Book description
The aim of this book is to enable novices to cruise safely and
enjoyably. It will cover the preparations needed before undertaking a
cruise, operating the boat under different and sometimes challenging
conditions, how to cope when things go wrong, how to conform to the
rules and regulations, and how to navigate. It conveys the advice and
information just as the cruiser will encounter it on passage - from
setting off to arriving at their destination (rather than
compartmentalised into navigation/weather/engine etc). Topics include:
Preparing to cruise (weather forecasts, route planning, checklists);
Leaving harbour (harbour entrances, radio contact, setting courses and
speeds, crew briefing, food and drink); Assessing weather and sea
conditions (fine tuning plans); Watch keeping under way (visual and
electronic navigation, coping with alarms); Entering harbour (planning
ahead, radio channels, finding an anchorage, speeds); Cruising at night
and in fog (lights, radar, shipping lanes, stopping distance);
Adventurous cruising (navigating inshore, beach landing, hidden
dangers); Fuel management and economy (economical speeds, boat trim,
reserves); Comfort on board (cooking and sleeping at sea, security);
When things go wrong (potential problems, safety equipment, coping with
fire, leaks, grounding, engine problems, calling for help); Rules and
regulations (collision regulations, traffic lanes, going foreign,
qualifications). Aimed at owners of powerboats and motor cruisers
between 25 and 65ft, the book will be entirely practical, with
checklists, sidebars and box-outs and many diagrams and photos. Dag
Pike began his career as a merchant captain, went on to test RNLI
lifeboats, and took up fast boat navigation, winning a string of
trophies for powerboat races around the world, including navigating
Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic Challenger on the record-breaking
fastest Atlantic Crossing by powerboat. He is now a navigation and
powerboat journalist in demand all round the world.
