A list of the most influential literary cruising sailors...

[John_Silver]

Jonathan Raban in "Coasting" and "Passage to Juneau" captures the joy of cruising for me. Beautifully written and observed.

 

[Kelpie]

Roger Taylor

 

[snooks]

John Caldwell

 

[BruceDanforth]

Noah

 

[Hostage]

Joshua Slocum

 

[glashen]

This could get me in trouble given the illustrious company above, but Libby Purves : One Summer's Grace is as I remember it, an honest account of cruising in the UK and if I do believe it has met the OPs criteria that: "by writing about it, encouraged others to try cruising.. "

 

[KristiferColumbus]

James Cook.

 

[Fourbees]

Literary sailor

How about Michael Green (The Art of Coarse Sailing/Cruising)?

 

[jerrytug]

Hammond Innes does it better!

 

[BurnitBlue]

Edward Allcard. For seamaanship and adventure.

Peter Tangvelt. For tips on picking up beautiful crew during his single-handed cirrcum. If I recall, he lost two (or was it three) off his boat. One overboard, another he buried at sea after she was shot by Pirates. His Norwegian wife was left at home. She was a really beautiful girl. Book called Sea Gypsy, boat called Dorathea.

 

[toad_oftoadhall]

Web Chiles?

 

[Blueboatman]

Adding one to this list of greats, Marin Marie possibly, for developing and proving a windvane Self steering, without which shorthanded sailing was a pita and struggle if not impossible unless you really had a very good balanced boat and sailing skill enough to get it to stay on course downwind.

Top of the distinguished heap for me though would be Hiscock for meticulous detail instruction and Shane Acton for doing so very much with so very little. His first book IMO contains everything you need to know to sail a boat offshore safely competently and enjoyably.

 

[Kilter]

John Irving
Des Sleighthome

 

[scruff]

Miles Horden

John Beattie

Annie Hill

Pete Goss

 

[RupertW]

Maybe I've missed him being mentioned but Hilaire Belloc is right up there for me.