This book is a companion to Volume 8 - General Engineering Knowledge in the "Reed's Marine Engineering Series", and is based on the DoT sylabus of Engineering Knowledge for the Class 2 and Class 1 Engineers Steam Certificates and Steam Endorsements. It includes a selection of questions of the type set in the exams for Class 2 and Class 1 Engineers.

Live the cruising life without being wealthy! Thousands of ordinary people are living their dreams of sailing the world thanks to The Cruising Life, and this completely updated Second Edition aims to help thousands more find adventure over the horizon. Even if you've never sailed before, this A-to-Z guide can have you cruising to exotic ports within five years. Your adventure begins right at home, practicing to live a sensible life with only the essentials, as described by lifelong sailor Jim Trefethen, who relishes the cruising life in retirement. Along your path to living at sea, Jim prepares you to: Discuss the pros, cons, and realities of the cruising life with your spouse Save and maintain the best type of cruising fund to meet your goalsStrip away your anchors, including useless possessions, credit card debt, and your jobManage, grow, and protect your cruising fund while at seaDevelop essential skills for living on the water, and how to earn an income selling those skillsFind the boat you need, outfitted with the essential gear and equipment, in your price rangeAssimilate into the sailing community by developing the traits of a successful cruiser If you think age, experience, and money can keep you from the cruising life, you haven't read The Cruising Life, Second Edition.

Expert advice on how to find (and purchase and outfit) that safe, affordable, and responsive sailboat to take readers around the world, or around the bay

Unlike other books that go into fundamentals about rudder designs, etc., "Bluewater Sailing for Any Budget" concentrates on specific advice about the search process, the buying process, and final outfitting. The centerpiece of the book is yacht delivery captain and marina owner James Elfer's analysis of 20 offshore-capable sailboats available for under $50,000. This one-of-a-kind list of boats is based on an exhaustive survey of industry professionals, and the boats are readily available for purchase in most regions. Unique, well researched and well-founded list of capable boats Includes first-person accounts from owners Table of data for each boat, including important capsize number (an indicator of stability) Multiple photos and lines plans

"Perfect for summer reading, "Jack Tar" will satisfy your nautical curiosities and tickle your funny bone."
--"Practical Sailor"

A nautical trivia book on steroids, learn why it is a Blue Monday and other expressions with a nautical past

"Jack Tar and the Baboon Watch" is a "Ripley's Believe It or Not" for the mariner--everything odd, weird, and unbelievable. Mariner and author Frank Lanier began to compile these entries when he served in the Coast Guard; they were included in the "plan of the day" published aboard the various ships Lanier was stationed on starting in the 1980s. In his book Frank explains in plain language the origin of curious nautical language and expressions.

Sample Contents

BLUE MONDAY: A reference to Monday, the day traditionally reserved for dispensing the week's accumulation of whippings amongst ship's boys found delinquent in their duties. Black Monday was another common term for the day during the 17th century.

FOURTH-CLASS LIBERTY AND THE BABOON WATCH: For a sailor, the only thing worse than enduring a miserable watch at sea was the privilege of standing one during the ship's port call. It was there the "Baboon watch" (those unfortunates so tasked) enjoyed fourth-class liberty, sampling a port's charm via the ship's telescope.

JACK TAR: A sailor. One of the most common masculine names of the English language, Jack has been a popular euphemism for the common man since early on, particularly those of the working class--it's where we get Jackhammer, Jack-in-the-box, Jack-of-all-trades, Jackass, jack-o'-lantern, Jack-be-Nimble, jumping jacks, jackknife, Jack . . . well, you get the idea. Sailors applied the name liberally to a wide variety of descriptive terms, from Jack Adams (a stubborn seaman) to Jack Whore, meaning a masculine, overgrown wench.
As for the later part, seamen have been known as Tars for centuries in reference to their use of that material to waterproof clothing and caulk hull seams. Interesting and good to know type stuff, 'cause you certainly wouldn't want anyone commenting that "you don't know Jack."

SEA LAWYER: Not one of those beloved members of the land based legal fraternity, but instead a prophet of pessimism and declarer of doom aboard ship who is forever arguing his views concerning any and everything, from how to properly complete any task (without involving any action on his part, of course) to his views on what's wrong with the fleet and what needs be done to correct it.

For those who own a cherished but dilapidated fiberglass runabout, or for those who want a boat but are turned off by the high prices and often poor quality of todays offerings, this book explains everything there is to know about turning a rundown runabout into a real showpiece for a fraction of the cost of a new model. Author Jim Anderson, a runabout renovator from Minnesotas Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, leads readers through the whole renovation process.

For those who think a project like this may be more than they can handle, renovating an old runabout is actually less complicated and expensive than adding on a deck or redoing a room--two of the most popular projects for home handymen. And Andersons sense of humor and gift for providing simple solutions make Runabout Renovation as fun to read as it is easy to understand.

The backyards of North America house literally millions of rundown runabouts ripe for renovation. With Jim Andersons help, you can own a better boat than you can buy new, for a quarter of the price or less. And like a beautifully restored 57 Chevy, itll have class.

Low-cost alternatives for the powerboater on a budget.

Although more people own boats ranging in length from 14 to 24 feet than all others combined, most books published about boat repair and restoration are directed at the big boat or yacht owner. In addition, many marine dealers and technicians never seem to have the right answers or the time to spend on people who own little boats. Hence Runabout Renovation, a complete guide to finding and fixing up old fiberglass speedboats.

Youll learn how to:

• Choose and survey a boat
  
• Make cosmetic repairs and repaint your boat
  
• Replace the floor
  
• Reupholster and carpet the interior
  
• Build a new transom
  
• Upgrade electrical and mechanical systems
  

. . . and much more. Theres even a section on repairing aluminum boats, and one on installing and repairing horns, lights, bilge pumps, live wells, and other speedboat accessories.

Considering the tens of thousands of fiberglass powerboats that exist today, one wonders why Jim Andersons Runabout Renovation is so late in coming. Whether youre shopping for a used or new boat, or trying to maintain the value of a boat you already own, this book will prove indispensable.--Richard Lebowitz, Editor, Boating World

STOP WORKING ON YOUR BOAT AND GET OUT ON THE WATER!Save money and time with these 1,001 tested tips from Sandy Lindsey, a boat-maintenance contributor to Boating magazine for many years. In Quick and Easy Boat Maintenance, Lindsey has culled the best ofher years of advice and gathered the top suggestions from her readers. These handy, natural solutions work amazingly well-and are environmentally friendly. Boats last longer and look more beautiful with proper care. But that care takes a lot less time when you work smart. See how you can make your winterizing and spring commissioning chores go much faster and learn Lindsey's labor-saving secrets for tackling: Teak, canvas, and carpet carePainting, metal cleaning, and polishingFiberglass and gelcoat cleaning and repairEngine care and winterizingMildew--how to get rid of it, how to prevent it This second edition is updated with green solutions, information about dealing with ethanol in fuel, howto maintain the new batteries, and an all-new chapter on maintenance aspects of sailboats (sail care,winches, lines, and wire rigging). Putting the helpful hints of Quick and Easy Boat Maintenance to work can change your boating life.Less time working means more time boating! "A treasure chest of proven labor-savers that can help get those pesky maintenance chores done faster." -- Observer-Dispatch

""It was the best of dreams, it was the worst of dreams, it was an age of consulting the nautical experts, it was the age of landlubber foolishness, it was the epoch of determination, it was the epoch of despair, it was the season of hurricanes, it was a spring of beachcombing...""

If you dream about chucking it all away and sailing toward an island life, read this first Renee and Michael didn't have any boating experience and when their plans to remedy that fell through the two had to learn everything the hard way. Despite themselves they managed to get from Miami to Grenada, eventually dropping the anchor of their cruising catamaran at the island of their dreams. Determined to save future sailors from themselves, "A Sail of Two Idiots" includes lessons Renee and Michael learned and shares them with you as examples of what and what not to do. This a how-to guide wrapped in a funny story--kind of like getting your serving of vegetables from a slice of pizza. Read this and make your dream of sailing away a reality. Includes: "What Broke?" sections explores the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of a cruising multihull "Island" section provide assessments of the islands of the Caribbean

The only reference devoted entirely to splicing today's ropes

"The Splicing Handbook" includes step-by-step illustrations and explanations for the most useful and popular splices in traditional twisted and modern braided ropes, and it covers every kind of splicing project you are likely to encounter, including modern cordage such as Spectra; mainstream rope materials such as Dacron and nylon; and wire and rope-to-wire splices. Covers all the standard rope constructions using Dacron and nylon, including solid braid, double braid, parallel core, plaited, and three-strand Explains how to splice wire for sailboat shrouds and halyards Shows how to make a broad range of useful onboard projects--and several that will find uses around the home as well, including dog collars, netting, rope railings, and lanyards.