New
AcquisitionsManaging your Bluewater Cruise; Rory Burke & Sandra Buchanan; Promatec International (dist. by Thomas Reed pubs.), 1999; 0-473-03822-6; £17.50; CA 15811.
As a collection of sensible quotes from experienced liveaboards, the well-illustrated (B&W) text is unmatched. The chapters are liberally supported with useful lists & tables that help the reader to assimilate the advice and information offered. It is full of useful discussions on most of the important aspects of managing a pelagic liveaboard lifestyle.
A disappointment was the omission of any reference to simple unstayed rigs such as that of the cat-ketch (my choice) or Chinese junk. Another was the dangerous formula (12 x the square root of the depth) given for the calculation of the Scope of Cable for anchoring, based on a discredited/flawed RYA rule of thumb. A quick calculation shows that at 144 feet depth, the anchor would only just touch the bottom and at any greater depth, it would fail to do so!
It is certainly a book I would consult if planning a long voyage, as a useful supplement to the 2 others I would also recommend: Sell Up & Sail by Bill & Laurel Cooper and Voyaging on a Small Income by Annie Hill. Either of these could have been the book that Rory & Sandra were looking for (see Preface) but unable to find before they set off! - IG
Page prepared 18 January 2001
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