to familiar places turned into something of a discovery simply by the way one has traveled there.

While Mr. Bailey’s account dates from impressions recorded years ago, he must have captured that enduring deeper quality that attracts people to places like Martha’s Vineyard, Newport, Shelter Island or Cuttyhunk Island time and time again. His account does not feel old and his descriptions allow the reader to easily recognize what is left today of these old cruising grounds.

So if you are planning a cruise in New England, whether on Cénou or not, take the time to read The Coast of Summer. It is in a way better than a cruising guide: it encourages you to really look at where you have sailed to and appreciate it.