Reviews (4)

A must-have
This beautifully presented large hardback is actually a series of essays covering the story of the search for Longitude from the 16th century to the 19th. The essays deal with a range of subjects from the mathematical to the absurd, from astronomy to cartography and has 4 excellent appendices. The book is well laid out with both black&white and color photography in a manner that means you don't need to be a student of the sea of chronology to understand it. A good book to have on the shelf.

review
Excellent book focused on the Longitude act's of the 1700's.The primary emphasis is on the two technologies Lunar-distance and chonometer for determining longitude with a precision under 1 degree. The relative percentages are: 50% chonometer, 30% lunar distance, 10% Jupiter's moons, 10% general history pre-1600's.I gave it four stars instead of 5 because I thought the book was going to be a balanced discussion ( i.e. equal time)encompassing all methods of determining longitude irrespective of a 1 degree precision. All that said, I would still recommend the book to anyone interested in the topic.

Most comprehensive coverage
This review is top notch and comprehensive.It's the book of choice to cover the background and the technology.I'm not a watch or clock fanatic, but I slam dunked this whole book in just a couple days; a 15 hour Qantasflight kept me captive.I wish there was more discussion on the nature ofastronomy and how the clocks were calibrated.I want to read up onoctants, sextants and basic navigation now.This book deserves five stars. The A&E four hour documentary, "Longitude", this month alsodeserves high marks.If someone knows of a good read on navigating withastronomy that's more layman oriented, please email me (thanks). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1693-1776    2. Astronomy - General    3. Congresses    4. Harrison, John,    5. History    6. Horology    7. Longitude    8. Measurement    9. Navigation    10. Practical And Spherical Astronomy    11. Science    12. Science/Mathematics    13. Harrison, John    14. Maritime history    15. Time (chronology)    16. World history: c 1500 to c 1750    17. World history: c 1750 to c 1900    18. c 1500 to c 1600    19. c 1600 to c 1700    20. c 1700 to c 1800   

Reviews (8)

The Surfer's Guide to Costa Rica by Mike Parise
Simpy a must have for anyone traveling to Costa Rica. Don't think too much about it, it would be foolish not to buy. It will definitly pay for itself many times over.

A board, towel and this book
are the only things you need for Costa Rica.I saw this on Cutback.com, bought it and it told me everything I needed to know.
Excellent book
this is a great book if you are going to costa rica, it has great detail and maps, nothing to detailed but it tells you what maps to buy, would reccomend ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Sports    2. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports    3. Travel / Central America    4. Central America    5. Costa Rica    6. Guidebooks    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Surfing    9. Travel    10. Water Sports   

Reviews (6)

Not just for boat building!
I bought this book because I wanted to prepare myself for building a boat in 2007, next year.In reading through it, I learned that what is covered is not just how to build a boat, but really more about how to finish a boat.
A useful lecture
I found in the book a useful collection of practical information. It is an usefull lecture before starting the construction of a boat and even before selecting a design plan.

New to boat building
Great reading. This book answered all of my questions and then some. I would recommend this book to new boat builders. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boatbuilding    2. Boating - Boatbuilding    3. Design and construction    4. Do-It-Yourself    5. Sailing - General    6. Ships & Shipbuilding - Repair & Maintenance    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Transportation    9. Wooden boats    10. Boating    11. Marine engineering    12. Ships & shipping: general interest    13. Sports & Recreation / Boating   

Reviews (5)

"Front, Bow! Back, Stern!"
CHAPMAN'S PILOTING AND SEAMANSHIP is one of the half-dozen or so "essential" technical texts that any sailor should own. Coming into it's 65th edition in September 2006, CHAPMAN'S is the only book that offers serious competition to THE ANNAPOLIS BOOK OF SEAMANSHIP as an overall guide to sailing fundamentals.
a new look at chapmans
still one of the best books available, on small craft handling.
Chapman's a Bible for Boaters
Chapman's Piloting and Seamanship is required reading for anyone
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Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Boating And Sailing    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. BG-KITS - BG-MIND & BODY KITS    6. Sailing    7. Sports & Recreation / Boating    8. Sale Books   

Reviews (12)

Good book but missing key information
This book has LOTS of really good information.But it is missing some significant stuff, Brion.PLEASE PLEASE do another addition and include SOME information about the following:
The Thoughts of a REAL RIGGER
As a rigger myself, i thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it most informative and useful for my trade. However, there was little or no mention of brews OR 3 leets - surely this is an integral part of being a RIGGER? Also, there is only one rigger. The only thing like it for traditional craft
Brion Toss has become "da man" in modern rigging in many ways, and a lot of that is attributable to this great book.It's a big, thick thing, loaded with information, not all of it easily absorbed on the first read.It's meant to give you a firm grounding in what rigging is, what it does, and how to inspect and maintain your own rig, how to adjust it, how to replace worn sections.Will it tell you everything you need to know to design a rig from the ground up on a serious racing yacht?Heck, no.It isn't meant to.What this book does is give you the tools you need to approach your own rig without fear and trembling - to realize that, after all, it's just a bunch of parts, and that you can comprehend and work with those parts, understand their roles, and get the most from your boat.Will you be forever independant of professional riggers?Probably not.But it goes a long way toward making that a realizable goal, if you apply yourself.And it should be known that this book is especially strong on traditional rigs, the more traditional the better.You'll learn how to worm, parcel, and serve, how to lace deadeyes, and why galvanized is great and stainless isn't stainless. And if that last sentence frightens you, you're probably not in the intended demographic.Rod rigging and carbon fiber masts are mentioned, at best, in passing, and largely for comic relief.Keep that in mind.Makes an absolutely perfect companion to Marino's "Sailmaker's Apprentice." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Sailing - General    3. Ship Maintenance And Repair    4. Ships & Shipbuilding - Engineering    5. Ships & Shipbuilding - Repair & Maintenance    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Transportation    9. Boating    10. Marine engineering    11. Sports & Recreation / Boating   

Editorial Review

Attention landlubbers: If you don't know your port from your starboard, tacking from jibing, then you need to experience clear sailing with the Dummies. With the usual cargo of good humor and demystifying tone, this mast in the Dummies armada lifts the fog on confusing nautical language, teaches the basics about maneuvering a sailboat from dock to open ocean, floats important safety information, and offers advice and info on a variety of related issues (knots, racing, sailboards, how to buy a sailboat). Whether you want to learn to sail or just talk like a sailor, Read more

Reviews (16)

Sailing for Dummies?That's us!
We are buying our first sailboat and needed to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible.This book is easy to follow and really is very helpful in helping the reader to get a solid understanding of what is what and how it works and what to do.I also found it entertaining and humorous.We will give this book a prominent place of honor in our new boat and will refer back to it often.If someone wanted to learn to sail, this is the first book they should read.

Not the best for THIS dummy.
The authors have maybe a bit too much expertise and experience to effectively write for "dummies" like myself.Somehow after reading this, I had just as many questions as before.Part of the problem is this book is way too comprehensive, covering such topics as sail-boarding.I would rather have had more in depth explainations of the basics and more diagrams/illustrations.

Well-organized and incredibly useful
Hard to beat this book if you're just getting your hands on the mainmast for the first time.A wealth of info on every topic you'll need to know, presented in pictures and entertaining quotes and headlines.There are sections that deal with all the tricky details of actually getting the boat out of the dock and into the open sea, as well as a crucial section on what to do if, well, your sailing experience doesn't exactly go as planned.Pay attention to what the Islers say here-- you'll protect yourself from the most common (and often dangerous) mistakes beginners make if you've barely dipped your feet into water, and you'll improve your skills to a surprising extent even if you're more advanced. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Sailing - General    2. Seamanship    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Sailing    6. Sports & Recreation / Sailing   

Reviews (7)

A must read book
It is for the technically minded. Don't buy a propeller without reading it first. And after you've read it, you will probably buy a new propeller, because you will likely to find out that the old one is not right.

Very technical and interesting
This is a very interesting book. It goes deeply in the theme.
Boat Propellers
This book will answer almost every propellers related but needs little update for todays raceboats props.. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Hobbies/Crafts    3. Sailing - General    4. Ship Maintenance And Repair    5. Ships & Shipbuilding - Repair & Maintenance    6. Ships & Shipbuilding - Small Boat Maintenance and repair    7. Transportation    8. Marine engineering    9. Motor / power boating & cruising    10. Shipbuilding technology & engineering    11. Sports & Recreation / Boating   

Reviews (6)

Dust Collector
Good intentions but no substance. If you own an outboard, you know that each size and brand are quite unique and generalizing the repairs of them is about as useful to an owner as a dry lake. This book is very small and it WILL collect dust or end up beneath a repair manual. Believe me.

Excellent overview- but buy the service manual too
This book provides a thorough explanation of the workings of 2-stroke & 4-stroke outboard engines, with conscientious troubleshooting guides & meticulous maintenance schedules.However, it works best as a companion to the service manual (not the general Owners Manual, but the Service Manual) for your specific model.Consider the number of outboard engine types and it's easy to see that diagrams and descriptions included are necessarily generic.If you're the kind of person who likes to know the theory behind the black box before fixing anything, order this & the manual.If you just want to learn how to clean your carburetor, call your manufacturer & get the manual.

Great info for 99% of outboard owners
I'm not quite sure what the reviewer from Raleigh, N.C. expected from this book. It is clearly not written with the intent of teaching you how to tear down and rebuild outboard motors. The editor's review above clearly says that. But If you are looking for a good common sense all-round outboard motor troubleshooting guide, then this book, combined with the specific shop manual for your motor, some moderately cheap test equipment (which you may have a lot of already) and anyone with a descent mechanical aptitude will probably be able to fix 90% of all the problems they will ever encounter with an outboard motor. The other 10% I personally will leave to the pros. It will also teach you how to avoid a lot of problems in the first place which is the biggest savings when your talking outboards. I am just a hobbyist, not a mechanic and this book has already helped me get two old motors back up and running and has been well worth its price to me. The book is well organized and is easy to understand. The author keeps things simple and down to earth and isn't trying to impress anyone with a bunch of techno-jargon. Sure the text could have been larger, maybe the pictures a little better, but hey what's perfect for everyone? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Maintenance and repair    4. Outboard Motors    5. Sailing - General    6. Ship Maintenance And Repair    7. Ships & Shipbuilding - General    8. Ships & Shipbuilding - Repair & Maintenance    9. Sports    10. Transportation    11. Boating    12. Engines & power transmission    13. Shipbuilding technology & engineering    14. Ships & shipping: general interest    15. Sports & Recreation / Boating   

Reviews (9)

"What does 'rky' mean? Oops!"
Since the current U.S. Administration saw fit to cease publication of CHART NO. 1, the government's own guide to reading maritime maps, back in 2000 (maybe they figured Dubai might pick up the slack around our harbors), HOW TO READ A NAUTICAL CHART is an absolutely crucial educational volume for those of us new to reading charts.
Nigel is among the most informative
Got about all Nigel's books - as I had expected, he gives a good clear insight on nautical charts and how to read them. Not much else to say! Thanks Nigel for helping make the dream come true!
great resource
A great resource even for experienced skippers.Also makes you very aware of the limitations of modern cartography (ie how many charted depths are based on a survey done 50 or 100 years ago!). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Boating And Sailing    3. Military Science    4. Nautical charts    5. Navigation    6. Sailing - Navigation    7. Ships & Shipbuilding - Engineering    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Symbols    10. Transportation    11. Boating    12. Sports & Recreation / Sailing   

Reviews (1)

From The Inside Flap:
Organized by lake and by connecting waterway, each chapter of this guide includes three categories of information essential to planning successful cruises: conditions encountered on the water, such as weather and sea patterns, navigational aids, radio and rescue services and navigational hazards; marinas and yacht clubs for every port with a summary of services, as well as anchorages in wild and remote aread; tourist attractions, sights to see, recreational activities and commercial servives in each port.
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Subjects:  1. Boating    2. Boats and boating    3. Canada    4. Great Lakes    5. Inland navigation    6. Sports    7. Travel - United States    8. United States    9. United States - General    10. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (12)

Should Be A Required Reference
I sincerely feel that the NOAA Diving Manual should be a required text for anybody who is a diving professional.The information presented is valuable to all divers:recreational, technical, scientific, and commercial.I refer to this text often and bring it to all classes I work.

Best dive related book in print today.
If there's only one dive related book you ever buy, it should be the NOAA Diving Manual. This is THE Diving Bible!
This is by far the most comprehensive publication on Dive related topics I have ever seen. It is a well organized manual that goes into great detail on every topic. The manual itself is a work of art. Each page is high quality glossy paper full of excellent diagrams and illustrations. I started reading it and can't put it down. A great addition to your dive library. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Oceanography    2. Scuba & Snorkeling    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Water Sports    6. Sports & Outdoor Recreation    7. Warfare & Defence   

Reviews (5)

GPS Book
I belive this book is just a little more them a book for dummies. I still don't think I picked the right book for me. I still feel like I am in the dark.
Great Book for beginners and advanced users
Tons of good information to get started with using a GPS, goes beyond the basics. Really a very good starter book. Once you get this book, I would also recomend "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching" and the Owing's "GPS Mapping". With GPS for Dummies and my Garmins 60CS manual, I was able to hit the trail in a few hours. With the other books as complement, I have become very accurate locating waypoints when I do horse riding or 4x4 trips.

Not for outdoor beginners
This book sends people out in the field with a GPS but without the knowledge of whatto do when the batteries die or the electronics fail (it happens!). If you really are a "dummy," you should also learn the basics of navigation before relying on an electronic device that can leave you stranded. Better choices that are very readable: The Land Navigation Handbook (new edition includes GPS info) and Wilderness Navigation (less detailed). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Global Positioning System    2. Microcomputers    3. Navigation    4. Outdoor Skills    5. Satellite Communication Technology    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Technology & Industrial Arts    9. Boating    10. Sports & Recreation / Outdoor Skills   

Reviews (9)

Just the facts
Style wise, this is the opposite of The Sailmaker's Apprentice by Marino. This is not a book to pick up while sitting by the fire sipping tea. It is a great reference book with concise "how to" information. I have a friend who told me that there is nothing beyand repair on a fiberglass boat. After reading this book, I'm beginning to belive him. Good explanations of both materials and techniques - including safety.

Go ahead and get the grinder!
A sweet book that gave me the confidence to 'go for it' and tackle some ugly holes in my dinghy hull. What's more it was not that bad after all!It's all here, from finishing the gelcoat scrapes/cracks to repairing gaping holes- you may want to buy in conjunction with 'sailboat refinishing' to help with that final effort. Fully recommended!

Good advice
This book covers the basic as well as some advanced topics about repairing all types of fiberglass hulls, decks, through hull fittings, teak wood, and other related topics.I recommend the book for the beginner who needs basic information about fiberglass repair. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Boating - Boatbuilding    3. Boating - General    4. Decks (Naval architecture)    5. Hulls (Naval architecture)    6. Maintenance and repair    7. Reference    8. Sail Powered Craft Maintenance And Repair    9. Sailboats    10. Sailing - General    11. Ships & Shipbuilding - Engineering    12. Sports    13. Sports & Recreation    14. Boating    15. Shipbuilding technology & engineering    16. Ships & shipping: general interest    17. Sports & Recreation / Boating   

Reviews (3)

From a Surf Photographer
This is an excellent book.With the use of multiple sequential photos, you will see how each of the most popular moves and stunts are done.It's great for the surfer, and great for photographers to see the sequential parts of the move to determine the best timing for shots.An interesting read and a great way to familiarize yourself with the surf culture.

Great
This is hands down the best book on surfing I have ever read.Lots of helpful photos and explanations. Highly recommended.

Great Book from a Great Surfer
Great info that goes far beyond the regular "Learn to Surf" books. A lot of Taj slang & surf jargon but those who've been surfing for some time can really benefit from the advanced techniques & descriptions from a pro. Also a very fun book with insight by shapers, surfers, & Taj himself. Developiing surfers need more good books like this. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Handbooks & Manuals    2. Sports    3. Sports & Recreation    4. Water Sports   

Reviews (2)

Zaggats of cruising
I am not a world cruiser and have only ventured a few miles from shore and then not too far from the other side of the sound within which we sail every summer.This book was a disappointment.It is basically a distillation of the periodic surveys the author conducts of people who cruise in small yachts either on their own or as part of an offshore rally such as the ARC.The problem for me is that the book amounts to a collection of advice, not from people who necessarily know that much about cruising, but instead from those it was convenient for Cornell to interview.It's like a Zaggat guide, filled with lots of pepole's opinions but not necessarily people who know anything about food.Frankly, I don't know enough to judge whether this interviewees ideas are right on, or that interviewees ideas are nonsense-- that's not my point.I was looking for a single authoritative voice, not a report on what a collection of people with the funds and gumption to cross oceans happen to believe.This one is going back.

Excellent source of information
Cornell offers his own viewpoints as well as those of others, does a good job of labeling facts vs. options, and answers a lot of questions I had about cruising. Safety equipment, storms, piracy, dangerous areas, firearms, and communications are all covered well. Common equipment failures are given, along with statistics to back them up. For example, how often does the mast of a cuising yacht really fail, and how? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Boating And Sailing    3. Equipment and supplies    4. Evaluation    5. Military Science    6. Recreational surveys    7. Sailing - General    8. Seamanship    9. Sports    10. Sports & Recreation    11. Yachting    12. Motor / power boating & cruising    13. Sailing    14. Sports & Recreation / Sailing   

Editorial Review

Whether you own a wooden boat or are just toying with the idea of buyingone, Read more

Reviews (7)

Great read, but a bit thin in critical areas
This is a very entertainingly written book, essential for anyone restoring a wooden boat - worth it as a fun read alone.The book is full of fun wooden boat philosophy, interesting personal anecdotes, and great stories.On the practical side, the author provides a good introduction to wooden boat types and construction, excellent information about selecting, evaluating and purchasing a boat for rennovation; planning and initiating projects; necessary tools and supplies; repairing holes in a wooden hull; and even some tips about building in cabinets and furniture.
Great Read
I found the book both entertaining and very useful.
Decent info - but proceed with caution.
The previous reviews touch on the good points of this book, so I won't bother to repeat these.Suffice to say, there's plenty of good info to be had from this book.I would however express one word of caution.It has to do with the author's tendancy to push the reader toward approaches and methods that may not be appropriate for boats with truly historic or aesthetic value.Mr. Trefethen makes no bones about the fact that he wants to get the boat back in the water ASAP and minimize maintenance.To use his own words, "authenticity be damned".
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Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Boats and boating    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Maintenance and repair    6. Ships & Shipbuilding - Engineering    7. Small Craft Maintenance And Repair    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Wooden boats    10. Woodwork    11. Woodwork - General    12. DIY    13. Ships & shipping: general interest    14. Sports & Recreation / Boating   

Reviews (14)

Excellent Book!
This was by far the best book that I've read on owning a boat and living aboard (and we've even been passed it around the marina).This book was a great resource and was worth much than its cost.Very highly recommended!

More like how to live aboard a barge.
Unfortuately, the book seems to be written much from an RV or houseboat mentality. The major factor in a choice to live aboard a boat is expense, or at least I gather from this read. Much more useful is anything by the Pardeys--always useful classics, or more recently FitzGeralds "Sea-Steading"

Really Helpful
This book far exceeded all of our expectations.If you want a book on living aboard while underway or even just cruising, get another book (like the Pardey book).But the author says that himself in the first chapter.Living aboard is just about living aboard, perhaps even right at the dock.If you already know all this, then find another book.On the other hand, my husband Will and I think that this is the most helpful boating book we've ever read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boat living    2. Boating - General    3. Handbooks & Manuals    4. Sailing - General    5. Ships & Shipbuilding - Repair & Maintenance    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Transportation   

Reviews (22)

A Minor Correction to James Dees's Review
I wanted to let potential readers know that Dawson's book DOES include the Taut-line Hitch, though you might have to know a bit about knots going in to realize it.The Taut-line Hitch is simply the Rolling Hitch (page 82 in Dawson), with the rope turned back and tied around its own standing end rather than around a pole as Dawson shows it.Dawson probably could have made that clearer, but it is there.
good illustrations, but missing some important knots
Bought this book for my course library (I am a wilderness instructor for Outward Bound).Realized too late that it does not include the taut line hitch or the trucker's (wagoneer's) hitch, both of which we use a lot.I would have thought those would be included in any good knots book.Ultimately replaced it with "The Book of Knots: How to Tie 200 Practical Knots" by Budworth & Dalton.Good illustrations a better selection of knots.

Knots worth knowing
Des Pawson's book is a valuable addition to my knotty book collection. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Knots and splices    2. Sailing - General    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Sports & Recreation / Sailing   

Reviews (21)

A nice trip
Thank you Doug Terry for telling me that triggerfish won't chew my earlobes off!I actually had a nightmare over that one!
Just a little too guilty of a pleasure
Mix one part Rodney the Shark Guy, one part Ted Nugent, and two parts your uncle who always seems to have those tall tales, and you wind up with this wild ride through the spear-fishing haunts of Humberto Fontova.
I couldn't put it down!!!
This is probably one of the most enjoyable books I have read in the last five years. The author and his cohorts are definitely brave, almost certainly missing a few screws and possibly suicidal, but they enjoy what they are doing so much that after a while the insanity of it all doesn't seem to matter. Stories about divers diving with football helmets so they don't get knocked out on the steel beams of the oil rig and the stalking of sharks (!!) in the opaque murk at the bottom of the sea floor would seem farcical or just stupid coming from almost anyone else, but when Fontova writes it is riveting, believable and also hilarious.
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Subjects:  1. Drilling platforms    2. Fishing - General    3. Mexico, Gulf of    4. Scuba & Snorkeling    5. Scuba diving    6. Spear fishing    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Water Sports    10. Sports & Outdoor Recreation   

Reviews (10)

The Fit Swimmer: 120 workouts and Training Tips
This book has really helped me improve and vary my workouts and make the masters swim class I teach more interesting.

A great training guide for anyone
Like many triathletes I had a bit of swimming in my background when I started racing, but certainly not enough to be competitive.I occasionally swam with organized groups but my consultant travel schedule made sure that was infrequent.I got a copy of The Fit Swimmer, read it cover to cover and made up about a dozen workouts from the suggested routines.The section on open water racing was particularly valuable.While training diligence was definitely part of it, this book was the #1 resource for me in competitively placing in events ranging from local races to National and Ironman distances.Ms. Brems meets 2 imperatives: she explains things simply and she gives you the tools you need to progress from a relative novice to a competitive swimmer.Like a craftsman and apprentice, she leaves it up to the reader to figure out how to best use the extensive toolset in the book.I found that creating about a dozen workouts on 3x5 cards from her suggested routines and rotating them did the trick (store them in a ziploc bag for use poolside).You can experiment with different routines to test how your body responds.I now coach people on an occasional basis, and strongly encourage each of them to read the book before we start.

Indispensable for first (and beyond) year swim coaches
Swimming is one of those curious beasts of the American atheticsports scene: vast multitudes participate (recreational, summer, competitive, etc.), but very few really know how to improve.As in other sports, many parents wind up coaching as their children get involved in swimming as there are too few coaches available.There is much to learn!Stroke technique, using the clock, training the aerobic and non-aerobic energy systems, how to author and conduct a productive and interesting workout, etc.Read more

Subjects:  1. Exercise    2. Physical fitness    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Swimming    6. Swimming And Diving    7. Training    8. Health & Fitness / Exercise    9. Swimming & diving