The idea of learning to sail excites the imagination with fantasies of a carefree, simple way to relax. But in reality, a lot of work goes into mastering the technical aspects of sailing and learning how to get from one place to another without ending up in the water. Other sailing books go into more detail than the casual learner wants or needs. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Sailing gives readers just what they need to know to get started and enjoy their time on the water. In it, readers get:
- A primer on the different types of sailboats and tips for buying or renting
- Detailed descriptions of the parts and controls of a sailboat
- The roles and jobs of sailor and crew
- How to get the boat into the water (if it isn't already)
- The mechanics of sailing
- Departing, anchoring, and docking
- Handling, navigating, and weather
- Sailing safety and emergency preparedness
- The rules of the sailing road
- Backup plans: engines and oars
- Storing, hauling, and maintaining a sailboat

Diane Selkirk is a sailor who writes and a writer who sails. She is editor-at-large of Yachting Times magazine and a contributor to Yachting Times, Sail, Cruising World, and Discover Boating. After learning to sail as a child, she went on to race sailboats and teach dinghy sailing, coastal cruising, and coastal navigation for the Canadian Yachting Association. Her teaching credits also include working with a team of young disabled sailors in US Sailing's Junior Olympic Sailing Program. Diane and her family recently sailed their 40' catamaran 10,000 nautical miles from Vancouver to Mexico and across the South Pacific, taking a 36-month sabbatical to explore Mexico and the Pacific Islands before settling in Australia.