Sailors are a literate crew and we at Topmast get a lot of questions about where best to satisfy their maritime intellectual cravings. Probably the best nautical bookshop we’ve encountered over the years is in Toronto, aptly called Nautical Mind. Located at 249 Queen’s Quay West in Toronto’s bustling harbourfront, Nautical Mind has everything from Patrick O’Brian’s brilliant series on Napoleonic intrigue (made famous recently by Russel Crowe in Master and Commander) to a comprehensive collection of charts and pilotages – and much more.

For those of you looking for RYA publications, Nautical Mind is well stocked with the latest editions. The RYA is now one of the biggest (if not the biggest) publishers of instructional books that deal with all forms of on the water training, techinical matters and regulations (no fiction just yet!).  You can find a complete list on the RYA website here.

Full disclosure – this isn’t a paid advertisement or any such nonsense.  This is a genuine review of a really great bookstore.  If you want to visit them online click here or give them a call toll free 1-800-463-9951 or try 416-203-1163.

Happy Sailing,