The diesel engine is by far the most popular powerplant for boats of all sizes, both power and sail. With the right care and maintenance it is twice as reliable as the petrol engine as it has no electrical ignition system, which in the marine environment can suffer from the effects of damp surroundings. Self-sufficiency at sea and the ability to solve minor engine problems without having to alert the lifeboat is an essential part of good seamanship. Marine Diesel Engines, explains through ...

Minnie as her name suggests is a Mini-Digger working in a quarry, alongside full sized heavy duty quarry diggers. She was brought over from Japan with her friend Laurie a small tipper truck and together they provide small quantities of aggregate for minor building companies while the big diggers and trucks produce huge amounts of aggregate for the heavy construction industry.The big machines laugh and joke about Minnie and Laurie and are generally unkind to them due to their diminu...

A hippy Sell Up and Sail , this entertaining and inspiring book is more than just a cruising narrative - it is an instructive account showing how anyone can circumnavigate (or even sail for an extended period) without huge funds. Lars Hassler originally set off intending to sail for three years, but by judiciously using his funds, and topping them up by taking charter guests on cruises, he sailed around the world for ten years. Woven into the book is advice on costs, distances, timing, pow...

This densely illustrated, hands-on guide to diesel engine maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair renders its subject more user-friendly than ever before. Finally, boatowners who grew up with gas engines can set aside their fears about tinkering with diesels, which are safer and increasingly more prevalent. As in other volumes in the International Marine Sailboat Library, every step of every procedure is illustrated, so that users can work from the illustrations alone. The troubleshooting...

“Vigor is one of the finest boating writers of our time.”--Cruising World“You name it, it’s in here. Covers every boating situation. This book is both informative and entertaining.”--Latitudes & Attitudes“John Vigor is the answer guy if you’re having onboard arguments about nautical terminology or the science of sailing in general, and his new book lives up to the promise in its title.”--Good Old BoatWhether it’s boat main...

Transform basic sailing skills into true masteryNo other sport is as complex or as gear- and technique-intensive as sailing. The details and nuances are vast, but beneath the surface are 22 elements, or core areas of knowledge. By understanding these principles you can attain true mastery: tie any knot, shape any sail, take the helm of any boat, no matter how large or unfamiliar.

Aged just 23, and already set on a life of adventure, Roger Taylor signed up as an able seaman on the square-rigger Endeavour II, bound from Australia to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. It was the realisation of a boyhood dream. The dream was cruelly shattered when the ship was caught in a fierce tropical storm off the coast of northern New Zealand. For several days, the young crew fought in horrific conditions to keep the ship off the hostile cliffs to leeward. Their efforts were in ...

"Secrets' is the modern Bowditch, written so clearly that navigation and seamanship will be comprehensible to anyone . . ."-- Dave and Jaja Martin, circumnavigators and authors of Into the Light: A Family's Epic Journey"It's a great book. The prose is simple and clear . . ."--John Vigor, author of The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat"The nautical tips and techniques presented are encyclopedic, ye...

Here's what reviewers have said about this book:This book is full of well-illustrated ideas to make your boat safer and more comfortable. All of the projects are easy and economical to perform most with common items available at any hardware store. This is a great read for novices as well as seasoned sailors and particularly for those with smaller boats and weekend cruisers.. . .Downloaded the book before I went sailing.........big mistake! All I wanted to do was get b...

DON'T HOLD BACK is a must read for all who hear the call of adventure. Tears, terrors, joy and laughter entertains the reader as he follows John around the world on his boat, Moondancer. After years as a ski bum and white water kayaker in the Rocky Mountains, John undertakes his greatest challenge of all, the Worlds Oceans. He quits his job, buys a boat and begins living the Dream entertained by many of us. An amazing man of action who enjoys life to the fullest while experiencing the wond...

Les Powles only had 8 hours of sailing experience when he decided to sail solo around the world. Many novices would be content to just dream of such an adventure, and maybe get as far as a solo Channel crossing a couple of years down the line. Not so Les Powles, one of the twentieth century's most extraordinary and eccentric sailors.Les was in his 50s when he built himself a yacht with little prior knowledge of boatbuilding. Remarkably he made it across the Atlantic, though his nav...

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stone Barrington series tells the true story of his journey sailing alone across the Atlantic Ocean.Stuart Woods had never owned more than a dinghy before setting out on one of the world’s most demanding sea voyages, navigating single-handedly across the Atlantic. How, at the age of thirty-seven, did this self-proclaimed novice go from small ponds to the big sea?Now with a new afterword that looks bac...