Even as a teenager, John Beattie felt drawn to the ocean, but it was twenty-five years before his dreams of sailing the globe in his 35-foot yacht Warrior Queen could begin to come true. His voyage began in England and continued to the South American coast and into the depths of the rain forests via uncharted tributaries. The adventure reached a stirring climax during his return voyage from Venezuela. One day at dawn, hundreds of miles from land, he spotted a man dying of thirst aboard a drifting open boat, a man given one last slender chance to live.

The fundamental skill of tying knots is useful in countless situations, both indoors and out. The Book of Knots teaches you which knot to choose and exactly how to tie it, whether you're constructing a trout fly, repairing a hammock, mooring a boat, securing a load to a car roof rack, or engaging in a rescue or survival situation. This invaluable manual explains through clear line diagrams and step-by-step descriptions how to tie more than 125 practical knots.

Being able to communicate with the local people is very important – whether it is to ask for a berth, a spare part or where the nearest chandlery or supermarket is. So, with this book, even if your pronunciation is a bit out, you should still be able to make yourself understood, quickly and efficiently, which makes this dictionary a vital part of your cruising kit. The pocket dictionary is centred around clear, colour, annotated diagrams, such as parts of the rig and engine, in each nautical subject area, and makes it very 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. It covers general terms, such as 'port' and 'starboard', as well as technical words relating to engine and rigging repair and maintenance. Other topics include navigation, weather, seamanship, requesting help, medical emergencies, safety equipment, numbers and time. Whether you’re a keen offshore sailor, motorboater or even an armchair boating enthusiast, Reeds 9-Language Handbook is a handy reference tool that will help expand both your ability to communicate and your horizons.

The lives of philosophers would be dull reading if they were as tidy as their thoughts often tend to be. Alastair Hannay describes how he 'slid' into philosophy but found it a useful means of transport for a life framed here in metaphors of the sea, an unruly element that has played some part in a not always tidy life. Although the philosophy option attracts some because it suits their talents, the less talented may look to it for guidance in making sense of their lives. Hannay's own 'episodic' interest led him by chance to a life-time of active engagement with philosophers of all kinds. An encounter with the works of Soren Kierkegaard opened the way to a personal take on a profession that easily ends in abstractions but which, when its questions are brought down to earth, sees market-place and academic philosophy from a perspective that allows the one to enrich the other.

This volume reveals the wisdom we can learn from sailing, a sport that pits human skills against the elements, tests the mettle and is a rich source of valuable lessons in life. * Unravels the philosophical mysteries behind one of the oldest organized human activities * Features contributions from philosophers and academics as well as from sailors themselves * Enriches appreciation of the sport by probing its meaning and value * Brings to life the many applications of philosophy to sailing and the profound lessons it can teach us * A thought-provoking read for sailors and philosophers alike