Harry Parker was probably the most important figure in American rowing of the past century. His heavyweight crews at Harvard topped the leagues more consistently than any other team (they won the Eastern Sprints regatta, against most of the top college crews, more than three times as often as their nearest rival). From the time they miraculously won the 1963 Harvard-Yale Race at the end of his first year at the helm, his varsity didn't lose a race for six years, and they didn't lose to Yale until the Reagan administration. He was the first US National Team coach, and oversaw five Olympic teams. He coached the sons of his great oarsmen from the 60's and 70's, and at age 70 was still putting the sons to shame on a bicycle, or running the steps of the Harvard Stadium. He was respected by all, revered and adored by his rowers, and yet no one seemed to know him. The persistent myth was that he hardly said a word, and that his powerful mystique alone made his oarsmen great and their boats go fast. Though a fundamentally compelling figure, Parker's famous reticence means that few managed to spend much time close to him. Since he made no attempt to explain himself, legends abound: he never got older; he could control the weather; he could walk on water. The Sphinx of the Charles: A Year at Harvard with Harry Parker takes the reader not only inside the Harvard boathouse, but into the coaching launch with Parker. We see how he coached-how many words he actually uttered-as he guided his team through a year of training, and hear about his life in the sport. We see a paradox: Parker remained remarkably constant over the last forty-five years, yet he constantly evolved, changed his style, and used every means at his disposal to build champion crews. The Sphinx of the Charles goes inside the rowing world in a way hasn't been done before, putting the reader in the passenger seat next to one of the most successful coaches of all time. Parker is a historical icon, part of a tradition that goes back to the beginning of intercollegiate athletics in America. His story needs to be told. The Sphinx of the Charles is fundamentally a chronicle of a year with the Harvard team and a profile of Harry Parker as he was, five years before his death: comfortable in his position as elder and master of the sport, reflective but not nostalgic, aged but nearly impervious to aging. It is driven by Ayer's own observations of Parker from his seven years of coaching and training at the Harvard boathouse, but especially from one academic year, 2008-9. he shadowed him for a few days every week from September to June, observing practices both on and off the water, and interacting with the team. The present tense of the narrative reflects this immediacy, but also the sense that Parker has endured and continues to endure. And though The Sphinx of the Charles is not a biography in the usual sense, Parker's life and career were rich and extraordinary and they must be explored. Thus, each chapter carries the reader another month through the training year at Harvard, with vivid descriptions of team practices and a sense of progress towards the spring racing goals. From the passenger seat next to Parker we watch the rowers tackling the daily workouts, honing their mental and physical stamina along with their bladework, always trying to beat their teammates in the crew next to them, under Parker's watchful eye and ever-present megaphone. Parker makes asides in the launch that the rowers will never hear: remarks about the crews and their progress, passing wildlife, memories of his life in rowing, the river and its history, the sunlight on the water. Intertwined with the narrative are historical perspective, descriptions of the boathouse and the river, profiles of other coaches at Harvard, and impressions from rowers and coaches who worked with Parker over the previous forty-five years. Newspaper and magazine articles reveal how Parker was depicted, and how he revealed himself, to the rowing world and the public. The reader sees how Parker evolved and yet remained consistent. Parker was responsible for turning college crew into a three-season sport: varsity rowers now practice every day from September to early June. There are long "head" races in the fall, including the famous Head of the Charles in Boston. The winter months are a period of tough training on rowing machines and indoor "tanks," lasting until the ice breaks up on the river. The official season of "sprint" races doesn't start until April, and includes two championship regattas, the Harvard-Yale Race, and (if they win one of the championships) the Henley Royal Regatta in England.

'The attractions of dinghy sailing are many and varied. There is an enjoyment of being afloat and getting healthy exercise in the open air; the satisfaction of having secured a tactical victory and outsailed one's competitors is another source of delight, while the appreciation of the skill of someone else in sailing a better race should not fail to arouse pleasure and interest.' This book is a great source of interest and knowledge as well as a spur to successful racing and a guide to proud ownership. Contents Include: Periodic Survey and First Aid - Rigging, Wire and Wire Rope - Rigging - Cordage - Varnish, Enamel and Other Finishes - Scraping and Smoothing - Applying Varnish - Masts and Spars - Blocks, Fittings and Fastenings - Centreboards and Rudders - Sails - Getting Them Right - Keeping Them Right

This is a book that aims to provide the beginner with a sound introduction to dinghy handling with a view to eventually acquiring race-winning skills. A useful read for anyone who requires information and to gain confidence before entering the sport. It may also be of service to those with more experience. Contents Include: Dinghy Classes - Buying a Boat - Crewing - Rigging and Jobs Ashore - Getting Afloat and Ashore - Mainly on Sail Trimming - Weight Distribution, Balance and Kicking Straps - Heavy and Light Weight Weather Tasks - Helming - Helmsman's Responsibilities - Sail Trimming and Steering - Positions and Predicaments - Maintenance of the Hull - Maintenance of Spars, Rigging, Sails and Gear - Joining an Club - Safety Measures - Some of the Many Clubs Giving Regular Races for Dinghies

This "engrossing adventure and . . . story of spiritual awakening and inspiration" ("Publishers Weekly") tells the true story of Ann Linnea, the first woman to circumnavigate Lake Superior by sea kayak.

There are many excellent books on sailing but very few devoted solely to dinghies. This is a book suited to those whose interest is mainly in just plain sailing, rather than those who wish to race. It contains a number of fairly original suggestions from the author who has found them to be successful on his own general purpose dinghy. A useful book for anyone interested in 'messing about' with as well as in their boats. Contents Include Sailing General Purpose Dinghies What to Sail and Where Mainsails Fore-Sails More Sails Rigging, Ropes and Knots The Hull and Fittings The Centre Board Ground Tackle Wind And Water Launching, Landing and Moorings Points of Sailing Reefing Sailing Single-Handed Trailing (A Mooring in Your Garden) Safety Precautions What to Wear Olla Podrida The Beaufort Wind Scale Cordage Some Splices and Hitches

The chain of islands from the Virgins to the southern Lesser Antilles is one of the most desirable tropical cruising grounds as well as the most accessible for North American and European sailors. The Caribbean Sea is usually benign, but the conditions are very different from your home waters-you must learn to sail with the grain of wind, weather, current, and climate, or these forgiving waters will turn into a punishingly rough old sea. Learn to sail in harmony with the winds and currents that surround the Virgins, the Leewards, and the Windwards, and your Caribbean sailing experience will be the good one you deserve. This updated third edition of Caribbean Passagemaking is an entertaining mine of information for the sun-soaked passage planner as well as the dreamer back home. Here is the full, vital background to help skipper and crew enjoy sailing the Caribbean islands. Topics include: *How to achieve easier passagemaking and sail in comfort *Which are the safe and easy harbors *How to spot the weather windows *Prevailing winds and currents *Ideal equipment for Caribbean waters Plus a wealth of practical, down-to-earth hints and tips.

Sam Cottle grew up in a fishing family and, thanks to the inspiration of his grandfather, "Cap," who nearly single-handedly created the port of Point Judith in southern Rhode Island, he became a successful captain in his own right. Here are Sam's first-hand accounts of his life at sea, from the terror of a vessel sinking in the middle of the night, to the excitement of dragging up unexploded depth charges and great white sharks in the nets, to the grueling toil and ultimate satisfaction that comes with an honest day's haul. Captain Sam introduces a whole host of colorful characters-from loving grandmothers to eccentric neighbors-all of whom played a role in shaping Sam's life and seafaring career.

From the canyons of Big Bend to the cypress swamps of Pine Island Bayou, the waters of Texas have something for most every type of paddler and every paddling mood. One might float the diminutive Comal River, argued to be the shortest river in the world. Another might dig deep and follow the four-day, 260-mile route of the Texas Water Safari, which Canoe & Kayak Magazine referred to as "The World's Toughest Canoe Race." Whitewater is here too. Lakes are as well. And, the Texas Gulf Coast is home to sandy beaches, knobby mangroves, and sea grass flats. Meanwhile, Texas is home to some of the fastest growing cities in America. And, paddling is the fastest growing outdoor sport in the country. "Paddling Texas" is a guide for those who are new to either and all those who love both. Featured trips offer easy access, secure environments, good facilities, great fishing, superb wildlife viewing, and beautiful scenery. "Paddling Texas" gives recreational paddlers and anglers all the information they'll need to paddle many of the best trips in Texas.

A, B, Sea is an entertaining, comprehensive guide to the language and lore of 21st-century seafarers. This playful mariner s glossary of nautical terms includes definitions for and cross-references to everything from aft to zenith, brass monkey to tuna tower. This second edition includes many new entries, some purely from the swashbuckler vernacular, and others for serious sailors. Packed with practical advice, this is a dictionary with a difference: many words are illustrated by passages from classic books of the sea, others by the author's experiences aboard an American schooner with a European engine and two boxes of tools. Sample entries from this informative and entertaining dictionary include: Bermuda Triangle: Given a choice between alien creatures and bad weather combined with inept seamanship and navigation, you should vote for the latter every time. The US Coast Guard certainly does. carry away, to: when any part of the standing rigging or a spar breaks it is said to have "carried away." What you say is probably unprintable. seasickness (mal de mer): a form of motion sickness usually brought on by a feeling of well-being and euphoria. Reputedly comes in two stages: during the first you fear you might die, during the second, you fear you might not. The most reliable cure: Stand under a tree."

Enjoying the boat living lifestyle! An essential introduction to sailboat living that provides detailed information on how to successfully and happily live aboard a boat. This book is filled with a wealth of fundamental and practical advice with tips on: purchasing a boat, understanding boat systems, maintenance and boat care, projects for the do it yourselfers, cost factors, and an international recipe section. Also included are sources for boat equipment. A strong emphasis is placed on the safety issues and current laws pertaining to the operation of sailboats.

"Not So) Old Men and the Sea" covers portions of six years of the author's life. This was a time when he, his wife and seadog Bingo experienced first-hand lessons as they prepared for and then negotiated, the legendary Great Circle of Eastern, Canadian, Midwestern and Southern waters aboard their 38' cruiser, The Family Fjord. In all, they transited over 100 locks and 6000 nautical miles.

"Not So) Old Men" is a blueprint for the novice cruiser who dreams of taking extended coastal or river voyages "on his own bottom." It starts with the glories of cruising and rapidly gets specific about boat, power and options. There is an overriding focus on safety. "(Not So) Old Men and the Sea" presents a step by step to determine how, with what equipment, and where you will cruise. Author Pete Prestegaard thoughtfully includes money-saving tips.

After examining steps leading to the launch of a newly acquired craft, including example names which struck his fancy, the author discusses "crew," various events which could occur, river running, the impact of weather, and boat care. The book wraps up with entertaining letters home, and illustrative photos taken along the way. Log entries, summaries of desirable cruiser characteristics, a planned itinerary, checklists, perspectives from the first mate, and references for further research wrap up this valuable work.

In August 1998 Kim Trevathan summoned his beloved 45-pound German shepherd mix, Jasper, and paddled a canoe down the Tennessee River, an adventure chronicled in Paddling the Tennessee River: A Voyage on Easy Water. Twenty years later, in Against the Current: Paddling Upstream on the Tennessee River, he invites readers on a voyage of light-hearted rumination about time, memory, and change as he paddles the same river in the same boat-but this time going upstream, starting out in early spring instead of late summer. In sparkling prose, Trevathan describes the life of the river before and after the dams, the sometimes daunting condition of its environment, its banks' host of evolving communities-and also the joys and follies of having a new puppy, 65-pound Maggie, for a shipmate. Trevathan discusses the Tennessee River's varied contributions to the cultures that hug its waterway (Kentuckians refer to it as a lake, but Tennesseans call it a river), and the writer's intimate style proves a perfect lens for the passageway from Kentucky to Tennessee to Alabama and back to Tennessee. In choice observations and chance encounters along the route, Trevathan uncovers meaningful differences among the Tennessee Valley's people-and not a few differences in himself, now an older, wiser adventurer. Whether he is struggling to calm his land-loving companion, confronting his body's newfound aches and pains, craving a hard-to-find cheeseburger, or scouting for a safe place to camp for the night, Trevathan perseveres in his quest to reacquaint himself with the river and to discover new things about it. And, owing to his masterful sense of detail, cadence, and narrative craft, Trevathan keeps the reader at the heart of the journey. The Tennessee River is a remarkable landmark, and this text exhibits its past and present qualities with a perspective only Trevathan can provide.

Praise for this boating classic:

"The most up-to-date and readable book we've seen on the subject."--"Sailing World"

"Deserves a place on any diesel-powered boat."--"Motor Boat & Yachting"

"Clear, logical, and even interesting to read."--"Cruising World"

Keep your diesel engine going with help from a master mechanic

"Marine Diesel Engines" has been the bible for do-it-yourself boatowners for more than 15 years. Now updated with information on fuel injection systems, electronic engine controls, and other new diesel technologies, Nigel Calder's bestseller has everything you need to keep your diesel engine running cleanly and efficiently. "Marine Diesel Engines" explains how to: Diagnose and repair engine problems Perform routine and annual maintenance Extend the life and improve the efficiency of your engine