Best of
Maritime

1999

The Annapolis Book of Seamanship


John Rousmaniere - 1999
    Used throughout America as a textbook in sailing schools and Power Squadrons, The Annapolis Book of Seamanship thoroughly and clearly covers the fundamental and advanced skills of modern sailing. This edition of Annapolis is a major overhaul. Over half the book has been revised; old topics and features have been updated, and many new ones have been introduced. The design has been modernized, and many color illustrations have been added. As big and detailed as Annapolis is, the wealth of technical information (including dozens of step-by-step instructions) is presented here in a way that is uniquely readable; it's both useful and easy to use. This is because John Rousmaniere and artist Mark Smith bring to Annapolis decades of experience both as sailors and as professional communicators. Annapolis emphasizes the standard skills and proven methods that eliminate error and confusion, ensure security in emergencies, and allow every sailor more time for enjoyment on the water. Much has changed on the water since 1983 when this book was originally published. Black buoys are now green, the Global Positioning Satellite navigation system (GPS) is almost universally used, new types of anchors and sails have appeared, safety skills and gear are vastly improved, many more women are commanding boats, and catamarans and trimarans are common where only monohulls used to sail. But for all these modern developments, the basic skills and spirit of sailing have not changed at all. Sail trimming, keeping up steerageway, maintaining the dead reckoning plot, heaving-to -- these fundamentals are as important now as ever and receive much attention here. Among the innovations in this edition are: * Basic skills in early chapters: Fundamental sailing and boat-handling skills and gear, which are introduced in chapters 1, 2, and 3.* "Hands On" segments: Three dozen special sections, each devoted to a particular seamanship problem and an expert solution.* More how-to tips: Additional rules of thumb that guide a crew quickly and successfully through seamanship problems.* New coverage of multihulls: Advice on evaluating, anchoring, and handling catamarans and trimarans under sail (including in storms).* More on emergencies: New material on emergencies, safety, and heavy-weather sailing, including a section on preparing a docked boat for a hurricane.* Equipment updates: Expanded coverage of the use and care of modern gear and hardware, including radar, GPS, rescue devices, and asymmetrical spinnakers.* Terminology: Full definition and illustration of major terms when they're first introduced, with alternative language provided in parentheses.* Gender: The use of feminine personal pronouns, which reflect the fact that more women are captaining and sailing boats than ever before. From navigation and seamanship to boat and gear maintenance, from pleasure cruising to heavy-weather sailing, here is the definitive, state-of-the-art guide that provides systematic step-by-step techniques to see you through every situation on deck and in the cockpit.

Second to None


Alexander Kent - 1999
    Adam Bolitho, Admiral Richard Bolitho's nephew and heir, finds himself in command of Unrivalled, a new kind of frigate—sleek, fast, and heavily armed.

New Complete Sailing Manual


Steve Sleight - 1999
    From tacking and mooring to nautical etiquette, the guide covers every aspect of sailing, and includes advice and information on all types of craft, from dinghies to large cruisers.

Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere


John Vigor - 1999
    But what was once fantasy is now reality. With a growing glut of good used boats on the market, its possible to sail around the world in a boat that costs less than a car. In this fascinating book, well-known boating author John Vigor turns the spotlight on 20 seaworthy sailboats that are at home on the ocean. These are old fiberglass boats, mostly of traditional design and strong construction. All are small their sizes range from 20 feet to 32 feet overall but all have crossed oceans. Many have circumnavigated the world. And all are inexpensive. There are many hundreds of small cruising boats sailing the seven seas at this moment. They explore everywhere, from the ice-bound shores of Antarctica to the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Most, however, ply the tradewind routes where flying fish play. The water is warm, and coconut trees line calm lagoons bounded by beaches of pure white sand. But choosing the right boat to cross an ocean or go around the world can be a confusing and exasperating experience, particularly if your budget is tight. Its well-nigh impossible to find objective comparisons. Vigor sets out to remedy that in this book. He compares the designs and handling characteristics of 20 different boats whose prices on the secondhand market start at about $3,000. Interviews with experienced owners (featuring valuable tips about handling each boat in heavy weather) are interspersed with line drawings of hulls, sailplans, and accommodations. Vigor has unearthed the known weaknesses of each boat and explains how to deal with them. He rates their comparative seaworthiness, their speed, and the number of people they can carry in comfort. If you have ever dreamed the dream, this is the book that will turn it into reality.

Fatal Storm: The Inside Story of the Tragic Sydney-Hobart Race


Rob Mundle - 1999
    Rob Mundle takes readers through every white-knuckling hour of the gale that descended in the predawn hours of December 27, stretching over 900 miles from Australia to New Zealand, bringing with it hurricane strength winds and five-story waves. In all, 57 sailors were rescued, plucked from the decks of broken boats or from the sea itself under impossible conditions. Six sailors died.A Sydney-Hobart Race veteran himself, Rob Mundle had total and unequaled access to the people behind the story. The result is a tale of extreme adventure, extraordinary will, and the overwhelming emotional tales of survivors, rescuers, and the bereaved.

For Valour


Douglas Reeman - 1999
    Commander Graham Martineau, still haunted by the loss of his ship and crew to Nazi destroyers, must take on a new command: the Tribal Class destroyer Hakka.

Knockdown: The Harrowing True Account of a Yacht Race Turned Deadly


Martin Dugard - 1999
    Nineteen-ninety-eight proved why. Slammed by a sudden freak storm that unleashed ninety-mile-per-hour winds and waves seven stories tall, twenty-four boats were abandoned at sea as sixty-three sailors fought for their lives. Six would die, including two who would never be found. Here, premier adventure writer Martin Dugard recreates the emotional saga of these windswept sailors -- survivors and victims alike -- shedding fascinating light on this extreme sport

Titanic: A Journey Through Time


John P. Eaton - 1999
    Eaton and Charles A. Haas. Based on research conducted on three continents and containing over 625 illustrations, many never published before, this splendid volume covers more than 250 important dates in the Titanic story, from the births of key players in the tragedy to the latest expedition to recover artifacts, and includes the first detailed accounts of how the public learned the news of the sinking as well as court hearings to establish ownership rights to the wreck.An exclusive selection of the authors' own photographs of recent expeditions, plus new material and artifact photographs, make this an essential book for both the serious historian and the casual reader.

The Grand Fleet: Warship Design And Development 1906-1922


D.K. Brown - 1999
    The building of the new Dreadnought battleships and the controversial battlecruisers are covered in this book, as well as developments in the design of cruisers and smaller craft, and the new weapons of naval warfare--submarines and aircraft carriers. Brown provides a full analysis of the experience of battle damage along with an examination of the effect that damage had on post-World War I designs to the Washington Naval Treaty of 1923. Heavily illustrated with 200 contemporary photographs and line drawings of the most significant ships, this book will be a vital addition to the collections of naval historians and enthusiasts.

The Life And Adventures Of John Nicol, Mariner


John Nicol - 1999
    In his many voyages, the Scottish-born John Nichol circumnavigated the globe, visiting every inhabited continent. He participated in many of the greatest events of exploration and adventure. He battled pirates, traded with Native Americans and fought for the British Navy in the American and French Revolutions; he also travelled on the first female convict ship to Australia, was entertained in Hawaii by the king's court, days after the murder of Captain James Cook, and witnessed the horrors of the slave system in Jamaica.

The Voyage


Philip Caputo - 1999
    Pulitzer Prize-winning author Philip Caputo has written a timeless novel about the dangerous reverberating effects of long held family secrets.On a June morning in 1901, Cyrus Braithwaite orders his three sons to set sail from their Maine home aboard the family's forty-six-foot schooner and not return until September. Though confused and hurt by their father's cold-blooded actions, the three brothers soon rise to the occasion and embark on a breathtakingly perilous journey down the East Coast, headed for the Florida Keys.Almost one hundred years later, Cyrus's great-granddaughter Sybil sets out to uncover the events that transpired on the voyage. Her discoveries about the Braithwaite family and the America they lived in unfolds into a stunning tale of intrigue, murder, lies and deceit.

The History of Shipwrecks


Angus Konstam - 1999
    A full-color guide to the ships and treasures at the bottom of the sea.