With a focus on the navigational tools invented by each age and civilization, Launer traces the evolution of humankind's navigational skills from the Kamal of the Arabs and the Lead-line first used by the Romans to the radio and satellite communication devices available to modern sailors. He pays homage to the Polynesians who, in the absence of a written language were able to pass down their navigational skills through generations, and to the adventurous Vikings, who managed to find their way from Scandinavia to England, Iceland, Greenland and beyond; but he also covers the practical applications of the complex technologies found on most boats today, such as GPS. Generous illustrations help readers envision the tools in use.

Navigation Through the Ages will appeal to sailors and lay readers alikeanyone with an interest in the history of science and the exploration of our world.

-- Sunken treasure, prison ships, Nazi submarines, the Bermuda triangle
-- Stories of thirty of the most interesting of the thousands of Florida shipwrecks
-- Each shipwreck story has a map pinpointing its location and a full-color painting by renowned artist William L. Trotter

'No cure, no pay'- those are the terms under which a salvor operates, and in doing so he takes on an onerous responsibility. If he is defeated by the elements he is not paid. He receives nothing, however much money, effort, sweat and tears he has put in. Salvage is not a business for the faint-hearted. Ian Tew joined Selco Salvage of Singapore in 1974, and spent over a decade on the front line. Already an experienced master mariner, he learnt the salvage trade in the busy waters of the Far East before rising to command some of the world's largest supertugs, eventually becoming a roving salvage master. In his odyssey he roamed the world, from the coast of Cornwall to the Southern Ocean, from the Gulf of Suez to the dangerous reefs of the South China Sea. This is a vivid account of those ten tough years - successes, failures, tows and rescues - a barge adrift in a hurricane in the English Channel - a freighter aground on a reef hundreds of miles from land with a tropical storm approaching - a trawler battered by the surf on a coral reef, its bottom ripped out - a tanker hit by a missile in the Gulf during the 'Tanker War' of the 1980s. The tugs themselves play a big part in the story, as do the crews and captains the author worked with. This gripping account of drama at sea is a tribute to the seamanship, courage and resourcefulness of the salvor, and an insight into the technical, commercial and human issues behind the headlines.

ACTION-PACKED STORIES OF SHIPS SUCH AS: SS Benajmin Noble - SS Carl D. Bradley - SS Eastland - SS Edmund Fitzgerald - SS G. P. Griffith - SS Henry Steinbrenner - SS Island Queen - SS Kaliyuga - SS Kamloops - SS Lady Elgin - SS Mataafa - SS Noronic AHOY, MATE!Step into the past and aboard the decks of these twenty-one proud vessels, each one launched with high hopes but doomed finally to disaster. From the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the last major freighter lost on the lakes, to the Le Griffin, the ill-fated liner that mysteriously disappeared during a ruthless storm, author Michael J. Varhola spins these tales with heart-pounding drama. Whether battered by hurricane-force gales, gouged by hidden rocks, or simply sabotaged by poor judgment, these ships live on in the most compelling oceangoing stories you've ever read.

AHOY, MATE! Step into the past and aboard the decks of these twenty-five proud vessels, each one launched with high hopes but doomed finally to disaster. From the Huron, a wreck that caused 103 sailors to lose their lives, to the Pulaski, a maritime mishap where two star-crossed lovers almost lost each other forever, author Bob Brooke spins these tales with heart-pounding drama . Whether battered by hurricane-force gales, gouged by hidden rocks, or simply sabotaged by poor judgment, these ships live on in the most compelling ocean-going stories you've ever read.

"Song of the Sirens is rich in detail, colorful characters, and poignant insights. It is the story of one man's love affair with the old boats he has owned or chartered. Focusing on his favorites (his 17 sirens), the book explores the fascination man has with the sea and attempts to explain the allure of the vessels he has designed to sail upon her. Like the sirens of Greek mythology who, with enchanting songs, lured by sailors to dash their ships against hidden rocks, Gann's ships are seductresses, tempting and urging him on until he plunges forward into their purchase, unmindful of the dangers that lie ahead. And dangers there are aplenty.

The Titanic. The Britannic. The Olympic. They are some of the most famous ships in history, but for the wrong reasons. The Olympic Class liners were conceived as the largest, grandest ships ever to set sail. Of the three ships built, the first only lost the record for being the largest because she was beaten by the second, and they were both beaten by the third. The class was meant to secure the White Star Line's reputation as the greatest shipping company on earth. Instead, with the loss of both the Titanic and the Britannic in their first year of service, it guaranteed White Star's infamy. This unique book tells the extraordinary story of these three extraordinary ships from the bottom up, starting with their conception and construction (and later their modification) and following their very different careers. Behind the technical details of these magnificent ships lies a tragic human story - not just of the lives lost aboard the Titanic and Britannic, but of the designers pushing the limits beyond what was actually possible, engineers unable to prepare for every twist of fate, and ship owners and crew who truly believed a ship could be unsinkable. This fascinating story is told with rare photographs, new computer-generated recreations of the ships, and unique wreck images that explore how well the ships were designed and built. Simon Mills offers unparalleled access to shipbuilders Harland & Wolff's specification book for the Olympic Class, including original blueprints and - being made widely available for the first time - large fold-out technical drawings showing how these extensive plans were meant to be seen.

A selection of true-life dramas that chronicle the perils and misfortunes faced by deep-sea sailing ships of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It relates the dangers faced and the battles waged, and all too often lost, against the hazards of the sea. Shipboard work was hard and often routinely dangerous for crews who bore the extraordinary hardships as their duty to obey their captains and drive their ships to a safe port to discharge or take on cargoes. From remarkable voyages, mutinies, hoaxes, curiosities and disease, to messages in a bottle, this book has a fund of amazing tales and will engross the reader - maritime historian, sailor (whether retired , current or armchair), or anyone with an interest in the sea and tales of adventure.

Around the shores of the Pacific Ocean, along the western coastline of California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska, lie the remains of legions of vessels of every description and every flag. Some lie buried in the depths, never to be found. Others lie as twisted remains along the beaches or entombed down in the sands. Still others have been completely eradicated by the forces of nature. A few carried treasure; some have been recovered but most never will be. Though the greatest treasure has been discovered along the Caribbean and eastern seaboards, most of it was originally lost there while much of the Pacific lay undiscovered. The Pacific rim may yet yield finds of fabulous value. These ideas and many others are explored in Jim Gibbs' most recent book, Peril at Sea. This is a fascinating work on peril at sea and the continuing battle of man against the elements. Each chapter is an accurate chronicle by location of the ships and their sailors who met fateful ends along the Pacific Coastline.

This up-to-date standard reference is a must-have for every mariner's bookshelf. Acronyms and cross-references to related terms give the reader a full picture of how the many words and phrases are related. Compiled by Captain Jeffery W. Monroe and Director of the Department of Ports and Transportation for Portland, Maine, and Captain Robert Steward, Ph.D., Chair of the Business administration Department at the California Maritime Academy, Dictionary of Maritime and Transportation Terms is as complete a maritime dictionary as has ever been available on the market.

Coffee from South America, oil from Saudi Arabia, TVs from China: Ships provide us daily with goods from all over the world. Each year about 45,000 cargo ships transport almost seven billion tonnes of goods across the globe. On their paths, they cross different seas, cultures as well as time and climate zones. Cargo ships are the core of globalization. Sebastian Meissner's and Eberhard Petzold's picture-book The Global Cargo Flow shows with spectacular photos and entertaining texts on how the goods come from overseas to our home. The title will be bilingual in German and English.

MARINE DIESEL ENGINES TEACHES THE ESSENTIALS OF MARINE DIESEL PROPULSION ENGINES RANGING FROM 1,000 TO 80,000 HORSEPOWER. DESIGNED AS A TEXTBOOK FOR MARINE ENGINEERS, FUNDAMENTALS ARE HIGHLIGHTED THROUGHOUT THE BOOK, USING DETAILED ILLUSTRATIONS AND FORMULAS. THE TEST EXPLAINS ENGINE SELECTION, PERFORMANCE AND FUEL RATE CALCULATIONS, INTAKE AND EXHAUST SYSTEMS, FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS, AND CRANKCASE EXPLOSIONS. STUDY QUESTIONS ARE PROVIDED AT THE END OF EACH CHAPTER TO AID STUDENTS TAKING THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD THIRD ASSISTANT ENGINEERS LICENSE EXAM DIESEL UNLIMITED HORSEPOWER.

The history of the development of the unique vessels built for the New England fishing industry from colonial days to the first third of the twentieth century is here recounted by the leading authority on the subject. Mr. Chapelle gathered material from numerous sources over many years for this book, bringing together a vast amount of important information on the beautiful American fishing schooners, now extinct, built at Essex and other shipbuilding areas of New England. This book traces the evolution of the American fishing schooner from the eighteenth century to the last working and racing schooners of the mid-1930s. The designers, builders, and crews are also discussed. There are 137 plans of schooners which graphically show the development of the type. An important feature of the book is its illustrated glossary-appendix based on Mr. Chapelle's notebooks. It covers scores of items of hull construction and equipment, rigging and gear, color and carving, and includes notes by the builders and riggers themselves, in fact, everything that could be recorded about these crafts, then fast-disappearing.

White Star Line was originally founded in Liverpool in 1845 for travel to Australia but was eventually purchased by Thomas Ismay and transformed into the successful Oceanic Steam Navigation Co. Cleverly merging with Harland & Wolff, the line focussed on luxury over speed, developing many of the world's favourite vessels. Finally merging with its great rival Cunard in the 1930s depression, the companies continued to operate separately while flying one another's flags. This evocative book explores the colourful history of White Star Line, from personal postcards with messages from passengers, crew and troops, to the careers of her vessels in peacetime and at war, all from Patrick Mylon's impressive collection. It includes ships with alternative identities, unusual stories like the planned escape of Dr Crippen, and showcases a wide variety of interior views, adverts and 'proof', silk and Company Issue cards, conveying the glamour, drama and history of this world-renowned line.

Artist Roger Bansemer gets an unexpected invitation to dive two and a half miles down into the Atlantic to the site of one of the most famous shipwrecks in history. Armed with his artist's eye and insight, he embarks on an expedition on a Russian research ship to the "Titanic. In this compelling journal, Bansemer's writing and stunning visual work bring us into the adventure, relaying the colorful characters on the expedition, the history and past grandeur of the "Titanic, and the aching beauty of the ship's underwater remains. "Titanic, as everyone knows, sank when it hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage in 1912. It was not seen again until the mid-80s when technological advances led to the development of sub-mersibles capable of diving to that depth. Bansemer became the 112th person to dive to the "Titanic, the sixth person under the stern, and the first artist to have painted Titanic on site. This book chronicles his journey in a mixture of paintings, photos, and digitally-painted images. Bansemer's fascination with painting people, especially the salty, nautical types, finds full expression. Meet buddy Lowell and diving partner Ralph; various Russian crewmen including Bird Man Pierre, Pirate Skippy, the cooks, the "cowboy" who "rides" the submersible; "Keldysh Captain Gorbach; and many others. Bansemer captures them all in their most characteristic poses. The star is always the "Titanic, majestic even at the bottom of the sea. Bansemer pays tribute to the many people who went down with her, acknowledging her role as their memorial resting place. This book, Roger Bansemer's written and painted journal of his journey to "Titanic, is also offered in their memory.

Narrow Boats: Ownership, Care and Maintenance is a practical manual for readers who are new to boating or wanting to buy a narrow boat. It provides a comprehensive guide to all aspects of owning a narrow boat and will enable readers to get the most out of their own narrow boat, whether used for occasional weekends only, or lived on all year round. This book includes a brief history of narrow boating, including types of boats and their purpose; what to look when buying a boat; ongoing maintenance required, painting, electrics, plumbing and engines; how to be a responsible boater and finally, a useful glossary is included of boating and canal-related terms.

Cruise ships, the largest moving man-made objects, can be almost a quarter-mile long, as tall as a 25-story building, and can be largely self-contained cities of perhaps 8,000 people. With 172 photographs and illustrations, the cruise ship is examined; its planning, construction, operation, and ultimate fate. This behind-the-scenes look examines the concept, development, and construction of vessels, what makes them work, and how, as well as ship operations. More than 240 ships are highlighted as the cruise ship s history is traced from its origins through to its future projections. This book is a great resource for designers, architects, shipbuilders, and the cruise ship passenger. Read it before you board and take it along when you sail."

Flying Boats: Air Travel in the Golden Age sets out to do justice to a time of glamorous, unhurried air travel, unrecognisable to most of today's air travellers, but sorely missed by some. During the 1930s, long-distance air travel was the preserve of the flying boat, which transported well-heeled passengers in ocean-liner style and comfort across the oceans. But then the Second World War came, and things changed. Suddenly, landplanes were more efficient, and in abundance: long concrete runways had been constructed during the war that could be used by a new generation of large transport aircraft; and endless developments in aircraft meant they could fly faster and for further distances. Commercial flying boat services resumed, but their days would be numbered.

4 December 1872: The brigantine Dei Gratia chances upon another brigantine out on the Atlantic near the Azores. She is the Mary Celeste. She is under sail. But she is deserted. Silent as a drowned cadaver. For 150 years since then, the mystery of why the Mary Celeste was abandoned, and what happened to the ten souls on board, has spawned thousands of conjectures, conspiracy theories, fictions and fantasies. Some have thought they solved the mystery. Some have just spun yarns. One, at least, has claimed it was all a hoax. The Mysterious Case of the Mary Celeste: 150 Years of Myth and Mystique unveils those stories - the 'fake news', 'alternative facts' and the myths fabricated from fractured truths. These are the real facts in search of a truth that remains unfathomable to this day.

In the late 1950s, an old tramp ship set sail from Amsterdam for the Far East. For nearly two years, she would tramp from port to port, never quite knowing where the next cargo might be or where it would be taken. Grubbing for trade, she sailed a complete circumnavigation of the globe. Aboard her was a young lad from the Kent marshes. He simply wanted to go to sea. Faithfully, in old school notebooks, the lad recorded what he saw, felt and did; moments of magic and moments of fear. Here is the often moving and often hilarious diary of that epic voyage.

Maxtone-Graham, a maritime historian specializing in the history of ocean liners and cruise ships, revels in the past glories of the ocean liner and examines with affectionate detail today's best ships. Reveals how ships, crews, and passengers have changed and remained the same, looking at shipboard

Based on research of his family history and 600 pages of HBC Archived logbooks, Robert Harvey shows, rather than tells, the tale of historical HBC Captain James Gaudin and his voyages between London and the New World in the latter half of the 19th century. This eloquently written, wonderfully detailed and historically accurate fictional account of the early days of the HBC is mesmerising and enlightening.