Recommended Reading for Aspiring Sailors and Adventurers

If there’s one book every serious liveaboard should keep on board, it’s Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual by Nigel Calder. This hefty manual isn’t just for rainy days—it’s an essential tool for understanding, maintaining, and troubleshooting the systems that keep your floating home functional and safe.

Why is this relevant for SV Indie Sky crew? Because we don’t just sail—we operate. Life aboard means things break, wires corrode, pumps clog, and batteries misbehave. Knowing how to diagnose and fix problems—or at least understand what’s going on—can make you a better crew member, a more capable mariner, and someone others can count on.

Calder doesn’t just tell you what to do—he explains how and why systems work, so you can think critically when something isn’t right. From electrical loads to diesel maintenance to plumbing layouts, the book is a deep dive into real-world boatkeeping.

At SV Indie Sky, we value hands-on learning and shared responsibility. Having this book on board helps turn questions into lessons and challenges into skill-building moments. 

Check it out on Amazon: )https://amzn.to/43idVbD

If you've ever dreamed of casting off the dock lines and pointing your bow toward the horizon, World Cruising Routes by Jimmy Cornell is the kind of book that deserves a permanent spot within arm’s reach of your nav station. It’s not light reading—literally or figuratively—but it’s an essential tool for any sailor with serious bluewater ambitions.

Now in its latest edition, World Cruising Routes details over 1,000 ocean passages across the globe. It breaks down each route with:

• Seasonal wind patterns and weather windows
• Currents and climate considerations
• Entry ports and key logistical notes
• Route variations based on vessel type or speed

This book provides a solid macro-level view of global sailing strategy. It's invaluable when mapping out long-term cruising plans or adjusting your route based on changing seasonal patterns.

On Indie Sky, we plan our expeditions with an eye toward safety, adventure, and adaptability. World Cruising Routes is part of our planning DNA. Even though we aren’t charting a course through every one of these 1,000 routes (yet), it’s our go-to reference for:

• Timing passages
• Choosing routes based on prevailing winds—not just straight lines on a chart
• Planning ambitious multi-leg adventures with real-world conditions in mind
   

When we train crew on voyage planning, this book often makes an appearance—not just as a planning tool, but as a source of inspiration. 

We have both the digital and paperback versions, but The paperback lives on board for a reason. It’s dog-eared, tabbed, and coffee-stained—a proper shipmate for serious passage planning.

👉 Grab a copy on Amazon and start planning your next big adventure: https://amzn.to/4jqd51r

Placeholder text doing its best impression of a book review. Please check back once the caffeine kicks in and the words start making sense.

The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter

If you’re thinking about joining the crew of SV Indie Sky, The Comfort Crisis might be the mindset shift you didn’t know you needed. In this bestselling book, Michael Easter makes the case that modern life has become too easy—and that real growth only happens when we intentionally seek challenge and discomfort. He introduces the concept of misogi—doing something so difficult there's a 50% chance of success—not for the result, but for the transformation.

That philosophy is deeply woven into the Indie Sky experience. We don’t offer curated cruises—we offer real, hands-on expeditions. You’ll stand night watch, adapt to unpredictable weather, chase surf, spear your own dinner, and troubleshoot systems alongside our crew. It’s not always easy—but that’s the point.

If you're craving a deeper reset, more purpose, and adventure that actually asks something of you, The Comfort Crisis is a perfect pre-read.

Check it out on Amazon https://amzn.to/3Z4sMnI

This is where we’ll eventually convince you to read the book. For now, just imagine something clever, informative, and mildly inspirational.

This is a temporary blurb. It will eventually contain a helpful overview, but for now, it’s just loitering here in an unpaid intern capacity.