Boating Handbook

Publisher: Wiley Nautical, £12.99
Publication Date: 2008

Sub-titled All You Need To Know for Life on the Water, presented in a zipped transparent case, I was at once eager to view the contents. Laid out in the fashion of a modern First Aid manual sectioned off with bold blue and white separating pages, with excellent line drawings, and covering subjects such as, “why go boating”? Documents, Registrations and Licences, Equipment, First Aid, Knots, Cooking and Provisions. How could this book go wrong? Well it does! Although conceived and designed by a British company, whole sections are aimed at an American audience then translated. The inclusion of semaphore, reference to weather channels on VHF, that “Pan pan” is pronounced “Pawn”, and lengthy descriptions on differing buoyage systems in US, Australia and Africa spoil what could have been a beginners handbook. There have been many get afloat books over the years none with the potential this book had, with its novel layout. This book is not for the beginner, though the more experienced yottie might gain a wealth of information and tips from its pages. - DG