 Absolutely uncomplicated and really reader-friendly, this title is a great one for those engaged in the RYA Day Skipper course. It shall definitely be treated as the top major reference source since it provides readers with the good insights and updates on the very latest developments and also covers both theoretical part of the course and all necessary practical areas.
The information and explanations provided in the pages of this volume, supplemented with the numerous data diagrams and images, will be of great practical use if you are on your way to obtaining the RYA certificate. Moreover, it is a great training and reference tool for the yachters planning their passages, owing to the amount of the information it gives not only on the navigation and pilotage, but also addressing the boatwork in general.
The safety equipment is paid due attention and dealt with in a separate section, same equally applies to the collision prevention at sea, and other aspects. It will also be good when used to refresh the knowledge of what one has studies some time ago to make sure that the knowledge can be put into practice again. The readers say that this is a must-read one before the course so you are encouraged to go through all its chapters attentively.
 This perfectly handy and practical reference source is a real treasure for all owners of the powerboats and sailing boats who are in need of the compact and informative how-to guide covering the important aspects of both inland and coastal cruising. Written by a team of the sailing professionals, who also released the famous Good Boatkeeping, the title will tell you about virtually all situations that you can get in during your voyage.
Just read the book attentively and you may consider yourself ready to start. Among the topics covered by the authors there are reading the nautical charts and understanding them, making a plot of your course, knowing how to anchor and dock your craft in the safest possible way, how to negotiate traffic and communicate with the shore as well as with the other boats around, etc. the due attention was given to the hazards one can encounter, and how to avoid them.
Apart from the theoretical part, there are so many practical tips and hints, and we dare say that they made it much easier to get the answers to the most important questions that the beginner boat sailors traditionally have. In short, this is definitely one of the more accessible and practically useful guides of all those available today for the boaters.
 For any lover of sea and sailing there can be nothing better and more pleasant on a nice and sunny summer day to sit watching the sailing boats passing by. This always creates a sort of enthusiasm in such people, making them feel engaged and even willing to undertake a voyage on a sailboat.
The author of this volume adopted a perfectly understandable and detailed step-by-step approach to presenting the material in order to make same easier to follow by the readers. Go through the contents of the publication carefully and you will get to know everything you need to know about the essential principles of sailing, and note that the material covers all types and sizes of boats.
Virtually all important aspects of boat sailing have been addressed including the rigging and mooring the boat, how to launch you boat, how to handle the spinnaker. Some necessary information about the buoyage system has been provided. The narrative part is richly supplemented with the data diagrams all prepared by the well experienced master, and they are presented in such a simple manner that understanding will not be a problem for any boater. We do recommend this title to all boat sailors not matter where the future voyages are planned to take place.
 The content of this brilliant publication by John Terry is intended to reveal to the readers how a boat will react to the different conditions of the water and wind and, moreover, why the boat will do so. The author will make the readers understand why and how this knowledge will benefit the crew of the boat.
As such, the book will be useful not only for the newcomers but also for the professional sailors as there is always something new to learn or just to refresh the knowledge. It is possible to maximize the performance of any craft and the abilities of any seaman grasping the details of the interactions between the boat, including her sails arrangements and the hull, and the natural forces.
The present volume will explain and show how this interaction takes place, and will recommend the particular sailing techniques for each case. The author applied the new approach to presenting the material, and supplemented it with the numerous step-by-step images illustrating the process; moreover, the volume features rare and interesting photos and selected artwork. According to the readers’ reviews, the sailing essentials have never been explained in such an intelligent and accessible manner.
 This is one of the best titles of sailing written by one of the best authors - the recognized and respected expert Tom Cunliffe. The author made an excellent attempt to explain in detail the technical characteristics of the classing sailing craft. He shares his professional sailing experience with the readers, trying to transmit the necessary skills they would use for handling their sailboats to ensure that they do sail safely.
The readers will get to know how the heavy loads should be handled, with the application of the tackles not limited to the winches. In addition to that, they will catch all the mysteries of making the yacht or boat making for you and not trying to fight with the onboard equipment and gear.
The instructions contained in the volume are detailed, informative and easy to follow – most of them are presented in a step-by-step format, so all you need to do is to read carefully and follow, and you will eventually become a sort of expert in handling sails, maneuvering your boat, steering and all other things needed for not only safe but also enjoyable sailing. Numerous drawings and images supplement the text. Do not waste a minute and start reading right now to get the best of it.
 Well, the title by Nigel Calder, who is also the author of the Instant Handbook of Boat Handling, Navigation, and Seamanship, is quite self-explanatory. This small yet very useful publication was released with the final intention to be used by people as a quick reference source - it is, in fact, the on-board guide to the basic symbols and notations that are used on the various nautical charts.
We all know that the nautical charts contain a huge amount of useful information but it is very important to know how to decipher them, otherwise the charts are next to useless pieces of paper. In order for the chart to get bewildering, a key is to be found to its symbology. This nice and helpful booklet was prepared by Nigel Calder, who is one of the most respected boating authors of today, and he did his best to help readers make sense the very complex system of graphic elements and signs used on the nautical charts.
We would definitely recommend this publication for practical use because it is so compact yet very rich with useful information. At the same time, it will be very good for people who are not intending to go to the sea and use it right now, but rather need some simple and small book to get familiarized with the nautical signs and graphs in order to be able to use the nautical charts when they are finally on board the vessel.
 Historically, people have been tied to the boats in the many varied ways. While some people look on the boats as the means of rest and relax while others would rather treat boats like living creatures. The present title has already been proven useful to and highly appreciated by the representatives of both parties.
The material is conveniently arranged in seven chapters with the first one dealing with the boat deck work, where such topics as mooring, stowing and tripping lines, anchoring etc. are discussed. The second chapter addresses the sail handling of your boat; while the third one will introduce you to the essential safety aspects that shall be paid ultimate attention at all times when sailing on any boat or yacht.
There is one separate chapter devoted to the life on board and this information will be particularly interesting to those making their first voyage. Since the ventilation is considered very important, it has been covered in the next chapter, followed by the one about the galley. The closing chapter of the volume tells readers about the dinghy boats, a very interesting and traditionally popular design. This is a real must have book for all boating enthusiasts regardless of their skills and preparation level.
 This is an excellent and perfectly written primer of sailing for all boat and yacht owners. The content of the publication was prepared by the team of experienced sailors. The introductory chapter provided by the respected Bob Bond, author of many other titles, gives very good background which will be interesting for all newcomers to the world of sailing.
After that, there goes a chapter written by the consulting editor of the volume, acquainting readers with the boat construction and rigging, and note that all common construction materials are covered, from wood to fiberglass. The contributions from the recognized experts were used when preparing all of the chapters, such as the one dealing with the wind and sail, covering everything from sailing dynamics to handling spinnakers.
Apart from that, the coverage includes the cruising theory and useful practical tips, anchoring and mooring techniques and procedures to follow, reading the weather, navigating your boat and so many others. There is a separate chapter devoted to the ropes and knots – in fact, there are so many volumes on that available, such as the famous “Handbook of Knots” and “Knots and How to Tie Them”. However, the authors have managed to provide a real wealth of information in the pages of a single volume.
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