Boating Books

Now in an new and completely updated edition, The Book Of Rowing by rowing expert D. C. Churbuck presents just about everything any aspiring rower wanting to successfully engaging in this strenuous yet highly enjoyable sport and pastime needs to know. From sculling to off-the-water workouts to rowing clubs, international rowing, the Harvard-Yale Regatta and more, The Book Of Rowing is thoroughly "reader friendly" and enhanced with a bibliography, a glossary, a list of rowing teams and organizations, more than 60 black-and-white photographs, a list of races and regattas and more. The Book Of Rowing is a superbly organized and presented resource for rowers of all skill and experience levels -- and highly recommended reading for rowing enthusiasts past and present!

Praise to Overlook Press for getting this back in print. I have the hardcover first edition from 88, and it is one of the best designed books on my shelf. Unlike the usual blood and glory books on the sport: Halberstam and Kiesling, this one gets the job done in explaining a pretty opaque sport to the layman as well as the novice. Good history for the avid oarsperson too.

This is a classic overview of a classic sport, written from a ground-up perspective for the complete novice as well as experienced rowers looking for a good history. Churbuck takes the reader from the basic and mechanics of rowing to the history and traditions of the sport. There is some good how-to advice from rowing machines to sculling.

Great demonstrative and historical photography and line art. It is good to see this book back in print.

Such a great book. The history lesson alone makes it all worth while but even an experienced rower will find things to learn. Well written and an easy read. Looks like it's hard to find but give it a shot. I just found it at one of those sidewalk stands in New York and was looking to pick up a copy for an old college friend. Guess I'm stuck with a used copy for him.

A 132-year dominance in anything isn't likely to go quietly and the 1982 America's cup was no different. The American tradition of cut-throat-competitive yacht racing regularly produced America's cup defenders of the highest caliber and it was a major step to even grasp the magnitude of what really needed to be done in order to have a fighting chance at winning the race, let alone to actually carry it out. However, one man accomplished exactly that, he did it in style, and we are most fortunate to have this tome "printed in lightning bolts" as the foreword author, Richard Bach, puts it.

At the heart of it, the book is about much more than winning a boat race (although, to be fair, a very large portion of the book covers exactly that). It is the story of a man and his single-minded pursuit of his dream. The story grips the reader and draws you into the life of Bertrand. It puts you right there, standing right beside him at the helm through every mishap and expertly executed maneuver. It also takes tells the story away from the water, the stories of the exceptional men with whom he sailed, as well as his family. You will discover, along with Bertrand, what it takes to do what nobody has ever done before and, when all is said and done, you will feel privileged to have sailed with him.

I also wish to correct a gross injustice in the review written by Art Tirrel. It is clear that, at the time that he wrote his review, he had not read the book in its entirety. Had he done so, he would have known that Bertrand's boat, Australia II, was not in fact faster than Liberty, Dennis Conner's. He would have also noticed that the "charismatic Aussies" were not poorly organized and had to deliver the performance of their lives in order to win. To have suggested facts "from the reading" which are clearly contrary to what is written is bordering on insulting, and I can only guess at his motives for writing an inaccurate review.

A true underdog story, a magnificent recollection of one of the great sporting achievements of the 20th century, an endearing personal account of a man's journey - however you want to look at it, a riveting read. One of those rare books which will both entertain and educate the reader.

Fantastic book. It is an instructive lesson in how to prepare for what you overwhelmingly want to achieve. Being set in the context of one of the most famous sporting events in history, the attempt to wrest the America's Cup from the US after 132 years, makes it that much more exciting. Sailors will love it, but anyone interested in the psychology of winning will gain from this book.

This book is fabulous! For sailors, the story alone is worth the read, but it is much more than just a story about sailing. Bertrand's description of the final race against "the red boat" (Dennis Connor) is so powerful that I felt what he and his crew felt, even before I had read what they felt! Any reader interested in the nature of sport and competition will find this book valuable.

There's a saying in sailboat racing: nothing makes you look smarter than a fast boat. Yet John Bertrand and the crew of Australia II, despite having the demonstrably superior yacht, nearly failed to win the 1983 regatta that ended the longest winning streak in the history of sport.
Bertrand begins at the low point. Down three races to one in the best of seven series, Australia II is on her way out for the fifth race. One more loss and it's over.
What follows makes blow by blow, hold-your-breath reading. Bertrand opens with a major blunder. Australia II is over early - on the course before the starting signal - and has to go back and start correctly, thus handing the Americans and Dennis Conner a one minute advantage.
In match racing, such an error is almost always fatal. Once again, however, when you have the fast boat, mistakes tend not to be as costly. Eventually, Australia II makes up the lost time and sails to a wide margin of victory to remain alive in the series.
So, if they had the faster boat, how did Bertrand and crew manage to lose those three races? From the reading, I see two answers; in the "slow" boat, the American team sailed a series of unsurpassed magnificence, and the Australian team committed mistake after mistake. Race one - steering failure; race two - mainsail headboard broke; race five the major blunder described above. Fact is, from Bertrand's telling the charismatic Aussies were poorly organized in general. To complicate matters, syndicate owner Alan Bond's hatchet man Warren Jones seemed to enjoy putting the screws to Bertrand at every opportunity. Given these pressures, it's a miracle Bertrand could function on the water at all.
Born to Win stands out for its wonderful race descriptions and inside knowledge but sags when the author delves into the underlying personal issues - where maybe he sounds a little too self-serving. But what would you expect, it is his side of things he's telling.
Art Tirrell - author of The Secret Ever Keeps, Spring 2007 ISBN 978-1-60164-004-8.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

I purchase the Bur Bur books as gifts for the children in my life. These books are educational as well as fun to read. All of the books I've given as presents have been a huge hit!

We recently discovered Bur Bur and Friends books and love them! My son is able to read about and see children from different cultures in fun situations! My son especially loves the Boating ABC's book. We read it together every single night! A must have for mothers of toddlers!

While we don't own a boat, we have been on plenty of them throught the years. This is as close to an "Everything you wanted to teach your young child about boating, but were afraid to ask" primer as you can find. What Bur Bur learns about boating safety will keep anyone (Big people included) safe on the water.

As with the other Bur Bur books, there's a great message. But I would be ruining your self-discovery if I were to tell you what that message was now, wouldn't I?

Buy this and the other Bur Bur books for a special young person (or persons) in your life. They will love them and so will you.

This is a terrific book. Brad Lewis describes life within an America's Cup campaign with great balance between the on-the-water action and the shoreside struggles that consume the crew's daily life. Most importantly, Brad remembers the great characters found and friendships formed within a high pressure team environment.

A true look at the idosyncracies of the yacht racer. Brad states why they never are actually done with school, and what the signifigance is of the crew shirt. All this from an outsider who got thrust right into the top level of the sport.

Forget the gold rolex from the sailing ads. Sailing is hard work and the grinders are the toughest guys on the boat. This book gives an inside view of what goes on over the high seas!

Brad Lewis, Olympic Gold medalist in double scull, is at a lost as to his next challange. He falls into the opurtunity to participate in America's Cup Challenge racing. This book is the inside of the events, travel to Australia, and the inside of Lewis' experience. It is coherent, well writen, and always interesting. Often really funny and a few of the anacdotes still make me grin.

Great guide to all the inlets in Narragansett Bay and surrounding areas. The book has all the place we know of and we agree totally and we can't wait to try out the places we didn't know about.
Thank you for a great book.

Being very familiar with boating on Buzzards Bay i was drawn to expand my sea ventures. This book gave a great dipiction of the waters along the south coast of Mass and RI. I have already traveled to many of the destinations the book discussed. what a great service the author has done for the boating community

I always wondered what those old ruins were hidden on overgrown islands, the history of secluded anchorages.... Great naturalist, along the shore information. Excellent cruising guide!

I lived and sailed Narragansett Bay all my life and never knew the history behind all I was looking at. Excellent book and great fishing section!

This book is particularly suited to the owner of a cruising yacht .The range of information within the pages is complete i.e. ; if you knew what was contained in this book you would know a lot about sailing and cruising. It covers topics such as :Hull , Rig & Rigging,Sails, Seamanship and Navigation etc. I have an origional First edition(1950),and I read it on a regular basis and I still consider it my favourite book on sailing.The plates and illustrations are beautiful.

While some of the information is a bit dated (no GPS, for instance)there is good, solid, readable stuff here, everything from sleeping bags to celestial navigation, recipes to emergency repairs. Hiscock had real hands on, been there experience, circumnavigating (with his wife Susan) several times.

Far too many cruising books are of the "Oh, cut loose and have fun" type which can be more than a little dangerous. Collections of carefree cruising stories and anecdotes. Cruising Under Sail something else, serious, proven stuff that Hiscock has collected from among the most successful cruising sailors.

Hiscock's classic text on long distance cruising has been the bible of long distance sailors for two or three generations now. What it lacks in the latest gadgets it makes up for with decades of experience and knowledge of the subject. The safety at sea section alone is worth the price. Chapters include ropes and rope work, masts and sails (cruising sails, not racing sails), accommodations and living on board, passages and navigation. Unless you already have a decade of long distance sailing behind you this is a valuable book.

This book still is valuable for sailors. The technical information is dated, but the prudent, workmanlike approach to the whole business of sailing around the world is timeless. The ocean hasn't changed much in 30 years.

Tom Clavin has done a fine job with a riveting narrative of the events before, during and after the accident with the Pelican. It must have been incredibly difficult to research this tragedy which took place in 1951, but the author brings it to life in a very readable and informative style.

When I was writing Ten Hours Until Dawn it was challenging enough because the sea rescue and tragedy I was writing about was 28 years old, so to think Tom Clavin made an event 54 years old read like it happened yesterday is really amazing.
Dark Noon is a must read for anyone who likes adventure, history, and maritime lore.

I liked the book, because the author was able to incorporate local color into an era that dates back over 50 years. Local and New York city news archives along with in depth interviews no doubt helps bring the reader into the 1950's time period. There were however some inaccurate historical facts included. This is why I rated it 4 stars. Anyone interested in maritime stories should pickup a copy.

Going up in the air, or out to sea (or building your city below sea level like New Orleans) means that once in a while nature takes offense and smites these people with something nasty. On Labor Day in 1951 the charter fishing boat Pelican faced a ferocious storm that blew in without warning. Overloaded with 62 passengers when half that would have been safe, the Pelican sank and most of them drowned.

Mr. Clavin has written a story that brings the story of the Pelican to life. He describes the atmosphere of New Yorkers catching the train out to the tip of Long Island and for $8 going fishing out on the Atlantic. He is able to make the book read like a good mystery, as if we didn't know what was going to happen.

He includes a discussion of the boat and its captain, the weather and how the sudden storm arose. He tells of the rescue of some of the passengers and what has happened to montauk since.

In this season of great storms, and with the first anniversary of the Asian tsunami approaching, we have repeatedly been reminded of both our mortality and vulnerability in the face of nature's sometimes unpredictable, and certainly uncontrollable, wrath. In that vein, noted journalist and author Tom Clavin has written a book that looks back over 50 years to what can only be described as a "small" storm, though it had devastating consequences for scores of people, their families and friends, and in particular, one community that relied on the benevolence and bounty of the sea for its livelihood, and future well being.

Dark Noon is about a freak storm, a squall really, that hardly registered beyond the confines of the far East End of Long Island on a Labor Day weekend in 1951, six years after the end of World War II, and one year into the now almost forgotten "police action" that would take thousands of lives in Korea. But as Clavin's book makes poignantly clear, even a footnote to history can have profound consequences to those involved, and in this case, provide riveting drama to a new generation of readers.

Clavin paints a vivid picture of the sometimes hard-luck fishing village of Montauk (about 100 miles east of New York city) at the mid-point of the past century. We are reminded of how different America, and this now "glamorous" outpost of the Hamptons, once was, while at the same time, we inevitably see the parallels with today. As already noted, one war had just ended, and one was commencing. Americans who had survived the Great Depression, and secured the major regions of their planet with blood and sacrifice were looking forward to a peaceful and prosperous tomorrow. But at the same time, the world around them had changed, and not necessarily for the better. With another war brewing far away, and the specter of the atomic bomb always present, they so much wanted to simply relax and have some fun on that fateful Labor Day weekend so long ago.

The particular diversion that Dark Noon examines is the once booming recreational fishing business in Montauk. Every weekend, thousands of (mostly blue-collar New York city) anglers would board a Long Island Railroad train called the "Fisherman's Special" in the early hours of the morning, then stream out of the station at the end of the line. There they would crowd onto a series of "open boats" that took them out into the Atlantic for some "deep-sea" fishing. One of those boats, the Pelican, is the primary subject of this book. Captained by a handsome and charismatic World War II veteran named Eddie Carroll-who in the now grainy newspaper prints of the time somewhat resembles a Cary Grant with his captain's hat cocked just so to the side-the Pelican became a magnet for the fishing crowd.

Carroll, who was carrying an engagement ring in his pocket that he hoped to slip on his lovely, Swedish girlfriend's finger, was the most popular of a host of captains who worked out of a dockyard once know (without a trace of irony) as "Fishangri-la." But perhaps the lovely weather that morning, the luck of past voyages where Carroll's customers were rewarded with big catches, or the knowledge that the season was coming to an end-and his new life about to start-lured Carroll into a false sense of security. The Pelican put out to sea with over 60 passengers, making it far too heavy to handle in the event of a sudden change in fortune. And, of course, that is precisely what happened to the Pelican, as the reader well knows before even starting the book.

But knowing the ending does not distract from the steadily building drama, and terrible foreboding, as Clavin introduces us, one by one, to the passengers, the crew of the Pelican, the surrounding cast of captains and mates on other boats, and those who wait back onshore. Among those captains, by the way, is the legendary Frank Mundus, who later became the world's most famous shark hunter and the model for Quint in Jaws. He is also an important, and fascinating figure in this book.

To say more about how it all ends would rob the reader of the story's harrowing, and yes, heart-breaking climax, as the storm builds and events overtake the Pelican. But suffice it to say, you are likely to shed a few tears as the characters who inhabit this story begin to plunge into the sea, and then fight for survival. Of course, there is heroism and horror aplenty, plus stupidity and amazing resourcefulness. In that regard, this book reminds us of the last moments in that super-hit film of the Titanic disaster, but thankfully, spares us all the ludicrous melodrama. Truth is always far more compelling, and Clavin is masterful at delivering the real deal.

THIS 1998 EDITION HAS BEEN UPDATED. We came out with a new second edition in May 2003; and amazon.com does carry it. However after six months of trying, we've been unsuccessful at getting amazon to reflect this on their websites. You can find this newer second edition on amazon, but you must type in the title field, and verbatim, "Discovering The Tidal Potomac, Second Edition." OR you can purchase this book from many marina ship stores along the Potomac. OR you can purchase an autographed copy directly from me. Please visit the webite, "www.heronislandguides.com" or send me an email: "rkrhodes@hotmail.com" Captain Rick

Better laid out, but color is gone. Still the best guide around.

Mr. Rhodes, I will recommend this book to every boater I have met and to those I will meet. I wish you the best of luck. To those of you reading, please note my recommendation.

This is definitely the BEST cruising guide that I've ever owned. Each of the many maps are annotated, for ease of reference. The restaurant reviews are consistent with our experiences, as are the descriptions of the places to visit and see.

Dr. Beach's Survival Guide is a terrific book that really hits the mark! The book is small, informative, easy to read, and adroitly uses simple but effective diagrams and charts to relay concepts to the reader. I would think that this guide is a "must read" for anyone contemplating a beach vacation. The book addresses widely-held beach mythology and clarifies many misconceptions about beaches, waves, currents, common beach dangers (such as sharks, etc.), and a host of other related topics. Seldom can you purchase such a wealth of information at such a reasonable price. This book should be on every out-doorsman's bookshelf!

This is another excellent book from Dr. Beach, one of the country's foremost authorities on coastal processes. This book is a fine introduction to the hazards at the beach. His chapter on rip currents is especially interesting and informative. Anyone who ventures onto the beach and into the water should read this section in order to recognize the telltale signs of a rip current.

If you're a regular beach-goer like I am, this little book is a gold mine. Although not big, it's filled with interesting information about beaches, sharks, and other things that can mess up your beach vacation. While the shark section is a real eye-opener, its all the details about how beaches really work that I liked most. Who would have thought there would be so much to know about our favorite summer vacation spots? I guess if anyone would know about beaches, it's Dr. Beach! This is a great little book that's now a permanent part of my beach gear.

This book is full of interesting info and useful tidbits about the dangers and hazards of going to the beach. Some of this I already knew, but much of it was new. For example, when I was growing up in L.A. as a beach bum, I learned that you can spot riptides by standing on the cliff or getting a little elevation, such as by climbing up a lifeguard stand, and looking for a triangle of white water pointing out to sea. They could be anywhere from 50 feet wide to hundreds of yards wide, but they were detectable if you knew what to look for. I also learned that most sharks don't like the murky water where the waves are breaking and stirring up the sand, and to head for that if there was trouble. Better yet, just get out of the water. I learned how to recognized each shark species by their fins and which ones to get out of the water if they appeared, such as bluefins, which are also known man-eaters in addition to the infamous great whites. Interestingly enough, technically great whites are only "man-biters" rather than mean-eaters. They usually bite humans by mistake looking for seals, their favorite food, and so spit it out. Of course, that's not much consolation to the person at that point. Some of these attacks are because a swimmer in a wet suit looks a lot like a seal with their dark, blubbery skin. It's also probably not a good idea to decorate the bottom and sides of your sea kayak with pictures of seals, as I saw once. :-)

Having been at the beach many times and body-surfed some pretty big waves occasionally, I've had a few harrowing experiences myself. I once had the experience of being in an undertoe that actually pulled me underneath the water, but only for about 5 seconds. It was still a little scary. One time I stupidly tried to ride an 18-foot wave and almost got killed because the wave was what the Aussies call "a dumper" and it smashed me on the bottom. You should avoid fast-breaking dumpers because of that. I think the biggest wave that's safe to ride for most people is probably about 10 feet, unless you've got a belly board, which can outrun the break. Wearing one swim fin (yes, only one is needed, because it's inconvenient to have two fins on) is a trick experienced body-surfers use, that's also helpful for catching waves. Back in the 60's, I saw TV footage of this crazy guy belly-boarding 30-foot waves at Waimea. Talk about guts.

The beach that's the king of the riptides is Sunset Beach in Hawaii. Many people have died there because of rips, and it's capable of pulling you under, too. Once it pulled 3 surfers under at the same time, who unfortunately drowned. One thing to remember is if you "wipe out," be sure to tuck and roll up into a ball. One thing that happens to tourists and neophytes at Sunset is that when they go "over the falls," they don't tuck and then get slammed face first into the bottom, breaking their necks. This happened recently to a young couple that was on their honeymoon, and it's happened a number of times to inexperienced swimmers and body-surfers before. So be careful about that.

Speaking of getting pulled under, I once had the idea for a little invention, a small oxygen cylinder that would weigh maybe 5 or 10 pounds max but that would contain enough air to allow you to breath for a few minutes, if you were going swimming or body- surfing, especially at a potentially dangerous beach like Sunset. Not sure if it would be practical, but I never did follow up on it to find out. But there were a number of times when I wiped out on a big wave and didn't get to take a full breath before I got slammed under, and then I got held down for 20-30 seconds or so, or had to stay down that long because of other breaking waves, and I was almost out of air a couple of times before I was able to surface, and that would have been nice to have.

Another odd fact is that the reason why your feet itch after a day at the beach, at least on western U.S. beaches. It's not because of the hot sand and the salt water. It's because of the pieces of jellyfish, especially man-'o-war, that wash up on the beach, and can still irritate your feet even after days on the sand.

Well, if I haven't scared you off completely from going to the beach again, this is a great little book to learn about all the hazards and dangers. Good luck and happy beach-going!

Orig published in 1904 and re-issued in '27, '35, '38 and 2001. Heavy on math, (lots of formulas) excellent drawings and charts. Includes some on power yachts, including hydroplanes. The principles remain the same. Excellent reference, but probably a little much for the true beginner.

Word of warning, although this book is probably excellent as well in the elements of yacht design, the most current edition is the 8th edition, not the reprinted 6th edition. Please note that the 8th edition contains more modern construction methods and materials. Unfortunately the 8th edition is out of print so it is kind of difficult to find. (Published in 1973 and later) Good luck and good designing.

A proven book on Yacht Hydrodynamics, often out of Print but relatively recently available again. Note that emphasis is on Design, which in this case refers to the particulars of Hydrodynamics of Yachts and not as some might assume to mechanical engineering or even interior decorating.

This is the classic book on yacht design. The "Manual of Calculations" at the back of the book is worth the cost of the entire book. More detailed/scientific than most other books on the topic of Yacht Design. Tends to focus a bit to much on rules-based-sail racing (from my persepctive) but otherwise excellent- a must have if you are planning to design anything that floats!