From Behemoth to Microship:

A Detailed Look at Two Platforms for Technomadic Adventure

by Steven K. Roberts
 

A new stage in the progression from Behemoth  (the extraordinary motorbike) to the Fulmar Project (booklet available from MM’s book section) the first move onto the water, and now to the Microship... the amateur-built boat resembling an F-31 Farrier design. Steven Roberts, a freelance writer and publisher involved in video projects, data collection, and consulting is proving that you can take all your high-tech computers, electronics and modems communications gizmos to sea  and cut yourself free from the land-based, land-locked claustrophobic feeling. Soft cover, b&w photos, graphs
 

#470 Staple-bound, b&w photos, graphs, 8 1/2” x 11”, 44pp …$5.00

 

 

 

 

Getting Started In Powerboating

by Bob Armstrong
 

Due to the increasing interest in power multi­hulls, we have included this book in our library and made it available to our readers. Covers power­boats from 16' to 60', including a chapter on power catamarans. Other subjects: single and twin engine operation; inboards, outboards, and sterndrives; planing, displacement, and semi-displacement hulls; trailerable and non-trailerable boats.
 

#318 Softcover, 7 1/4" x 9", 217 pp, b&w illustrations …$17.95

 

 

 

 

Handbook of Offshore Cruising

by Jim Howard
 

Every serious sailor dreams of the great adventure of offshore cruising – leaving it all behind and going for the big One – single-handed or with a small crew. Jim Howard has cruised the oceans of the world for many years, and has now written a book that tells you about the reality of this dream.

For easy reference, this book is divided into 4 parts: The Boat, the Systems & Equipment, the Voyage, and In Port.

Part 1, The Boat, consists of 11 chapters that range from building or buying a boat, choosing the rig, to construction materials and deck, cockpit, and cabin layout.

Part 2, Systems & Equipment, covers the engine, electrical systems and electronics, plumbing, self-steering systems, as well as cruising sails and magnetic steering compasses.

In Part 3 and 4, everything about the voyage and being in port is studied. That includes weather at sea and in port; trip planning, provisioning, main­tenance and repairs. Anchoring is given a thorough treatment.

Howard even delves into the Psychological Aspects; here is an excerpt from that chapter:

“Almost every time I leave on an ocean passage (single-handed) after being in port for several weeks, some visitors come aboard the first few nights. Most of the visitors are animals: dogs, chicken, the occasional cat, and the old pig. OK, I don’t actually see them, but I hear them clearly. Then. after a day or so, the animals go away. Perhaps they don’t enjoy sailing, or maybe they get tired of my sea stories and jokes.

“As the voyage continues, and the boat and I settle into a routine, human visitors sign aboard. Again, they don’t make a visual appearance, but I know they are there because of their voices. Usually they arrive at night, but sometimes I hear them during the day.

“I may be reading, daydreaming or snoozing, and someone will call my name. Often it is the voice of a friend from many years ago, someone I haven’t seen or even thought about in years, but recognize immediately. Less often it will be a stranger’s voice. On more than one occasion, when lying down in the cabin, I have gotten up to see if someone has come into the cockpit, or if perhaps there is someone nearby on another boat or in a life raft.

“Actually seeing the people who come aboard my boat in the middle of the ocean is more unusual. This only happens in hard going such as after fighting a gale for a day or so. We seldom talk much. Mostly we just sit around and eye one another suspiciously. I reckon they are as skeptical of me as I am of them. We maintain a sort of peaceful coexistence, and eventually they depart.

“I have learned that my experiences are not so different from those of others. In fact, the stories mentioned by some are far more arcane than anything I have experienced so far.” 

Handbook of Offshore Cruising contains 40 chapters, which cover all relevant topics for extensive offshore cruises; 15 comprehensive appendices complete this major new manual. Howard proves cruising  can be done safely and even inexpensively.

About the author: Jim Howard, formerly a research professor of marine geology, began sailing in 1973 in Savannah, Georgia. He left the east coast of the US in 1985 to start a circumnavigation. After some 50,000 miles under sail he is still in the midst of his voyage, having visited Jamaica, Panama, the West Coast, Hawaii, numerous Pacific islands, as well as Japan, Korea and New Zealand. During a 3-year layover in Japan he began writing for Japanese sailing magazines, and also co-authored 2 books that were translated into Japanese,

The book is illustrated with drawings, clarifying technical points, and unusual beauty by well-known Japanese marine artist and illustrator Tadami Takahashi.
 

#448 Hardcover, 468 pp, 75 illustrations …$45.00...Now $35.00

 

 

 

 

Heavy Weather Sailing – 30th Anniversary Ed.

by Adlard Coles

(revised by Peter Bruce)
 

Since this book was first published in 1967, it has become the standard work on seamanship under gale conditions. Over 100,000 copies have been printed in the English language, and it has been translated into French, German, Dutch, Italian, Swedish, and Spanish.

This much-expanded edition is the first thorough revision in 16 years. Twenty new chapters from expert contributors on both sides of the Atlantic cover modern hull shapes and rigs, the latest gear and strategies for outlasting storms at sea, and advances in weather knowledge. There are also chapters on powerboat and (of special interest to our readers) multihull management in heavy weather.

The material carried over from the third edition remains as gripping and useful as ever. Under such titles as “September Hurricane” and “Twice Rolled Over,” spine-tingling we-were-there stories are told, followed by post-mortems analyzing which gear and tactics worked and which didn’t. With the aid of the comprehensive index, the sailor of a vessel designed and equipped to the standards of the 1990s will be ready for any weather.

If ever there was a definitive volume based on a lifetime’s cruising and racing, and which profited from the knowledge of experienced yachtsmen and organizations, this is it.

Adlard Coles sailed and cruised for more than 50 years, taking up ocean racing after WW II. His experience in gale conditions made him a frequent winner in heavy-weather races. He won the 1950 Transatlantic Race, followed by many other successes, which led to his being elected Yachtsman of the Year in 1957. He continued ocean racing for 10 more years, and also cruised extensively. In 1969, he was awarded the Royal Cruising Club medal for services to cruising; and in ’71, the gold medal of the Royal Institute of Navigation. He died in 1985.

During many years of seagoing in the Royal Navy, Peter Bruce encountered extraordinary rough winter weather in the mid-Atlantic, off Nova Scotia and Cape Town, and in typhoons off Japan and Baja California.  He achieved a string of victories in his own yachts in all weather conditions, with his most remarkable results being won during the stormiest weather; and he twice was on Britain’s winning Admiral’s Cup team.
 

#138 Softcover, 71/4" x 10", 411pp, index, many drawings and b&w photos …$39.95

 

 

 

 

Home Is Where The Boat Is

by Emy Thomas
 

This is a lighthearted and informative book about the cruising lifestyle. The author is an American jour­nalist who writes for sailors and laymen alike, about the day-to-day existence of the international sailing fraternity, the ‘yachties’ who wander the oceans of the world as a way of life.

About the author: Emy Thomas is a New Englander who went to excellent schools and had a respectable career in journalism. Then she fell in love with a ‘yachtie’ and together they sailed away. One beautiful island led to another, throughout the Caribbean and the Pacific – 13 years later, they had wandered halfway around the world. The boat that was ‘home’ was a 45-foot Wharram-designed catamaran. This is her informative and entertaining insider’s report on the cruising lifestyle.

The chapters cover many topics: 1. Sailing Away; 2. Cruising, and the Search for Utopia; 3. Yachties; 4. The Yachtie Style; 5. Jobs; 6. Cruising Yachts; 7. Home Afloat; 8. Engines; 9. Maintenance; 10. Wheels; 11. Cooking; 12. Provisioning; 13. To Market; 14. Meeting the People; 15. Trading; 16. Ode to the Coconut; 17. Fishing; 18. Navigation; 19. Nauticalese; 20. Keeping Watch; 21. Crew; 22. The Long Haul; 23. Health; 24. Seasickness; 25. Formalities; 26. Hurricane Season; 27. Stormy Weather; 28. Survival; 29. Keeping in touch; 30. Water; 31. Garbage and Sewage; 32. Laundry; 33. Languages; 34. Kids; 35. Pets; 36. Thieves and Pirates.
 

#446 Softcover, 6” x 9,” 147 pp, drawn illustrations …$10.00

 

 

 

 

How to Fiberglass Boats – 2nd Edition

by Ken Hankinson, N.A.
 

This is a general “how-to” book on covering boats with fiberglass when used in conjunction with a variety of types of resins. With minor modifications, the information given in it can be used to suit one’s specific requirements.

It is written in an informal style, and is based on both the author’s and others’ personal experiences, and on research and testing by other designers, manufacturers, suppliers, and technical people in this field.

One of the prime purposes of this book is to tell the reader how and why fiberglass failures occur, in order to dispel his fear and anxiety about using the material.

Contents: Why Cover a Boat with Fiberglass?; Fiberglass Materials:  Resins, How Much Will You Need?; Tools & Equipment; Fiberglassing Old Boats; How to Use the Materials; How Fiberglass Boats Are Made; One-off Construction Methods; Vectra Polypropylene Fiber Fabric; Dynel Modacrylic Fiber Fabric; Arabol Glue and Fabric Sheathing; Cascover Sheathing Process; Safety.
 

#140 Softcover, 8 1/2” x 10 3/4”, 128pp, b&w photographs …$18.95

 

 

Independent Energy Guide

by Kevin Jeffrey
 

With this comprehensive guide you can plan the ideal independent power system for your home, boat, or RV. You’ll understand how a power system works, be able to talk intelligently with equipment suppliers about your needs, and have the necessary tools to make and manage your own electricity. Beyond the efficient production and consumption of electrical power, this book offers a window of independent living to the world.

The author shows that living independently does not mean doing without. This book supersedes the author’s previous work, Boatowner’s Energy Planner, now out of print.

Independent Energy Guide has five parts:

Part I: The Basics;

Part II: DC Charging Sources;

Part III: AC Power Systems;

Part IV: Storing, Monitoring & Using Electrical Power;

Part V: Sizing & Selecting Your System

Each Part has several Chapters: Concepts; Solar Power; Wind-, Water-, Engine-driven generators; Battery Charging; Inverters; System Monitoring; Efficiency; and much more. The author is a regular contributor to MM, and writes an energy column for each issue.
 

#149 Softcover, 7" x 9 1/2", b&w photos, wiring schematics …$19.95

 

 

 

 

The Intracoastal Waterway – Norfolk to Miami

by Jan & Bill Moeller
 

This is a mile-by-mile detailed book listing over 300 marinas, 115 anchorages, bridge schedules and heights. Where are the post offices? What are the distances? What charts are needed? All these questions are answered in this easy-to-use 150-page spiral-bound book.
 

#262 Softcover, spiral-bound, b&w photos, 6" x 9," 150pp …$19.95...Now $5.00

 

 

John Shuttleworth Multihull Designs

by John Shuttleworth
 

This 120 booklet is a photocopy collection of Shuttleworth’s design drawings and articles that appeared in early issues of MULTIHULLS, Multihull International, and other publications. Some good (and not-so-good) photographs and detailed drawings illustrate the designer’s work through the years from 1982 to date.
 

#314 Softcover, 120 pp …$25.00