Description

Any body of water large enough to accommodate a boat is not immune to peril, and the rules of seamanship apply equally to an outboard motorboat chugging along the coast or a sailboat skimming over a lake. Essential Guide to Boating, Seamanship is the beginners guide to boating, providing in-depth information on boat handling and navigation, reading the weather, winds, and water, and dealing with, and preventing, extreme situations such as capsized boats. Beyond the basic tenets of mastering practical details, seamanship is built on skill in handling deck equipment, a thorough awareness of safety devices and how to use them, and a willingness to take pains with the preparation, stowage and maintenance of unglamorous but essential pieces of equipment. Sound seamanship often averts the need for emergency action. Simple precautions and basic seamanship knowledge can save any boater untold hours of discomfort or danger.