 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.
 The content of this nice volume reflects the results of the huge practical experience of the author. After more than hundred thousand of nautical miles of real ocean voyaging on different types of yachts and boats, he found it necessary to share the thoughts on the ocean voyaging with all other people, with the hope that this will be useful to them and eventually contribute in the safety of their voyages, no matter what type of craft they sail.
You will find out what you should expect and what you are going to be faced with on the cruising boat, and also get to know what shall be paid serious attention when choosing your boat, how to equip the boat and, of course, how to perform handling in the safest and speediest way. By following the advice provided by the author you will ensure that your voyage will pass with maximum comfort and pleasure, while all difficulties commonly associated with the ocean voyaging, will be minimized to the possible extent.
All available boat designed have been discussed here together with their technical advantages and disadvantages, in order to give people a clear picture before they make their decision when choosing and purchasing the boat for voyaging. Numerous real life examples and nice pictures supplement the text and will make reading even more enjoyable.
 This is definitely one of the best titles of the famous author. Written by the lady who managed to become excellent first mate, the volume will provide the newcomers to the world of boating with the practical and professional advice making the process of boating even more enjoyable and relaxing to them.
The list of topics addressed by the author includes, bot is not limited to, provisioning, storage of the food on board your boat, clothing, and many others. Joy Smith has also discussed the cooking and how it shall be done in different weather and sea conditions, entertaining your guests, presents tips for avoiding the seasickness, etc. All of those instructions, when followed, will make your time on board pleasurable. In fact, the publication will be equally interesting to the people having experience in sailing.
Apart from that, the authors has stressed that the first mate shall be duly acquainted and find herself comfortable with her boat, and the importance of this cannot be overemphasized. The matters related to the food storage and cooking have been considered critically important and therefore dealt with in a separate section of the book. The twenty years of Joy’s practical experience have eventually resulted in this brilliant title.
 The present publication is devoted to one of the most important aspect of the yacht design and construction – their seaworthiness. The author of the book professionally traced al of the links that exist between the changes taking place in the offshore racing rule, and the design of the yachts as well as the associated technology.
The seaworthiness is commonly referred to as the ability of the vessel to successfully survive the weather conditions. So, for people who appreciate the real seaworthiness, it is critical to make sure that their yachts follow the specific design and construction principles. This is what the author has paid particular attention, presenting the result of his work in a very reader-friendly way, considering the fact that not all of yachters are professional shipbuilders.
The volume provides clear explanations of the physics of the yacht design as well as its behavior. Note that the readers are expected to study the content rather than just read it. We would say that this title is an absolute must-have for all people loving boats, no matter what type of boat or yacht they prefer. The author is worldwide known and respected for the detailed writings about the yachts.
 In more than twenty five years of practical experience of the author in the yachting and more than fifty years of cruising, he has had a rare chance to visit the most of the best cruising areas of the planet. That is the reason why the author was frequently asked about these voyages by the people hoping to reach those places as well as by the people who were just curious and willing to compare the subject areas with those familiar to themselves.
Having those questions in mind, the author is now reporting on the best places. Note that only positive reports have been included in the review. However, in the cases where some drawbacks existed, the author did his best to inform the readers about them. The content of the volume has been fully rewritten in comparison with the previously released publication as well as the articles in the other books.
The boats used by the author as varied and in some cases loaned; in addition to them, there were three boats owned by him, and they have been paid particular attention. In short, this is another publication that will definitely attract the attention of the people fond of sailing and cruising, since they will appreciate the material selected and included here.
 This is a good textbook of sailing compiled by the recognized YCC expert. The content of the course opens with the introduction explaining the fundamental sailing principles including description of the elementary maneuvers and some of the nautical terminology commonly used in sailing.
The second chapter coming under Safety in Navigation title contains the basic safety rules and also touches the possible accidents, while the third chapter is solely devoted to the maneuvers - the readers will have all basic information on them and this will be just enough for a good start.
The next chapter covers such important aspects of naval architecture as sail stability and trim. The remaining parts of the course are dealing with the techniques and effects of the trim, making the basic knots, some basic information on dinghy boats etc. There is a concise yet comprehensive sailing dictionary included.
There is also a very interesting closing chapter giving ten so-called golden rules to be followed by all YCC dinghy sailors. taking into account that the information presented in the pages of this course is basic and presented in a very easy-to-understand way, we would highly recommend this course to all newcomers to the world of sailing.
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