ÕÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͸ ³ EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT... ³ ÔÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ; General Boating Information Gleaned from Internet [Section 2.1 provides a detailed Table of Contents] Chapter 1 Pre-introduction The following is an FAQ for rec.boats. Next to each item in the table of contents is a symbol. A '+' means that I've answered it. A '-' means that someone else has promised to answer it. A ``0'' means that I intend to write it but have not gotten to it yet. A '*' means that someone else has provided it already. No mark at all indicates that I do not have the information to answer the question, but that no one has volunteered to provide it. In some cases, this means that I have written something to fill the gap, but it's not at all authoritative. This is especially true in the powerboating section. I hope to place this document in an ftp site available to rec.boats readers; I'll post in rec.boats when this has happened. Last posted: 10/13/92 This posting: 11/04/92 Chapter 2 Introduction I have been reading and saving selections from rec.boats for about 5 years, and operating various watercraft for far longer. I volunteered, in August 1992, to maintain this Frequently Asked Questions list for rec.boats, with help from many other people on topics where they know much more than I do. The contents of the posting below consist of the information sent to me by many people; only about 1/4 of it is my own writing. I am especially grateful to Michael Hughes (no relation) for providing much of the bibliography. If you have constructive comments please let me know. (I am John Hughes, jfh@cs.brown.edu). If you have additions you'd like to see, please let me know. The information in this posting comes in three forms. There are facts (addresses and phone numbers, etc.), generally accepted information (``How can I get into sailboat racing as a crew member?''), and opinions (``Is this magazine any good?''). Following a lead of Wayne Simpson, I've put the initials of the provider of the information or opinion in parentheses following the statement (e.g., (jfh)). There's a list of contributors at the bottom. Since I only started doing this *after* I had put together much of the list, a good deal of the information is unattributed, especially in the book reviews. I apologize to the original authors for this. By the way, my own bias is towards sailboating. This means that the powerboating information is scantier than the sailboating stuff. 2.1 TABLE OF CONTENTS + = provided by jfh * = provided by someone else 0 = to be provided by jfh, someday - = someone else will provide, someday = someone *ought* to provide it, but no volunteers arose Sailing stuff: * 1.1) What are the addresses of class associations for class XXX of sailboats? + 1.2) How can I get into sailboat racing as a crew member? + 1.3) Is the MacGregor 26 a good boat? It seems too good to be true. Does water ballast really work? - 1.4) What's a good first sailboat? - 1.5) How do those rating systems -- PHRF, time-on-time, time-on-distance, Portsmouth, IOR -- and all that stuff work? * 1.6) Who/What is US Sailing, how do I join, should I join? * 1.7) Where can I find out about collegiate sailing? Powerboating stuff: 2.1) What is better? An I/O or an outboard? What's cheaper? 2.3) Is the Bayliner a good boat? The price is great... 2.4) Are Doel Fins a good thing? 2.5) What is a Hole Shot? Will a Stainless prop add to my high end speed? 2.6) Is VRO a good idea? 2.7) What's a good first powerboat? General Information: + 3.1) What are the addresses, phone numbers, 800 numbers, for suppliers of boating equipment? * 3.2) What organizations can help me learn about safe boating? 0 3.3) How does GPS work? Should I get GPS or Loran? 0 3.4) What other newsgroups discuss boating stuff? 0 3.5) What's the 800 number for the User Fee Sticker? + 3.6) What's it cost to own a boat? * 3.7) Who can tell me about boat X? + 3.8) What are the laws about boats? Is there anything I have to get before I operate my boat? * 3.9) What's a formula for top speed, given lots of other info? * 3.10) How do find out what time it is, accurately, for navigation? List of Contributors Bibliography: * 4.0) Journals * 4.1) Nonfiction books about sailing trips * 4.2) Books about racing * 4.3) Books about maintenance * 4.4) Fiction about boats * 4.5) Books about boat design, physics, and boatbuilding * 4.6) Books about seamanship, navigation, the arts of the sailor, and design * 4.7) Films/videos about sailing * 4.8) Misc Chapter 3 Sailing Stuff 3.1 Addresses of class associations for sailboats Here are some answers culled from the net. Laser mailing list: laser@cica.cica.indiana.edu signup: laser-request@cica.cica.indiana.edu or will@cica.indiana.edu J/24 612 Third Street Suite 4A Annapolis, MD 21403-3213 301-626-0240 (Steve Podlich or Cass Mairs) US Flying Dutchman Class (Official name is I.F.D.C.A.U.S - International FD Class Association of the US) Contact: Guido Bertocci 168 Overbrook Drive Freehold, NJ 07728 (908)303-8301 H (908)949-5869 B guido@blink.att.com Available info: General class info Promotional video - $14 Class membership $6/year INDIYRA International DN Ice Yachting Association Contact person changes from year to year, but you can always find out who's currently in charge by calling Gougeon Bros. Boats in Bay City, MI. Catalina 38 National Association Bill Huber 5076 Bordeau Ave. Irvine, CA 92714 Annual dues: $25 Catalina 36 National Association Garry Willis 4350 Glencoe Ave. Marina del Rey, CA 90292 Annual dues: $25 Catalina 34 National Association Jon Myers 10970 Seville Ct. Garden Grove, CA 92640 Annual dues: 1 year $20, 2 years $36 Catalina 30 National Association Doris Goodale 9141 Mahalo Dr. Huntington Beach, CA 92646 Annual dues: $15 $23 (Canada & Mexico; US funds) $24 (outside continent; US funds) Catalina 27 National Association Fred Rector 21 Lawrence Ave. Annapolis, MD 21403 Annual dues: $20 Catalina 25 National Association Christy Morgan 5011 Revere Ave., N.W. Massillon, OH 44646 Annual dues: $15 Catalina 22 National Association Joyce Seale P.O. Box 30368 Phoenix, AZ 85046-0368 (602) 971-4511 Annual dues: $25 Capri 22 National Association Dan Mattaran 888 Blvd of the Arts #204 Sarasota, FL 34346 Annual dues: $15 Coronado 15 National Association Ted Stoker 5157 El Roble Long Beach, CA 90815 Annual dues: $29 (sc) Capri 14.2 National Association Dave Dodell 10250 No. 92nd #210 Scottsdale, AZ 85258 Annual dues: $15 Capri 26 National Association Guy McCardle 529 Sycamore Circle Ridgeland, MS 39157 (sc) O'Day/CAL Boat owners association (email burati@apollo.hp.com for details) $18/yr - 6 newsletters, Boat/US discount, Organized rendezvous... Captains Log P.O. Box 684 Assonet, MA 02702 (mb) For owners of Catalina and Capri sailboats for which there is no national association listed above, contact Catalina Yachts, P.O. Box 989, Woodland Hills, CA 91367. Annual dues are 12.00 and include a one year subscription to MAINSHEET, the quarterly magazine of the Catalina and Capri owners associations. For information about other classes, there are some general sources: The Sailing World ``Buyer's Guide'' and SAIL Magazine's ``Sailboat and Equipment Directory'' have information about class associations. Cruising World also has this information at times, particularly for classes that are no longer being manufactured. Sailing World, SAIL, and Cruising World are all available in many US libraries. 3.2 How can I get into sailboat racing as a crew member? The racers on the net seem to have a concensus on this (at least for crewing on large boats). Since I wrote this originally, I got the following words from mp, which seemed so relevant that I've put them first: ``you should add that if you want to get experience as neophyte crew, you need to show up consistently. Most owners can put up with you not knowing the ropes and would be willing to teach you what you need to know as long as they know you'll be there every week.'' (1) Go to local yacht clubs that have regular race series and post an index card on the bulletin board saying that you are new to racing, but would like a crew position. Give phone numbers where you can be reached, and put a date on the card so that people know it's active. (Ask the club steward about where to post the card, and whether it's OK). (2) Go hang out on the dock on whatever evening the local fleet races, and ask around if anyone knows of someone who needs crew. Come dressed for the occasion; bring a foul-weather suit if it's windy, and wear tennis shoes or boat shoes. Have a hat. If you bring other stuff (sweater, dry set of clothes) pack it in a small athletic bag or knapsack. Show up an hour before race time and let various people know you are there and available. The club steward, the launch boy/girl, and the dockmaster, are all good choices. (3) Make it clear that you are serious--if the skipper says ``can you be there an hour before the race to help pack the 'chute?'', say ``Yes.'' Volunteer to help out with Spring work on the boat. If you have to miss a race on a boat on which you've been racing regularly, let the skipper know at least 3 days in advance. Let people know that you are willing to come out every single week to race. If not, word that you are unreliable will get around. (4) Listen and learn. Don't go aboard expecting to tell everyone everything you know. If it turns out that you know more than they do, keep quiet about it. Your quiet competence will eventually show through. 3.3 Is the MacGregor 26 a good boat? The MacGregor 26 has a very low price for a lot of boat. It also has a number of flaws. The equipment is not as tough as that on many other boats of comparable size, and the fiberglass construction is not as substantial either. If you are planning to do lake sailing on lakes of modest size, perhaps it is the boat for you. If you are planning on going into the ocean, perhaps it is not. The Mac26 is quite large for a trailerable boat, which is one of its big advantages. it uses water ballast, in part. Water ballast *does* work, in the sense that having water in a tank that is attached to the lower part of the hull of a boat will make it more stable than leaving that tank empty, at least in static tests (``How hard is it to make the boat tilt when she is at anchor?'') An important aspect of water ballast is ``free surface,'' which is to say the amount of water surface area that is open to air (even within the tank). A half-full water ballast tank may make the boat *less* stable in a practical sense, because the slosh of the water interacts with the rolling of the boat in complex ways. Tankers have huge baffles built into their tanks to help address the problem. So---fill your ballast tanks full, or not at all. If you are considering a Mac26, you should also look at the Catalina 22. hardware, the rigging, and also compare the resale values of similar boats in your area. 3.4 How do those rating systems and all that stuff work? 3.5 Who/What is US Sailing, how do I join, should I join? United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), formerly USYRU, is the governing body for sailing in the US. Its goals are to govern, promote, and represent sailboat racing and to promote the sport of sailing. Activities include sailing courses; certification of instructors, race officers, judges, etc; holding of various national championships; management of the olympic sailing team; and updating and publication of the International Yacht Racing Rules every four years. Basic membership is 35/year, but various discount programs are available through many yacht clubs. All active racing sailors should be members of US Sailing. (sc) The directory they provide has the addresses of every racing class known to man. (wh) Address: US Sailing Box 209, Goat Island Marina Newport, RI 02840 (401) 849-5200 Fax: (401) 849-5208 3.6 Where can I find out about collegiate sailing? US Sailing publishes a college sailing directory, available for 7 from the address above. (sc) Chapter 4 Powerboating stuff 4.1 What is better? An I/O or an outboard? What's cheaper? 4.2 Is the Bayliner a good boat? The price is great... This is opinion only. The Bayliner is weakly constructed when compared to other boats of similar size and purpose. Despite this, they seem to get a lot of use. I would strongly advise you to ask youself the question ``If/when I slip and fall in this boat and hit something, will that thing break?'' If the answer is ``Yes,'' then you should be sure to operate the boat in a manner that ensures that you will never slip and fall, or you should replace/reinforce the thing. (jfh) 4.3 Are Doel Fins a good thing? A great many people report improved time-to-plane. Some report slightly reduced top-end speeds. Everyone seems to say that installing one may void your warranty, and you should check this out for your particular motor. Many people report installing and then removing fins, finding that handling suffered enough that they preferred the old way. (jfh) 4.4 What is a Hole Shot? Will a Stainless prop add to my high end speed? I have no idea about either of these. (jfh) 4.5 Is VRO a good idea? VRO appears to be a fine idea, but also seems to be risk-prone (if it fails, your engine is shot) and not yet robust---the net has seen several reports of failures. Several netters have suggested disabling VRO and going to standard mix in the fuel. (jfh) 4.6 What's a good first powerboat? I have no idea. (jfh) Chapter 5 General Information 5.1 Addresses and numbers for suppliers M & E Marine 800 541-6501: Inexpensive; recent reports indicate a dedication to good service, and their sailing hardware section is now excellent. In-store service said to be good, and a good discount section in at least one store. (jfh) BOAT/US: (No phone number known) Another user says: They offer their lowest price policy on anything. We recently wanted to purchase rafting cushions. Our local E & B store didn't have the size we wanted. They did have the lowest catalog price around. They would have special ordered them but I wanted to call BOAT/US first even though they were 8.00 higher. I called BOAT/US, told them the E & B price, and they gave us that price, less 10 % of the difference. We didn't have to pay sales tax, and the shipping was much less. The only "catch" is that the prices must be the regular catalog price, not a sale price. The other good thing I have noticed about BOAT/US is that they really have low shipping weights. For the same cushions above, BOAT/US had a shipping wt. of 6 lbs each. E & B listed the weight at 15 lbs each. A BIG difference when you have to pay the shipping. If you order by 1pm they ship out UPS that same day. I called on Thursday 10 am and my cushions were at my house Friday afternoon. Worton Creek Marina (upper chesapeake) has an excellent Marine store and parts dept. Located midway between the Annapolis Bay Bridge and the C & D canel. Great if you run out of food (frozen or fresh) or need a spare part or have a breakdown of one sort of another. Very accommodating and prices are pretty good. South Coast Marine Supply, Larchmont NY: Much like M & E. Cheaper prices on a few things.(jfh) Post Marine Supply (1-800-YACHTER); 111 Cedar St., New Rochelle, NY 10801. Lowest price in the Larchmont/Rye/New Rochelle area on bottom paint when I looked around, but I wouldn't buy anything from them if I didn't have to. The sleazy cover photo on their catalog might not be enough to put you off, but the rotten customer relations reported by at least one person suggest that you're better off going to West Marine (for mail order), which will match prices, and which has the best customer relations on earth, or Defender (if you're in the area), which is nearby and treats its customers pretty well, too, at least the walk-in variety.(jfh) The Rigging Company in Portsmouth, RI, 1-800-322-1525: Unknown to me, but recommended by Roy Smith. They do sailboat rigging. See below.(rs) Boat/US 880 So. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304 (800) 937-2628;(703) 823-9550; Will meet other's advertised prices on anchors. I don't know about other things. It's where I bought my 35 lb CQR (ouch!). Their cordage is not particularly good quality, according to a friend who recently checked it out while looking for anchor rode.(jfh) E & B Marine: 800 533-5007 *Good* prices on electronics, especially when they are on sale. Limited selection of sailboat hardware, but their in-store supply of fasteners is pretty good--if you need a 4" x 5/16" stainless bolt, and a nylock nut to go on it, they probably have it. If you want cordage, their pre-cut lengths are a pretty good deal. Their supply is otherwise limited. Rapidly going out of the sailboat hardware business, resulting in some incredible sale prices in the Providence store at least. This is also the place to get those mermaid-shaped fenders and signal-flag glasses, if you go for that sort of stuff.(jfh) West Marine (1-800-538-0775), 500 Westridge Drive, PO Box 1020, Watsonville, CA, 95077, : Their normal catalog is a pretty informative thing. Their master catalog is something that every sailor should read. It cost 3.00, and it's worth every penny. You know how you sometimes say "Jeez, I really need the 6 1/2 foot oars, but they only show 5' and 6' in the catalog."? In the Master Catalog, they show it all. And the little "West Advisor" sections are in there as well. Prices: higher than other discount places, but not full-price. I admit that I sometimes use their catalog to decide what to get, then look for it elsewhere. Usually not--I appreciate what they do so much that I pay the slightly higher prices in hopes of keeping them in business. When they say that they're shipping today, they are telling the truth. News Flash: in April 1991 I spoke to someone at West who told me they have a price-matching policy. Now there's no reason to go anywhere else. They print their catalog on glossy paper, which is environmentally bad, but they don't use peanuts for shipping any more, which is good.(jfh) Goldberg's Marine (1-800-BOATING): Identical to E & B Marine. Overton's (800 334-6541): 111 Red Banks Rd. P.O.Box 8228 Greenville, N.C. 27835 for technical assitance ask for ext. 286 They carry Pleasurecraft and Indmar Engines, and a wide selection of waterski gear. Lots of bathing suit ads in the last 20 pages of the catalog. Defender Marine (1-914-632-3001; 1-800-628-8225 New Rochelle NY): Great prices, good selection, and reasonable warranty. Badly organized catalog, printed on newsprint: nice ofr the environment, but harder to read. Also, they tend to be a bit slow. Several netters (jfh, gb1) have had horrible luck with their mail-order business, having the wrong items of damaged items shipped, and then being yelled at when we wanted to send them back. Basically, I'll never mail order from them again. They do have a rigging service, but they send stuff off to Florida to be done (perhaps to Johnson Sails???). Brewer's Hardware, 161 E Boston Post Rd, in Mamaranack, 914-698-3232. You can usually get things from Defender cheaper, but Brewers has a remarkable selection of hardware (like fasteners) and hardware (like Harken stuff). They're pricey, but the stuff is there.(jfh) Shoreway Marine, Highway 73, Berlin, NJ 08009. Call 1-800-543-5408 for ordering and product information (609-768-8102 in NJ). This is what Larry and Irwin Goldberg did after they sold out to E & B. Well organised and printed catalog on recyclable newsprint type paper. Powerboat oriented with little of interest specifically to sailboaters but great prices on electronics and other common use items. (wms). Marine Exchange, in Peabody, MA. According to one netter, "They sell both new and used equipment and will also special order items for you. They also have a complete rigging service. The owner is Arlene and she is far and away the most knowledgeable person I have ever met in the boat supply business. She can help you figure out what you need for a project and where to find it. She can get it for you at a discount, and if she can't get it for you, she can tell you where else to find it. Not only has she found us a number of obscure items at substantial savings, but she's also told us where to find netting (at fishing supply houses; it's cheapest there); where to get the stern swim ladder welded; who in the area makes custom size, rigid holding tanks, etc., etc. They have hundreds of boating manufacturers catalogs and will look up items, prices, specifications for you. They're a great outfit to deal with." Hamilton Marine, Searsport, Maine. "Good prices, mail order." (ph) Marine Center, 1150 Fairview Ave North (retail outlet); PO Box 9968, Seattle WA 98109 (800 242 6357) "They are a catalog company in Seattle that I have dealt with a dozen or so times. Prices lower than local retail; 180 page annual catalog + 2 sale catalogs per year. General marine supply: electronic, sail and power equip. Outstanding selection of stuff: switches, lamps, lifeline stantions to name items I have bought." (wo). Doc Freeman's here in Seattle (they also do some mail order). Doc Freeman's, 999 N. Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103. 800 423-8641. in Washington 800 247-2149. Doc's has lots of hard to find stuff. Knowledgable staff.(mp) New England Ropes (new Bedford, MA): A fine place to go. They make great cordage, and they are fun to visit.(jfh) Johnson Sails (800) 234-3220. The best catalog by far comes from Johnson Sails (in Florida somewhere). They used to have a 6-inch-thick model. Now they have a 168-page catalog devoted entirely to sailing stuff, according to someone who contacted them recently.(jfh) Layline (1 800 542 5463) Described by one reader as follows: Harken heaven with prices better than West's. Also Martec props, Spinlock stoppers, Quickvangs, Patagonia foulies, Barient winches, Wichard shackles, Samson cordage, etc. Also advice. Mostly performance- oriented; you're not going to find anchor chain here. Good service on three orders, including a piece of track bent to order by Harken. Catalog (30pp.) says call anytime, we'll answer if we're here; and we do not sell our mailing list! By contrast, I found their prices high (near to list) and their catalog was so glossy that I figured that they were spending too much on it and I didn't want to support that. Nonetheless, another source is another source.(jfh) Life Raft and Survival Equipment, One Maritime Dr., Portsmouth, RI 02781; (800) 451-2127 Best source for safety related gear. Better prices than West or BOAT/US. Barient, PO Box 308, New Whitfield St., Guilford, CT 06437, 203-453-4374. Distributors for Barient (no surprise) and Barlow winches. Jamestown Distributors, Jamestown, RI. (401) 423 2520. The most remarkable selection of fasteners you can imagine, and lots of other good boat stuff. Decent prices, prompt delivery, incredibly knowledgeable staff. All WEST sytems products in stock, even in the 50 gallon drum size.(jfh) 5.1.1 General Materials National Marine Manufacturers Association (312) 836-4747 (dk1) BOAT/U.S. Courseline (800) 226-BOAT in Virginia (800) 245-BOAT Has information about upcoming Safety Courses in your area. (dk1) Coast Guard Boating Safety Hotline (800) 368-5647 Has information on boat recalls and defects. Also you can report your safety problems here. (dk1) The nearest sailmaker: will often sell you sailcloth, webbing, heavy dacron thread, batten stock, etc. The prices may be a bit high, but you can be reasonably certain that they'll have certain items. A person worth cultivating. Talk to your sailmaker about exactly what you need done (e.g., not just ``I need a third reef point'' but ``I need a third reef point that will cut the sail area to 1/4 of the full sail, and will make it as flat as possible.'') This will really help your relationship. I am very fond of Steve Sperry, in Marion, MA (508 748 2581). I believe he also has a loft in Marblehead now. By the way, you may be able to get discounts buy asking for off-season work, e.g., take your sails in to the sailmaker in November and s/he'll be much happier to see you than if you bring them in during May.(jfh) The nearest rigger: These folks will often give you great advice about how to rig something new on your boat, and then sell you the parts with which to do it. If you get a good one, s/he'll even take back the parts that you end up not using. If you're *really* lucky, you can buy scrap pieces of tubing and mast sections that are ``too short to use,'' and use them in your own projects. Zephyr Spar, in Mattapoisett, MA, seems like a good place.(jfh) Hall Rigging, Bristol, RI. 800 283-1964; They are alos Hall Spars. They do custom rigging at reasonable prices, and are fast, even in the busy season. No credit cards.(rs) Resins/alcohol/etc: It's no longer feasible to ship this stuff, because of new charges for sending it as ``hazardous materials.'' Everything: The boat graveyard, i.e. Marine Placement, Davisville, RI 401 294 2360. This is a boat junkyard. You can go take stuff off a boat, then bargain with the owner for what you will pay for it.(jfh) Used Parts: Bay Yacht Shop, in Warren, RI. Lots of stuff here sold on consignment. You can get old Merriman winches, of a size suitable to be primaries for a 30footer, for something like 50.(jfh) 5.1.2 Boat building and repairing places The Gougeon Bros., Bay City Michigan: They sell all the West System resins, plus everything else you would want to use with the resins. You can typically find these items cheaper at places like Defender Marine (up to 30 % off Gougeon List), but you can't get the sort of advice that the folks at Gougeon will give you. (jfh) 5.1.3 Class-specific materials Wm. B. Sarns, Inc., Mt. Clemens Michigan: DN iceboat hardware. It's well-made, it's fast, and he'll make up a custom item for you if you describe it accurately ebnough. Sarns is a very cool guy.(jfh) Sailcraft of Canada: Tornado hardware and boats. Reported to have record of shipping stuff out late, ruining a season.(jfh) 5.1.4 Miscellaneous materials and services Globe Rubber Works (800 343 1046), manufacturer of Drive Saver shaft spacer for reducing noise and alignment problems. Local distributor is New England Prop Service, 617 288 3133. Measure OD of coupling and of ``alignment ring'' in order to get the right unit.(jfh) Harken will actually do things on custom orders. Roy Smith says: Harken seems to be willing to do custom jobs. I needed a minor variation on a Harken block for a special project (basically consisted of one of their standard blocks but without the rivets holding it together). I called Harken and they were happy to sell it to me. They charged me list price for the block, but no custom-order surcharge.(rs) Brownell Boatworks: Boat Hauling---they'll trailer just about any boat, just about anyplace. 508 758-3774.(jfh) Westerbeke Parts: Hansen Marine, 617 631 3282. Not cheap, but they ship fast.(jfh) Time: US NAVAL OBSERVATORY. 1-900-410-TIME, 50 cents per call. Books: Armchair Sailor, Newport, RI 401 847 4252. If you want a boating book, they will get it for you, no matter what.(jfh) Books again: Armchair Sailor, P.O. Box 698, Destin, FL 32541, (800) 451-4185 Books: Mystic Seaport (Mystic, CT, area code 203) bookstore: a good selection. Books: International marine Publishing, Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17294-0840 (800) 822-8158; a great book catalog.(jfh) Diesel Engines: Info about Perkins deisels is available from Perkins Group of Companies, Eastfield, Frank Perkins Way, Peterborough, PE1 5NA, England, Phone: 44 733 67474 5.1.5 NMEA Specification for inter-electronic communication The NMEA will sell you the specs or I will loan my copy to you. (``I'' in this remark is ben@cv.hp.com) NMEA phone number is (205) 473 1793. (dk1) 5.1.6 Anchor Chain And Rode, Other Hardware For the best prices on anchor chain and anchor rode (e.g. 100' 1/2'' PC = 188.00) try SEA SPIKE ANCHORS, FARMINGDALE, NY (516) 249 2241 The Rigging Company, in Portsmouth RI. 401 683 1525 They have the best prices I've seen on rope and wire rigging, better than the big discount houses. (em) 5.1.7 Navigation and Simulation Software and Equipment Coast Navigation, 116 Legion Ave., Annapolis, MD, (800) 638-0420 Specializing in instruments and electronics, but carrying some general boat stuff as well. Good prices, good service, and items which the big outfits don't carry. Celestaire sells a few types of software. Their address is Celestaire, 416 S Pershing, Wichita, KS 67218, (316) 686-9785. They also sell aviation and marine navigation eqpt.; their catalog is the most complete I've seen in this area. High prices, though. Davis Instruments, 3465 Diablo Ave, Hayward, CA 94545, USA sells PC Astro Navigator. They also sell sextants and a few other useful devices. I (jfh@cs.brown.edu) have a C subroutine package that implements (let the user beware) the programs that used to be used in the HP41 Nav Pac. These include a nautical almanac program and a basic sight-reduction software. This is the only free software I know of. I also have a variation of the ``stars'' program that uses the Yale Star Catalog to print a start chart, customized to any day of the year, from any geographical position, at any time. It comes with no documentation, though... I have one which helps brush up on the tactics of racing. It's available from Criteria instruments 7318 N. Leavitt Avenue Portland, Oregon 97203-4840 phone 503-289-1225 fax 503-286-5896 John P. Laurin bbs 503-297-9073 1200/2400 baun 8,n,1. (ps) Software/hardware for getting weather faxes: Crane in San Diego. For 119 you get the software, manual shortwave headphone adapter, modulator for IBM compatible. 619 233 0223 (da) OFS WeathFAX, 6404 Lakerest Court, Raleigh, NC 27612, USA (phone 1-919-847-4545) sell a card with software. It's 355 for the kit, 495 assembled. Foreign orders add 14. Animation software is "free". The half-length card goes in your PC, accepting audio from your receiver. It demodulates/displays HF marine fax, along with satellite transmissions. Visa/Mastercard accepted.(la) Software Systems Consulting, 615 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672, USA (phone 1-714-498-5784) sell a demodulator with software for 250. The (external) demodulator plugs into your PC serial port.(la) MFJ Enterprises Inc, Box 494, Miss. State, MS 39762, USA (phone 1-323-5869, fax 1-601-323-6551) have the MFJ-1278 "Multi Mode Data Controller". It (with software) supports RTTY, CW, SSTV and some other modes, along with fax of course. It is an external unit and connects to your PC serial port. Last price I saw was about 280. Software around 60.(la) 5.2 Safe boating courses and organizations The short answer is: The US Power Squadron and The US Coast Guard Auxilliary. Here's how to find more: You can find out about the safe boating courses in your area by calling the nearest Coast Guard station and asking. It's best to do this in late Fall, since many of the courses take place during the winter and early Spring. A beginning handbook 'Start Sailing Right' by US Sailing and the American Red Cross is available from US Sailing. US Sailing also manages many community sailing programs and can probably provide information about courses available in various parts of the US. (sc) BOAT/U.S. Courseline (800) 226-BOAT in Virginia (800) 245-BOAT Has information about upcoming Safety Courses in your area. (dk1) Coast Guard Boating Safety Hotline (800) 368-5647 Has information on boat recalls and defects. Also you can report your safety problems here. (dk1) 5.3 How does GPS work? Should I get GPS or Loran? 5.4 What other newsgroups discuss boating stuff? There is rec.boats and rec.boats.paddle. You might also want to look at rec.woodworking. 5.5 What's the 800 number for the User Fee Sticker? The 800 number for the Coast Guard User Fee Sticker is 1-800 848-2100; have your Visa or MasterCard number ready. 5.6 What's it cost to own a boat? Here is what I have posted previously about the costs of owning Sarah, by 1970 Alberg 37 sloop. The items labelled ``startup'' are things that I knew I'd need to do when I purchased the boat, or that were consequences of pre-existing problems (e.g. a couple of substantial engine repairs). There are a couple of charges that others may want to rule out: the bank charge is for an account I maintain just for Sarah, and ``books and magazines'' are not directly related to owning the boat. The list also includes a bunch of ``one time'' expenses, like repairing the injector pump on the engine. It turns out, though, that there are *always* one-time charges, and it's worth learning to expect them. Note that the list below does *not* include the opportunity cost on the investement in the boat, which was 34,000, and hence could be earning (at 6 percent interest) about 2000 per year. Since it's not earning that, it's a hidden cost of ownership. (jfh) 1991 1990 change Startup (i.e. pre-existing probs) ENGINE WORK-startup 73.77 1431.79 -1358.02 Interior systems-startup 365.86 -365.86 Safety Equip-startup 95.14 -95.14 Books and magazines 64.83 +64.83 DINGHY 533.95 174.05 +359.90 Electronic Equip. 348.78 225.19 +123.59 Engine maintenance 374.07 1194.97 -820.90 Sailing Hardware 246.95 229.27 +17.68 General Maintenance on Hull+Eq 617.96 +617.96 Insurance 825.00 750.00 +75.00 Interior systems, exc elec+eng 165.21 490.51 -325.30 Miscellaneous expenses 306.03 +306.03 Moor'g,Haul'g,Storage, Anchor1,110.26 1886.08 -775.82 Not Categorized 75.73 9.56 +66.17 Operating expenses Boat-related phone calls 97.98 416.80 -318.82 Safety Equipt. 226.57 18.14 +208.43 Sail repair and purchase 447.40 +447.40 Monthly Bank Charge 37.00 52.00 -15.00 Tools for boat 216.63 30.00 +186.63 Yard Labor and Tax 180.00 -180.00 ------------------------------ Total 6,314.61 8047.67 -1733.06 5.7 What are the laws about boats...? First and foremost, there is a US Coast Guard User Fee required for almost all vessels. There's an 800 number you can call to find out whether your boat needs one, and to order one by credit card (1-800 848-2100). If you want to operate a VHF radio, you need a lense; failure to carry one can result in huge fines. The Coast Guard now checks for that license if they board you for any reason. You can learn about operating procedures for you VHF radio from Chapman's (see the bibliography). One essential rule: Channel 16 is for commercial hailing and distress calls. Hailing by recreational vessels is now supposed to happen on Channel 9. You are required to carry adequate saftey devices for your boat. What is deemed adequate varies by size. Most marine stores have a pretty good idea what's the minimum. Once again, Chapman's can give you details. There are no ``licenses'' for boating in the US---you can buy the biggest, fastest boat on earth and do whatever you want wiht it, as long as it's recreational and you do not carry passengers or freight for hire. For those, you need a license. Prudence dictates that you should learn how to operate your vessel before you start out. Note that many states have begun enforcing Boating While Intoxicated laws, and that some have begun enforcing speed limits. 5.8 What's a formula for top speed? The answer, verbatim from mp, is: The formula yacht designers use is called Crouch's formula. It takes into account the weight and horsepower at the propeller, and assumes a 50\% to 60\% efficient prop. Most props fall into this range. Note that it doesn't take into account the boat length, as that doesn't matter with planing boats. Crouch's Formula V = C/((DISP/HP)**.5) Where V = boat speed in knots (1 knot=1.15 mph) C = Constant (depends on boat type) DISP = Displacement (pounds) Note that boat manufacturers usually give innacurate numbers for displacement, typically on the low side HP = Horsepower available at the propeller For comparison sake, here are some average values of C: 150 Typical lightweight, planing cruiser 180 High Speed Runabout 200-230 Race boats, hydroplanes etc. 5.9 Accurate time source for navigation The time of day is broadcast on radio stations WWV and WWVH, which transmit in the shortwave bands, on 2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20 MHz. The time is announced every minute, and at other times there is a steady beeping. Any shortwave receiver should be able to pick up these broadcasts - the particular frequency you can receive will vary with location and time of day. You can also hear the NIST's WWV broadcasts via the telephone. The number is (303) 499-7111. Chapter 6 List of Contributors Here is a list of the people who contributed to the information above. The list is widly incomplete, because I started collecting the information (for myself) long before I planned to make the FAQ, and didn't attach names to lots of things people told me. My apologizes to those whose names I've omitted. I'll gladly add them if you tell me to. sc steve@test490.pac.sc.ti.com Steve Comen sm stefan@sunrise.stanford.edu Stefan Michalowski wh whoward@lamont.ldgo.columbia.edu Will Howard gb1 Greg Bullough gb2 Gerard Bras wms wms@spin.att.com Wayne Simpson dk1 kinzer@prcamfg.sps.mot.com Dave Kinzer mb burati@APOLLO.HP.COM Mike Burati dk2 kell@mprgate.mpr.ca Dave Kell mp phred!mattp@data-io.com Matt Pedersen jfh jfh@cs.brown.edu John Hughes ph lotus!lotatg. lotus.com!phil@uunet.UU.NET Phil Somebody ps Paul.Saltzman@f764.n153.z1.ship.wimsey.bc.ca Paul Salzman da davea@hpscit.sc.hp.com Dave Angelini la lance@lancea.actrix.gen.nz Lance Andrewes wo woodruff@s34.es.llnl.gov Someone Woodruff em murphy@phri.nyu.edu Ellen Murphy rs roy@wombat.phri.nyu.edu Roy Smith Chapter 7 Bibliography 7.1 Magazines AMERICAN SAILOR, none, This one is for members of USYRU. Almost exclusively for racing. Dave Perry has a short but interesting ``rules corner''. BOATBUILDER, none, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235 800-786-3459. Primarily amatuer construction. Monthly articles by notable Dave Gerr (lots of his latest book "The Nature of Boats" was first published in Boatbuilder). Includes instant boat construction, origami steel boats, etc.(mp). COASTAL CRUISING, none, The Magazine of Achievable Dreams. This rag was formerly called "Carolina Cruising" and probably still should be. Concentrates on the ICW around and about its Beufort, NC home base. A harbor profile in each issue with a color arial photograch as a centerspread. Quirky columns written by people who are really into bringing the spoken accent to the written page. Printed on cheap newsprint paper and comes out 6 times a year. Unless you live or cruise in the Carolinas, save your money. (wms). CRUISING WORLD, none, Good articles, wonderful reader service called ``Another Opinion'', which will tell you about other readers who own the same boat that you do (or that you are thinking of buying), and who might be interested in telling you about it, Extensive brokerage and charter listing. -jfh-. GREAT LAKES SAILOR, none, Tends to focus on the sailing scene in the midwest. LATITUDE 38, none, The SF Bay sailing rag. Cheap paper, irreverant staff. Far more honest than any other sailing rag. MESSING ABOUT IN BOATS, none, Appears to fill the niche left by Small Boat Journal when they changed. NATIONAL FISHERMAN, none, The working seaman's magazine. Printed on newsprint, filled with editorials about why the fisherman cannot make it in the modern USA, and articles about how well EPIRBs *really* work, etc. A *great* mag. Wonderful classifieds. OCEAN NAVIGATOR, none, Informative article; passagemaking information, info on nav hardware and tools. The letters are worth the price of admission. Nav problems at the end of each issue that include piloting and offshore celestial problems, with answers. Only magainze that I read cover to cover. Some articles about electrics tend to be slightly screwy--Nigel Calder can't distinguish amps from amp-hours. OFFSHORE, none, Covers the Northeast coast from New Jersey to Maine. Good coverage of the area with plenty of local interest stories, marina profiles, safe boating, navigation and area history. Slightly skewed toward powerboats but plenty of interest to sailboaters, too. Regular columns on local boating news and Coast Guard Search and Rescue summary. Series by Dave Gerr on understanding Yacht Design contains many of the articles on which his book "The Nature of Boats" is based. Excellent classified section with a unique "renewable guarantee" that will keep your ad in until sold for a one time fee of 25.00 (wms). PRACTICAL BOAT OWNER, none, published in Poole, Dorset, England. P.B.O. is great for boat tests (yachts any size, motor boats mostly small) and simply excellent for how-to-do-its. Editorials reflect the British scene since it's a British magazine. The editor, George Taylor, answers queries in person by return of post. PRACTICAL SAILOR, none, These folks test out products and do sailboat reviews and compare products made by different people. They also answer questions. They have no adverts, so that their information is nominally unbiased. Date: 2 Feb 93 12:46:15 GMT Organization: Brown University Department of Computer Science Lines: 593 NNTP-Posting-Host: euclid.cs.brown.edu 7.2 Nonfiction about sailing trips SHRIMPY AND SHRIMPY SAILS AGAIN, Shane Acton, This is an amazing story of a guy who spent eight years sailing the world in a caprice class 18ft boat. None of the other books I have read on the subject come close to this achievment. A none sailor, his own money, very very limited funds. This guy is my hero. MAIDEN VOYAGE, Tania Aebi, 1988 Excellent. An 18-year-old girl/woman circumnavigating westward in a Contessa 26. 117 DAYS ADRIFT, Bailey. SECOND CHANCE: VOYAGE TO PATAGONIA, Baileys, Interesting contrast with Slocum's earlier account. GYPSY MOTH CIRCLES THE WORLD, Sir Francis Chichester, 1968 Another classic, of a solo cicumnavigation in a fast but vicious boat, best read together with The Lonely Sea and the Sky. THE LONELY SEA AND THE SKY, Sir Francis Chichester, 1964 Excellent auto-biography of the great adventurer. Includes transatlantic voyages, and his pioneering first flight (NOT non-stop!) across the Tasman Sea. TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST, Richard Henry Dana, Harvard boy goes to sea, and writes eloquently about the details of sea life. COME HELL OR HIGH WATER, Clare Francis, A very small woman racing single-handed across the Atlantic. COME WIND OR WEATHER, Clare Francis, 1979 She skippers a Swan 65 in the Whitbread. MATE IN SAIL, James Gaby, Reminiscences of a lifetime in square-rigged sail by an Australian shipmaster. (sm). MASTER OF THE MOVING SEA, Gladys Gowlland, The memoirs of Peter Mathieson, ship captain, compiled by his daughter-in-law. (sm). DOVE, Robin Lee Graham, Graham set off at the age of 16 to sail around the world alone in a 24 foot Ranger sloop. He returned several years later as a young married man in a Luders 33. He and his wife then dropped out, built a lean-to in the mountains somewhere and raised a son named Quimby (no kidding). His story was also chronicled in a series of National Geographic articles in the late 60's that fueled a good many of my youthful fantasies.(wms). THE SEA GETS BLUER, Peter Heaton, 1965 A good survey of cruising and circumnavigation literature. CRUISING UNDER SAIL, Eric Hiscock, (3rd edition, including ``Voyaging Under Sail''). Still the ``Bible'' even though it is now dated. This book has more useful information on every possible aspect of cruising and voyaging than any other source. It could also come under several other categories in this listing as it covers everything from basic boat design to celestial navigation. A book I wouldn't sail without. AT ONE WITH THE SEA, Naomi James, 1978 A young woman single-handing a rather large boat while her husband skippered in the Whitbread. Naomi James was the first woman to sail single-handed around the world via Cape Horn. The voyage began from Dartmouth in September 1977, and ended in June 1978 (after 272 days). Her book of the voyage is ``At One with the Sea'', published in NZ by Hutchison (ISBN 0 09 138440 0). The book is a damn good read. I strongly recommend it. NO PARTICULAR TITLE, Tristan Jones, All his books are good. ONE HAND FOR YOURSELF, ONE FOR THE SHIP, Tristan Jones, The best book on singlehanding. Jones is opinionated and eccentric to say the least, and old fashioned as well. He is a sailor of vast experience, however, and has many good ideas. TITLE UNKNOWN, Robin Knox-Johnson. NO PARTICULAR TITLE, Larry and Lin Pardey, All of their books are pretty informative. ALL IN THE SAME BOAT AND STILL IN THE SAME BOAT, Paul Howard Fiona McCall, late 80's Excellent story of family of four circumnavigating in a 30' steel junk-rigged boat. SHACKELTON'S BOAT JOURNEY, E.F. Middleton, The most remarkable small-boat journey you'll ever read about. Understated writing style emphasizes the enormity of the trip. THE LAST GRAIN RACE, Eric Newby, Story of a Cape Horn passage aboard the giant four-masted barque Moshulu in 1938. Recently reprinted by International Marine.(sm). ONE WATCH AT A TIME, Skip Novack, Novack was the skipper of Drum during the 1986 Whitbread and this is the whole story from the time the boat was bought by rock star Simon Le Bon and his managers to the fitting out, the Fastnet Race disaster in which Drum lost her keel and capsized, the Whitbread where she began to fall apart during a storm, and ultimate third overall finish. A good read with lots of color photographs. (wms). PASSAGEMAKING HANDBOOK, John Rains and Patricia Miller, The nuts and bolts of preparing for a long passage. Oriented toward delivery work but applicable to any kind of offshore cruising, especially that first trip. Highly recommended. SURVIVE THE SAVAGE SEA, Dougal Robertson. SAILING ALONE AROUND THE WORLD, Joshua Slocum, 1899 A great classic, beautifully written. (Make sure it's the full version). JOSHUA SLOCUM, Walter Teller, 1956,1971 Biography of Slocum. I think it illuminates and enriches one's reading of the above. THE MYSTERIOUS LAST VOYAGE OF DONALD CROWHURST,, unknown, The style is not particularly riveting, but the story is. It all starts with the discovery of the ``Teignmouth Electron,'' Crowhurst's boat, in the North Sea, with no one aboard. He had set out in the boat some time earlier in a single-handed round-the-world race. The book details a reasonable theory about what might have happened, and it makes a fascinating story. BY WAY OF CAPE HORN, Alan Villiers, A tragic voyage from Australia to England in the fully-rigged ship Grace Harwar in 1929. All of Villiers' books can be safely recommended, especially his autobiography "The Set of the Sails". (sm). 7.3 Sailboat Racing PAUL ELVSTROM EXPLAINS THE YACHT RACING RULES, Paul Elvstrom, An explanation of racing rules, with examples of common situations. It is supposed to be very useful for non-experts, especially for preparing for protest hearings. (sc). SPEED SAILING, Gary Jobson and Mike Toppa. SAILING SMART, Buddy Melges. DAVE PERRY'S RULE BOOK, Dave Perry. WINNING IN ONE DESIGNS, Dave Perry. INTERNATIONAL YACHT RACING RULES, US Sailing, Updated and published every four years in the US by US Sailing. Provided free to US Sailing members. Both full editions and an abridged competitors edition are available from US Sailing.(sc). FAST COURSE, SMART COURSE, North Sails, Tips on how to go FAST, and racing tactics. North also has a companion video which is execlent. Best video choice are the J World tapes. EXPERT DINGHY AND KEELBOAT RACING, unknown, (wh). ADVANCED RACING TACTICS, Stuart Walker, Norton 1976 ISBN 0-393-30333-0 Described as ``the one book to read'' but also as ``ponderous and dry''. CHAMPIONSHIP TACTICS, Whidden and Jobson, An excellent choice. You can buy a copy from your local North Loft. 7.4 Maintenance PRACTICAL YACHT JOINERY, Fred P. Bingham, How to butcher wood, whether you have only hand tools, portable power tools, or a full shop.(mh). UPGRADING AND REFURBISHING THE OLDER FIBERGLASS SAILBOAT, W.D. Booth., A good general discussion of the topic with many useful ideas. SHIPSHAPE AND BRISTOL FASHION, L.R. Borland, Some of the slickest little boat project ideas I've ever seen. Out of print but worth looking for. BOATOWNER'S MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL MANUAL, Nigel Calder, The most comprehensive and practical repair manual available. This book has been a lifesaver for me in overhauling an older boat. One of the books I would not sail without.(mh). MARINE DIESEL ENGINES, Nigel Calder, A good basic introduction to diesels, although much of it concerns powerboats.(mh). REFRIGERATION FOR PLEASURE BOATS, Nigel Calder, A complete discussion of marine refrigeration systems, theory and practice. This is for the person who wants to build one up from components.(mh). THIS OLD BOAT, Don Casey, Some of the most detailed instructions I've seen for basic restoration and upgrading procedures, including hand painting with Polyurethane paints. Assumes you know nothing.(mh). PROPELLER HANDBOOK, Dave Gerr, Covers the arcane business of choosing the right propeller for your boat. Gerr demonstrates two different approaches to predicting propeller performance, a simple method suitable for boat owners and a much more complex approach more suitable to naval architects. Requires basic algebra.(mh). BOATOWNER'S ENERGY PLANNER, Kevin and Nan Jeffrey, A very basic introduction to electrical systems with a lot of solid information about various options, including some brand-name comparisons. Assumes you know nothing about electricity.(mh). THE FINELY FITTED YACHT, Farenc Mate', Another large collection of nice improve-your-boat projects, mostly involving the living accommodations.(mh). COMFORT IN THE CRUISING YACHT CUSTOMIZING YOUR BOAT IMPROVE YOUR OWN BOAT, Ian Nicolson, Bunches of nifty project ideas for improving a boat.(mh). CRUISING IN COMFORT, James Skoog, Cost-no-object approach, but many good ideas. LIVING ON 12 VOLTS, David Smead and Ruth Ishihara, A very detailed analysis of 12 volt electrical systems and components. It also contains much useful information about refrigeration systems as well. Best if you already know basic electrical theory and construction.(mh). SPURR'S BOAT BOOK, Dan Spurr, Lots of ideas, illustrated by the upgrading of a Pearson Vanguard. Includes repowering, which is intriguing. (jfh). UPGRADING THE CRUISING SAILBOAT, Daniel Spurr, Very good advice on overhauling an older boat. Spurr did extensive upgrades on a Triton and a Vanguard, two good low priced boats for offshore cruising, and also has many other good project suggestions. (mh). MODERN BOAT MAINTENANCE, Bo Streiffert, A large collection of project and explanatory articles with more illustration than text. It covers a remarkable range of topics and some rather complex projects. Good for the person who already knows the basic techniques. This appears to have been published originally in Sweden.(mh). MACHINIST'S HANDBOOK, unknown. PIPEFITTER'S HANDBOOK, unknown. 7.5 Fiction SPARTINA, John Casey, Only partly about boats. Very much about people who work with boats for a living. HORNBLOWER BOOKS, E.M. Forester, The beginning of British Naval Fiction. Pale stuff in comparison to Aubrey/Maturin, according to some, but still pretty good. THE WRECK OF THE MARY DEARE, Hammond Innes, A freighter,apparently unmanned, nearly runs down a sailboat in the Englishchannel with a gale rising; that's in the first two pages.Remarkable descriptions of the Minquiers, a reef off the coast of France. THE AUBREY/MATURIN SERIES, Patrick O'Brian, British Naval Fiction at its best. Aubrey is a Captain in the British Navy, Maturin is the Ship's surgeon. Good fight scenes, excellent details on naval life and almost anything else ca. 1790-1815. The first volume is ``Master and Commander.''. THE BOY, ME, AND THE CAT, Henry Plummer, Good writing about a long cruise on a catboat. ALL WORKS, Arthur Ransome, All his books are great; the swallows and amazons series is a set of children's books; kids seem to liek them at about age 7 or 8 to go on reading them forever. ``We didn't mean to go to sea'' is one of the best. Also, ``Racundra's First Cruise,'' is about having a boat built in the Baltics and sailing her back to England just after WWI. Definitely for adults, not kids. 7.6 Design, seaworthiness, arts of the sailor ASHLEY'S BOOK OF KNOTS AND FANCY ROPEWORK, Ashley, The definitive book on the subject. ANCHORING, Don Bamford, Anchoring is really a subtle and complex business which isn't given the attention it deserves by many people. While the chapter in Hiscock covers the basics quite well, this book does it in depth and detail.(mh). SEXTANT HANDBOOK, Bruce Bauer, This is about the instrument itself and its care. Not really necessary, but nice to have.(mh). THE PROPER YACHT, Arthur Beiser, Dated and out of print, but a good guide to some of the older designs which are found on the used market.(mh). BOAT CANVAS FROM COVER TO COVER, Bob and Karen Lipe, A very basic discussion of canvas work with a series of practical projects from simple to complex.(mh). 100 SMALL BOAT RIGS, Philip C. Bolger, He's managed to take what could be a very boring topic and make it intensely lively. TED BREWER EXPLAINS SAILBOAT DESIGN, Ted Brewer, Good introduction to the technical aspects and jargon of sailing yacht design. No math.(mh). BACKYARD BOAT BUILDING, George Buehler. PRECISION CRUISING, Authur F. Chace, A series of cruising stories which pose various problems in seamanship and piloting, along with proposed solutions for those problems. (mh). YACHT DESIGNING AND PLANNING, Howard Chapelle, WW Norton and Co. New York 1971. (I don't know if it's still in print). The book to turn to when you want lots of good useful, practical advice on yacht design. Not heavy on theory but has years of experience behind it.(mp). HEAVY WEATHER SAILING, Adlard Coles. WORLD CRUISING ROUTES, Jimmy Cornell, A route planning guide for world cruising with regional weather patterns, currents, etc. Highly recommended.(mh). THE YACHT NAVIGATOR'S HANDBOOK, Norman Dahl, A concise and very practical coverage of general navigation and piloting, the best overall reference on the subject I have found. The section on celestial is good enough to serve as a self-teaching course, although it probably isn't the best choice for that purpose. Highly recommended, but appears to be out of print. (mh). SAFETY AT SEA, George Day, Covers everything from yacht design to abandon-ship in a broad and general way.(mh). THE NATURE OF BOATS, Dave Gerr. HOW THINGS FLOAT, E. N. Gilbert, American Mathematical Monthly, March 1991 (Vol. 98, No. 3), pp. 201-216. SURVIVOR, Michael Greenwald, The part of it you don't want to think about but must. Mainly about liferaft survival, but also covers many other topics concerned with safety and emergencies including medical procedures. Highly recommended.(mh) ADVANCED FIRST AID AFLOAT by Peter F. Eastman, MD. Seems to be the best all around medical manual.(mh). CHOICE YACHT DESIGNS, Richard Henderson, See comments on Beiser, The Proper Yacht. SAILING IN WINDY WEATHER, Richard Henderson, A good book on sailing in a half gale, but not a gale or a hurricane. (jfh). THE GOUGEON BROTHERS ON BOAT CONSTRUCTION, Gougeon Brothers Inc., Bay City, MI 1983. The best by far on cold molding. Lots of practical hints. Good safety (esp. WRT epoxy) and general/setup chapters. How to mix and use epoxy, how to engineer wood composite structures. (mp). DESIRABLE AND UNDESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF OFFSHORE YACHTS, ed. John Rousmaniere, Technical, but required reading for anyone choosing an offshore boat. This is a series of reports which were inspired by the Fastnet race disaster of 1979 and sponsored by the Cruising Club of America.(mh). THE SCIENCE OF YACTS WIND AND WATER, H. F. Kay, G. T. Foulis and Co Ltd 1971 Has most of the formulas you need, I guess. CHAPMAN'S PILOTING, SEAMANSHIP, AND SMALL BOAT HANDLING, Elbert S. Maloney, The bible of basic boating. Tons of good information, with perhaps a bit too much emphasis on flag etiquette, but otherwise excellent. Kept up to date by Elbert S. Maloney. (jh). AERO HYDRODYNAMICS OF SAILING, C. A. Marchaij, Adlard Coles Ltd. 1979 A complete update of the previous classic text. SAILING THEORY AND PRACTICE, C. A. Marchaij, Adlard Coles Ltd. 1964 A scientific analysis of the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic and other design factors wich define the yachts behaviour. SEAWORTHINESS: THE FORGOTTEN FACTOR, C. A. Marjac, (International Marine Publishing Company of CAMDEN Maine), 34.95. This is the book on hull design. It is a nice melange of the artistic, political, academic, and technical, and Marchaj has a fine writing style. For boaters, all I can say is that most will find it very controversial. His precise and tightly argued passages on just why the modern racing yacht is neither seakindly nor seaworthy will have some, like myself, smugly nodding, and others, most racers, I guess, hopping mad. THE WORLD'S BEST SAILBOATS, Ferenc Mate', Even if you can't afford the boats in this book, it will give you some ideas of what to look for. Coffee-table format, glorious photography. Try not to drool on it.(mh). SURVEYING SMALL CRAFT, Ian Nicholson, How to evaluate a prospective purchase. Not a substitute for a professional survey, but very useful for preliminary work before making an offer.(mh). AMERICAN PRACTICAL NAVIGATOR (BOWDITCH), The US Hydrographic Office, (2 volumes) More than you would ever dream of wanting to know about navigation. Most of it is oriented towards big ships, but everything there is, is in there somewhere. No one will take you seriously unless you have Bowditch aboard.(mh). BUILD THE INSTANT BOATS, Hal Payson, Stich and glue boat construction. Simple, often not-very-strong, boats.(jfh). BUILD THE NEW INSTANT BOATS, Hal Payson, Stich and glue boat construction. Simple, often not-very-strong, boats.(jfh). FASTNET FORCE 10, John Rousmaniere, Fascinating, absolutely riveting book. It tells the story of the 79 Fastnet race from the perspective of the participants, by one of the participants. His story gives a different view than most of the general media reports, by somebody who was there.(mp). THE ANNAPOLIS BOOK OF SEAMANSHIP, John Rousmaniere, Simon and Schuster, New York 1989. A complete and thorough guide to every aspect of sailboat handling by a leading expert in offshore sailing. Chapters include the boat and her environment, safety, navigation, and self-sufficiency.(mp). THE CRUISING NAVIGATOR, Hewett Schlereth, (4 volumes) A full course in basic celestial navigation plus a complete reference work on the subject with perpetual almanacs and sight reduction tables. No other references are required. As a self-teaching course, it is not perfect but it is very good (I learned from it). As a working reference, its only weakness is that it does not include the moon and planets (perpetual almanacs aren't practical for these bodies). Printed on waterproof paper with heavy covers. This set cost 100 and is now out of print. A used copy is a major find. Volume ``00'', SIGHT REDUCTION TABLES FOR SMALL BOAT NAVIGATION is a find in itself. This is a much more convenient set of tables than any of the standard sets (it is a condensed version of HO 229). Highly recommended.(mh). OFFSHORE CRUISING ENCYCLOPEDIA, Steve and Linda Dashew, Not an encyclopedia, but a tremendous collection of well informed opinion on every subject imaginable. Oriented towards larger (sail) boats and cost-no-object cruising, but it has something for everybody. Whether it is worth the tremendous price (about 70) is another matter.(mh). BOATBUILDING MANUAL, Robert Steward, The most concise book on wooden boat construction (including modern methods). Easy to read and understand. A standard reference.(mp). KNOTS, Brion Toss, A nice little basic introduction to the important knots and their use by a good writer.(mh). THE RIGGERS APPRENTICE, Brion Toss, The more sophisticated aspects of rope and lines.(mh). DUTTON'S NAVIGATION, unknown, I believe this used to be published by the Navy and used as text at Annapolis. (wh). SKEENE'S ELEMENTS OF YACHT DESIGN., unknown, An early classic. THE OCEAN SAILING YACHT, Donald Street (2 volumes), The first volume is dated but covers the basics well. The second volume covers most of the same subjects in a more complete manner and from a more modern perspective. The volumes complement one another.(mh). THE ART AND SCIENCE OF SAILS, Tom Whidden, Not quite so technically inclined is ``Sail Power (The Complete Guide to Sails and Sail Handling)'' by Wallace Ross. 7.7 Films and videos BURDEN OF DREAMS, Film, About the making of Fitzcaraldo. FITZCARALDO, Film, Werner Herzog, director. SAILING AROUND THE HORN, Captain Irving Johnson, video This is a fantasic videotape. You can order it from the Mystic Seaport bookstore/gift catalog. Here in San Francisco, they have it for sale at the Maritime Museum bookstore. Capt. Johnson's film documents a rounding of the Horn in 1929 (?) aboard the ``Peking'', a 4-masted barque from the famous Laiesz stable of giant square-riggers. Amazingly, three of them still survive: ``Pommern'' at the Mariehamn Museum in the Aland Islands, ``Peking'' at the South Street Seaport in New York and ``Padua'' - still afloat as the Soviet training ship ``Kruzenshtern''. ANAPOLIS SAILING SCHOOL, John Rousmaniere, Five or six volumes on various aspects of sailing. A nice hands-on approach. I've only seen a couple of volumes, but I learned a *lot* in those two hours. DRUM, Video, Sail around the world with the crew of Drum, the hard luck maxi owned in part by rock star Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran fame. Great sailing footage of the 1986 Whitbread Race, good music by Le Bon. One of my favorite sailing videos. (wms). 7.8 Misc THE OXFORD COMPANION TO SHIPS AND THE SEA, ships An encyclodepia of nautical history and personalities.(sm). THE OXFORD BOOK OF THE SEA, An anthology of maritime literature.(sm). MEALS ON KEELS, Bluewater Cruising Association, Cookbook from local cruising ass'n in Vancouver. (dk2). VOYAGING UNDER POWER (3RD EDITION), Robert Beebe, The only book I know of about long range cruising in small (50 feet/15 meters or less) power yachts. The author has designed and built several such boats and taken them all over the world. (mh). SELL UP AND SAIL, Bill and Laurel Cooper, This book is hard to describe. It begins with the question of whether you are cut out for long distance cruising varied topics which aren't covered very well elsewhere. Laurel Cooper's sections on galley work and provisioning are among the best I have seen. Very British and sometimes startlingly irreverent. Useful and a good read.(mh). MANAGING YOUR ESCAPE, Katy Burke, How to arrange your life so that it does not require your presence. Oriented towards cruising but applicable to anyone wanting to pursue a freedom lifestyle.(mh). THE COMPLETE BOOK OF SAILBOAT BUYING, The editors of Practical Sailor, Two volumes, one covering the general subject of buying a boat, the other reprinting many of the PS boat review articles. The best general coverage of the topic. An earlier version called PRACTICAL BOAT BUYING is still in print. This is a single paperback volume.(mh) THE COMPLETE LIVE-ABOARD BOOK by Katy Burke. Every aspect of living aboard a boat, technical and otherwise. This is also a good guide to choosing a boat from the livability standpoint. Highly recommended.(mh). COOKING ON THE GO, Janet Groene, A complete cookbook which does not require refrigeration. Includes extensive information on long-term storage of foods, as for a major passage.(mh). THE WIND COMMANDS, Harry A. Morton, A history of sea-faring people and vessels from polynesian canoes to clipper ships with an emphasis on Pacific voyages and what was needed to make them. Morton discusses pivotal developments in ship design, navigation, maratime medicine which enabled ships to cross the Pacific, as well as the culture and lore of the sea. I didn't care for the writing style and organization. The book has an excellent bibliography. THE CARE AND FEEDING OF THE OFFSHORE CREW, Lin Pardey, The domestic side of offshore boatkeeping. Covers much more than galley topics and tells a good cruising story along the way.(mh). ROYCE'S SAILING ILLUSTRATED, Royce, A compact little book with a lot of info in it, including descriptions and pictures of sloops, schooners, marconi rigs, gaff rigs, etc., in other words, a general intro to the styles of boats that are around (although it doesn't get into the distinctions between a brig and a bark, etc., but these rarely come up in day-to-day harbor scans). THE ONE POT MEAL, Hannah G. Scheel., Not intended for boat use, but probably the most practical boat or RV cookbook around. I've used this since my college days. Probably out of print, but worth looking for.(mh). A FIELD GUIDE TO SAILBOATS, unknown, Or is it ``a field guide to boats''? This little book lists about 250 types of boats, from Dyer Dhows up to Columbia 50s. They are mostly ones that are in current production, and some of them are so painful to the eye that you want to know their names only in order to avoid them. Each page gives a drawing of the boat, with arrows pointing to distinctive features, and a long paragraph of text describing the boat. There's also basic info like tankage, sail area, displacement, length overall, waterline length, etc. (jfh). THE YACHTING COOKBOOK, Elizabeth Wheeler and Jennifer Trainer, The only coffee-table cookbook I know of. Contains some of the best recipes I have found anywhere, all easy to prepare. I use it at home more than on the boat. This is for coastal cruising, based on regional ingredients. Wheeler is a charterboat cook.(mh). * * * * * * * * * * * * Comments on this file may be addressed to The Captain ... he will then E-Mail them to the file's originator on Internet.