The Illustrated Boat Dictionary in 9 Languages is a first - annotated illustrations arranged by topic allow quick communication when something goes wrong abroad. Centred around clear, full colour, annotated diagrams in each subject area, the dictionary makes it easy and convenient to translate between nine languages (English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Portuguese and Greek). The diagrams can easily be used to show someone what is meant (or what is broken!) without having to worry about the language barrier. And it also facilitates learning new words in each language with this helpful visual reference. From general terms such as 'port' and 'starboard' to technical words relating to engine and rigging repair and maintenance, The Illustrated Boat Dictionary in 9 Languages is amazingly comprehensive, and even includes supplementary terms for many topics even when they don't feature in the illustrations. Topics include: sailing terms, parts of a boat, boat maintenance and repair, navigation, weather, seamanship, requesting help, medical emergencies, safety equipment, numbers and time.

This is a unique, practical, hands-on guide to boat manoeuvring - ideal for cockpit use or as an aide-memoire.
Manoeuvring a yacht under engine at close quarters in a marina close to other (expensive ) boats can be a daunting prospect for the inexperienced skipper - but it has to be done in order to take your boat off a pontoon to go sailing, and to berth her after a day on the water. Throw in fast flowing tides, and unpredictable wind which might blow from the bow or beam or stern, and the exercise becomes even more of a lottery - even for the experienced boat handler.
Here at last is a well organized visual guide to coping in every possible combination of wind and tide situation. Laid out in a very clear way, with one manoeuvre per page and in a handy wiro format for use when at the helm, this is the ideal teach yourself guide, and the perfect on-board aide memoire. It will be a godsend to every nervous helmsman, and a good talking point for crew

One clear morning in May, Nick Thorpe left his Edinburgh flat, ducked off the commuter route and hitched a ride aboard a little white canal boat, heading west towards the sea. It was the first mutinous step in a delightful boat-hopping odyssey that would take him 2500 miles through Scotland's canals, lochs and coastal waters, from the industrial Clyde to the scattered islands of Viking Shetland. Writing with characteristic humour and candour, the award-winning author of EIGHT MEN AND A DUCK plots a curiously existential voyage, inspired by those who have left the warm hearth for the promise of a stretched horizon. Whether rowing a coracle with a chapter of monks, scanning for the elusive Nessie, hitting the rocks with Captain Calamity or clinging to the rigging of a tall ship, Thorpe weaves a narrative that is by turns funny and poignant - a nautical pilgrimage for any who have ever been tempted to try a new path just to see where it might take them. Part travelogue, part memoir, ADRIFT IN CALEDONIA is a unique and affectionate portrait of a sea-fringed nation - and of the drifter's quest to belong.