Reading Dr. Gould's excellent guide to handling medical emergencies and having it aboard as a ready reference can make any boater more confident in coping with a medical emergency afloat. Special sections on using the radio and dealing with a medical evacuation will be helpful to an inexperienced crew member faced with a disabled captain. This selection from the Cornell Boaters Library is designed for those who do not plan to go on blue-water cruises, but who need to know how to deal with medical emergencies on board. The book is clear, explicit, and spiced with anecdotes from the authors own...

Sooner or later everyone who ventures out on the water will encounter strong winds and confused seas, fog, thunderstorms, or heavy rain. This book acquaints boaters with the forces that shape weather, allowing them to predict what changes can be expected. Part I presents a logical explanation of climate and weather, concentrating on those aspects that affect the mariner the most--wind speed and direction, low visibility, thunderstorms, gales, and hurricanes. The second part, which can be read independently, deals with the effects of climate and weather on the boater without delving into the...

Dockmanship, according to author Bell, is "the art, skill, and practice of safely berthing and unberthing a vessel." Anyone who has ever spent time observing the action at a marina or boat ramp will concede that the docking practiced by many recreational boaters today can hardly be considered an "art." Here is a book that provides the information to turn any skipper--even a novice--into a master of docking. Captains who feel they already perform well behind the helm will enjoy reviewing the standard and advanced techniques contained in this easily understood manual. The basics of rudders,...

Essential Seamanship presents, in abbreviated form, the most important and practical elements of seamanship and nautical knowledge needed by today's small boat skipper. It will serve aboard any vessel as a ready, up-to-date reference of essential information in condensed and simplified form. Topics covered include boat evaluation and fitting out, getting under way and securing, basic rowing, sailing and maneuvering under power, rules of the road, heavy weather, anchoring and mooring, and boat care and maintenance. To serve the novice, most boating terms are defined when they are introduced....