04/28/06:

To our instructor of sailing.  Thank you for your instructions to make our blue-ocean sailing more enjoyable.  We learned a lot from your book, "Plot your Course to Adventure.  Aki on Liberty, Balboa, Panama

07/06/06:

I bought your book and thoroughly enjoyed reading it recently while visiting Huahine (no, I haven't sailed there yet).  I particularly liked the courage you had to tell stories that don't always paint you as the quintessential know-it-all.  It makes me feel better to know that even very experienced sailors have at some time or other made some of the same mistakes I have also made.
Carlos Fisher

07/07/06

To be published in 48North in the September or October issue.

PLOT YOUR COURSE; A Book review by: Donald L. Boone, 48North Magazine:

I completely misunderstood this book when I first looked at the title. I expected to be reading a cruising guide; was I ever wrong. This book is crammed with every conceivable thing you need to know for making any cruise, long or short, a successful outing. And, I’ve got news for you, you don’t need to go on a cruise to use the information you can find between these pages, you can use stuff you find in here nearly every time you go aboard your boat.

It has seven chapters and each one is so full of information it can overwhelm you. In general this is not a story book, however, in many cases his suggestions are accompanied by a short story of how he came by the knowledge. You may start reading a selected topic of personal interest, only to find yourself reading the next section, and the next, simply because they are interesting.

The author, Roger Olson, who is currently in the Republic of Panama, not only tells you in section one about the areas to cruise in, and when you should go cruising, but he also tells you how to afford the pleasure of doing so. If you are one of those who have harbored the need to go cruising for years, but in the back of your mind, and without actually having gained the experience to do so, should read his second section before you just cast the lines loose from the dock. In section three he covers the different kinds of vessels, the rigging of each, the hulls and their performance. He goes over keels, ballast, rudders, steering and on and on. Section four goes over anchors and anchoring in great detail, and even if you think you know all about anchoring, you should read this section. You might well learn something that will help you even in home waters. Every sailor should know how to anchor under sail, if you haven’t done this, you should learn, and he covers this method thoroughly.

The fifth section covers storm strategy and is very informative. You might pick up some good pointers for use right here in the Puget Sound region, and the San Francisco Bay area. If you’ve never encountered rough weather in either of these locations, you don’t sail your boat, you only go aboard for the peace and quiet.

To make the best of any cruise, or weekend trip, read his section six. It goes over everything from your psychological makeup, and your physical abilities. You think you’re in good shape here? Not if you holler at anyone on your boat, or others nearby. If you’re guilty of this, read the information found on page 357.

Section seven is a must read even if you don’t cruise beyond home waters. This one goes over your relationships with other people, and you know you might be weak in this area.

07/11/06

We first met Roger in 1995 when he gave a three day cruising seminar in San Diego. From the very beginning it was obvious to us that Roger was a hands on cruiser talking from experience.  The absolute best part of the seminar was the detail involved.  It is one thing to recommend setting a sea anchor, but it's in the details that you set it right, in the horrible conditions you are in, have it ready to deploy, avoid chafe etc.  His detail in narrative and diagram was something that we had never seen and still haven't.  Anchoring techniques are crucial and Roger knows all there is to know.  After our seminar we met with Roger many times, he helped us select our boat and even taught us celestial navigation.  We left San Diego in February 1997 and continued on to the Med, ending in 2003.  When we left port we had Roger's syllabus on board and found it to be the most used book we had.

Mike and Vicki Spinelli
Sea Glass

Roger Olson's book, Plot Your Course to Adventure, contains a wealth of information for anyone thinking about going cruising.  The blending of a narrative based on real life experience with practical "here is how you do it" information makes it unique among all of the other sailing books I own.  Cruising is not simply a matter of casting off the lines.  It is full of challenges, some easy, some hard.  Meeting and preparing for those challenges creates a sense of adventure.  Reading about how Roger sets up his boat and solved problems as they arose brings a sense of adventure to the armchair sailor and provides practical solutions for sailors who venture offshore.   

Roger's experience as a teacher, blue water cruiser, and boat builder are evident throughout the book's 645 pages. As an educator myself, it is enjoyable to read explanations that are clearly written and illustrated.  The knowledge that Roger gained as a cruiser and later applied to the boats he built will be a practical and enjoyable resource for anyone who dreams about a cruising adventure.  

     Wayne Edney

'Here' no armchair cruiser. Roger Olson has salt water cruising through every vein in his body. He has taken great pains to share with the reader all lessons learned from the real-world school of knocks. Whether you are starting off in a marine environment or whether you are an incarnate cruiser, this book is highly readable. There is humor, like descriptions of a rotund, egg-fruit munching companion in Tahiti, there is high drama, as when the whole project comes close to wiping out in a New Zealand flash flood, and most of all there are useful, practical tips from a man who has been-there done-that chosen-best, for example how to avoid losing your propeller by simply fixing an inboard clamp to the shaft or how to keep your transom color-free by using diesel fuel additives. As an ocean cruiser myself, I heartily recommend this book. After all, it' always entertaining and instructive to check out what your side-kick is doing.'

Rob Larsen