Mastering Navigation at Sea
De-Mystifying Navigation for the Cruising Skipper
Published on 30. October 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-1-912621-09-5 (ISBN)
Description
A lot of people are drawn to the sea, and for good reason - it's the world's last wild and largely unspoilt wilderness. But to properly enjoy the sea, and to do so safely, you must have the skills, knowledge and confidence to plan thoroughly and stay one step ahead of the game.
This book is thoughtfully written to help yachtsmen do just that. It's not another navigation textbook; it's written by a mariner for other mariners. It's well-informed, easy to read and honest about the author's triumphs and disasters over a lifetime's navigating.
He has a unique perspective having navigated in many parts of the world from high up on the bridge of a warship, close to the water in a cruising yacht and at depth in a submarine. After his navy career he was Chief Executive of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), often dealing with the consequences of poor navigation.
The author brings the subject to life in a book that is designed to help yachtsmen refresh their knowledge of, and their enthusiasm for, the timeless skills of navigation.
It is packed with hundreds of illustrations - colour photographs, charts, diagrams and tables - making the text easy to understand. The book is part of Fernhurst Books' Skipper's Library series of practical books for the cruising sailor.
This book is thoughtfully written to help yachtsmen do just that. It's not another navigation textbook; it's written by a mariner for other mariners. It's well-informed, easy to read and honest about the author's triumphs and disasters over a lifetime's navigating.
He has a unique perspective having navigated in many parts of the world from high up on the bridge of a warship, close to the water in a cruising yacht and at depth in a submarine. After his navy career he was Chief Executive of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), often dealing with the consequences of poor navigation.
The author brings the subject to life in a book that is designed to help yachtsmen refresh their knowledge of, and their enthusiasm for, the timeless skills of navigation.
It is packed with hundreds of illustrations - colour photographs, charts, diagrams and tables - making the text easy to understand. The book is part of Fernhurst Books' Skipper's Library series of practical books for the cruising sailor.
Reviews / Votes
"It's beautifully laid out, very clear and easy to understand, and very knowledgeable." (Weems & Plath)"Boissier's latest book is superbly illustrated, informative - and offers prime snippets of the author's triumphs and disasters over a lifetime's navigating... A writer who shares rather than dictates a lesson. Highly recommended." (Julian Stockwin)
"This book covers everything needed in order to know where you are at a given moment, plan a voyage, predict water movement around the boat, calculate a course to steer and estimate arrival time." (Classic Boat)
"The chapters on pilotage and blind navigation are the best I have read, as are the chapters on tidal heights and streams, which contain useful rules of thumb, various tricks of the trade and other tips follow in subsequent chapters... Most people will probably learn something from this book. It is very well written and the explanations are clear, as are the diagrams and well-chosen illustrations." (Royal Cruising Club)
"There is a wealth of practical detail and advice within the soft-back volume's 208 comprehensively illustrated full-colour pages... Navigation manuals are a crowded field but this one deserves its place in the skipper's library." (Cruising Association)
"Navigation techniques are brought to life with practical experience and insightful commentary in his honest account of the highs and lows across a lifetime of navigating... a useful guide for the fresh-faced amateur as well as the experienced sailor." (RNLI Lifeboat)
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Leamington Spa
United Kingdom
Illustrations
47 Illustrations, color; 65 Charts; 73 Halftones, color
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 168 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
512 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-912621-09-5 (9781912621095)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2020
Fernhurst Books Limited
€17.27
Available for download
Person
A professional navigator, Paul Boissier has spent much of his professional career working on the sea, or in support of the people who go to sea. He has commanded and navigated ships and submarines in many parts of the world, as well as spending a lot of time afloat in yachts. Paul also spent 10 years as Chief Executive of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. He loves the sea and has had a lifelong fascination with charts and navigation.
Content
Paul Boissier, Foreword, Introduction; PART ONE: THE THEORY: 1. The World, & How It's Portrayed; 2. Charts; 3. Position, Angles, Distance & Speed; 4. Movement Of Water: The Height Of Tide; 5. Movement Of Water: Tidal Streams & Currents; 6. The Fix; 7. Visual Aids To Navigation: Buoys, Rocks & Wrecks; 8. Radar & Radio Aids To Navigation; 9. Navigation Equipment; 10. Reference Books; 11. A Few Thoughts About Safe Navigation; 12. A Few Tricks Of The Trade; PART TWO: TYPES OF NAVIGATION: 13. Pilotage; 14. Blind Pilotage; 15. Anchoring; 16. Coastal Navigation; 17. Offshore Navigation; PART THREE: IN PRACTICE: 18. Passage Planning; 19. Lymington To Hurst Castle; 20. Hurst Castle To The Needles; 21. The Needles To The Casquets; 22. Casquets To The Little Russel; 23. Little Russel Into St Peter Port; 24. Some Cautionary Tales