With a "Passions" book in your hand, you can turn to any page and escape life's little miseries - be it dull meetings, delayed trains, or waiting "on hold". Whether your passion is for diving or horse-riding, swooshing down the snow or lounging on the beach, each collection of sumptuous full-colour photographs will transport you to the world's ultimate locations. Compiled with expert input from professionals, these books are pure indulgence and will take you to wonderful places...including some which you never dreamed existed!

Yachtsmen can now benefit from the practical expertise of scores of sailors and captains from a vast range of boating experience who divulge a wealth of information on types of ships, sailing areas, and requirements. This guide brings together their best ideas and secrets, including simple and cost-effective ways to improve equipment performance that make life on board more convenient and comfortable, and sailing easier and safer. Included are tips on mooring and anchoring, handling, stowing, securing, storing during the winter, and cleaning and of course, maximizing comfort in the cockpit and on deck. Easy-to-follow demonstrations of how to tackle often complicated tasks efficiently, without much effort, and without breaking the bank, are sure to turn any serious sailor into a master yachtsman."

Nature sports such as skiing, climbing, and surfing have had a significant influence on Western popular culture since the mid-twentieth century and participation in such sports continues to grow. Written in a clear and accessible style, this important book provides a comprehensive philosophical analysis of nature sports. Philosophy and Nature Sports offers an engaging inquiry into how nature sports differ from mainstream sports, how these differences are related to their value as human activities, and the role of the environments in which such sports take place. Addressing the claim that the most distinctive feature of nature sports is the relationship between participants and the natural world, the book also examines a wide range of topics, such as ethics, risk, gender construction, the social role of nature sport subcultures and the aesthetic experiences of nature sports athletes. Tying these together is the question of what it is that attracts us to nature sports and why they hold meaning for us. This is a valuable resource for students and academics in fields such as alternative sports, alternative sport subcultures, sport philosophy, sport and social issues, ethics, and phenomenology. It is also a fascinating read for outdoor educators and practitioners.

Sea kayaking opens up a whole world of exploration. It's an exciting way to enjoy the beauty of America's coastal regions. In Sea Kayaking in Central and Northern California, readers are able discover the very best kayaking trips in the Pacific ocean. Drawing on the author's years of in-depth experience, Sea Kayaking in Central and Northern California is essential reading for beginners and experienced kayakers alike. This new edition is totally revised and updated. Look inside to find: * GPS coordinates for all launch sites and landmarks * 7 new trips, now extending all the way south to Pismo Beach * New "quick trips" sections in each area with basic launch site info for dozens more trips, including "Bay Area Lakes and Reservoirs" * Where to find kayak rentals nearby * Correct street addresses for launch sites that will work with your car's GPS * Addresses for important websites, including downloadable NOAA charts for many trips, National Weather Service Marine Forecasts and Aerial Photos of the launch sites for most trips, and Live Web Cams where available.

An inspiring guide to activities and adventures to re-energise and boost your mood, by our rivers, lakes and canals. While Britain's rivers, lakes and canals have long been co-opted by fitness enthusiasts for the physical benefits they can bring, it's only relatively recently that we've given much thought to their impact on our mental state too. 'Blue health' - the idea that having access to an area of water can benefit a person's whole wellbeing - is gaining traction. These waterside places are fundamental to the kind of stuff people now realise they need in their lives - exercise, solace, natural beauty and new places to socialise - with so many of them on our doorstep. Just Add Water is your guide to the many mood-boosting and wellbeing activities, adventures and escapes that our inland waterways have to offer. Nearly 200 destinations are featured, organised into 15 core activities, covering the length and breadth of the UK, making this the ideal companion for anyone planning a day trip or boating holiday. Expert journalist Sarah Henshaw explains how the activities can re-energise, inspire and relax, weaving their wellbeing benefits with practical information to help you get the most out of each experience. Accompanied by stunning images, the handbook includes everything from mudlarking to wild swimming, fishing to foraging towpath hedgerows, paddleboarding to learning how to paint canal folk art. There are also inspirational first-hand accounts of the many ways our waterways have made a difference to people's day-to-day lives - including a high-flying exec who finds commuting by water a great way to manage stress. This guide showcases the multiple ways to be on, in, under or next to water, and how it can enhance the whole spectrum of lived experience.

With over two-thirds of the globe covered by water, the ability to navigate safely and quickly across the oceans has been crucial throughout human history. As seafarers attempted longer and longer voyages from the sixteenth century onwards in search of profit and new lands, the tools of navigation became ever more sophisticated. The development of instruments over the last five hundred years has seen some revolutionary changes, spurred on by the threat of disaster at sea and the possibility of huge rewards from successful voyages. As this book shows, the solution of the infamous longitude problem, the extraordinary impact of satellite positioning and other advances in navigation have successfully brought together seafarers, artisans and scientists in search of better ways of getting from A to B and back again.

Under his authorship, this edition has been restructured to reflect the changing nature of passages across the North Sea. As well as a consideration of the various Traffic Separation Schemes, routes take into account the many new offshore windfarms and oil and gas extraction platforms. As its name suggests, the emphasis of this pilot is on the passage routes, whether taking a more direct line between the UK and the Continent or incorporating hops along the East Coast and the adjacent coasts of France, Belgium and Holland. Pilotage is included for a selection of key ports. Updated plans and numerous new photographs help to illustrate the key features to help guide you across this challenging yet rewarding stretch of water.

This is a groundbreaking, technical analysis of yacht design, linked to the theory and testing of how a sailing yacht behaves underway. It is cutting edge - the author (a world expert in the field) has drawn his conclusions from years of research, analytical testing in wind tunnels and tanks, and his results represent the state of the art in performance prediction which underlies all modern yacht design. State of the art and with a revolutionary modern approach, Aero-hydrodynamics and the Performance of Sailing Yachts provides a systematic and completely up to date analysis, complete with colour photographs and diagrams throughout. An essential, and long awaited, work for all professional yacht designers, racing sailors and students of yacht design.

28 magical walks through some of Wales' most popular mountain, lowland and coastal areas (the Brecon Beacons, Gower and Wye Valley). Classic walks that link multiple swim stops. Beautiful photography, engaging stories and all the practical information you need: directions, route maps and downloadable instructions. The sixth in the best-selling series. * Ascend to south Wales' highest tarn and peak and descend through a valley of secret waterfalls * Walk through woodland gorges carved by cascades * Find secret low tide bays and giant rock pool lagoons * Follow bucolic river valleys dipping as you walk

Plan Your Next Adventure Now available in a completely revised edition, The Connecticut River Boating Guide continues to be the classic, authoritative guide for boaters, canoeists, and kayakers on the Connecticut River. This third edition covers the entire waterway from its source at the Canadian border to Long Island Sound, dividing the river into twenty-eight reaches with accompanying GPS-compatible maps. Practical information on boating facilities, ramps, access areas, mileages, difficulty, sources of flow information, and portages makes it easier than ever to plan your next adventure along the river.
Featuring:
Guaranteed binding -if this binding fails, thepublisher will replace the book for freeGPS-compatible mapsMile-by-mile directions that point out key land-marks, navigational hazards, and optional put-ins and take-outsInformation on camping, fishing, and wildlife-viewing opportunities Sidebars on the river's natural history, human history, flora, and fauna
This book was authored by, and published in cooperation with, the Connecticut River Watershed Council, the river's primary watchdog and steward. Council members John Sinton, Elizabeth Farnsworth, and Wendy Sinton thoroughly revised the guide, basing the new maps and text on their latest survey of the river and on the expertise of numerous local river experts.

In the sports world, battles between rivals can be friendly, hotly contested, or even hostile. An individual sport at its core, swimming is defined by iconic rivalries such as those between Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett, Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, and Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres. Throughout its history, swimming has showcased some of its top athletes competing face to face, challenging each other in ways that captivate their fans. Duels in the Pool: Swimming s Greatest Rivalries highlights the best of these contests. Spanning nearly 100 years, this book delves into the individual showdowns, team battles, friendly competitions, and heated political rivalries that have played out in pools around the world. From their early beginnings through the highlights of their careers, this book follows the top athletes in the sport and the rivals who pushed them to the pinnacle of swimming. Individual races are recounted, bringing to life the intense competition that drove the swimmers to glory. In addition to the individual athletes, Duels in the Pool also examines some of the most exciting rivalries that existed between colleges and among nations. Although such rivalries as those between the U.S. and Australia took place exclusively in the pool, others, such as the battle against East Germany during the 1970s and 80s, were intensified by the political climate and allegations of doping. Exhaustively researched, Duels in the Pool includes original interviews and rich details, shining a light on some of the sport s finest athletes and the rivalries that propelled them to greatness. This book will appeal not only to sports historians and researchers but also to fans of swimming at every level."

This tale of exploration and adventure is a warm account of the people and places around the waters of Southern Massachusetts.

The fourth edition of this classic book provides a comprehensive treatise on the design and construction of swimming pools, both public and private. Significantly revised, it covers planning, materials, design, construction and finishing, water circulation and treatment, energy conservation, maintenance and repairs. This is a standard book for all civil engineers who need to design and construct swimming pools, and a useful reference on the design of water-retaining structures.

The tale of Crusader, the jet-powered boat of 1952, appears to be a simple one about the ambition of John Cobb and Reid Railton, two unassuming but deeply gifted men, to break the water speed record on Loch Ness only for their efforts to end in tragedy. In fact the story behind that fateful outcome - Cobb's death on his first high-speed run - is a complex web of clever design and inspirational endeavour mixed with personality clashes and errors of judgement. After many years of research, including access to a wealth of original documentation, Steve Holter unravels the entire saga of the ill-fated Crusader and presents a compelling detective story.

Surfing and Sustainability presents a new way of understanding the impact of surfing on the environment, society and the economy, providing important insights into the field of sustainability and arguing that the activity of surfing offers a unique opportunity to explore the ambiguity of sustainability. The book contextualises surfing within current debates on sustainability and applies these debates to an innovative theoretical framework drawn from elements of a risk society and sociotechnical transitions. The book discusses the capacity of surfing to influence behaviour, both at an individual and organisational level, exploring sustainability from a range of perspectives including industry, the charity sector, media and celebrity culture. Featuring a range of international case studies, it analyses the greening of the surf industry through topics such as ECOBOARD surfboard manufacturing, business innovation and branding, environmental activism, information technology and surf forecasting, as well as the expansion of artificial wave technology. The book also considers the future directions of surfing and how the inclusion of surfing in the 2020 Olympic Games will impact sustainability debates. This is important reading for academics and scholars, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students working and studying in sports studies, sociology, geography, economics, psychology, marine science, coastal management and economics. It is also a valuable resource for practitioners across the globe.

Nathaniel G. Herreshoff was the greatest yacht and marine designer and builder this country has ever produced. Captain Nat Herreshoff is credited with the introduction of more new devices in the design of boats than any other ma, and the great yachts that he designed for the successful defense of the America's Cup caught the imagination of the world. The period of his greatest activity from 1890 to 1920 was known as "the Herreshoff Era," so greatly did his personality and the yachts he designed dominate the sport. He was a man of manifold talents and unusual genius and his career makes one of the most fascinating biographies. Many of closely guarded secrets of Captain Nat, the great master, are reveled in these pages which teem with human interest, philosophy and the accumulated wisdom of a long lived genius.

Few people would want to test their mettle in an ice-encrusted boat with Ernest Shackleton, sail the Straits of Magellan with Joshua Slocum, or watch with Owen Chase as an angry whale sends his ship to the bottom, thousands of miles from the nearest land. But it's quite another thing to read these true accounts while settled into a favorite chair. Shackleton and Chase persevered in the face of travails that would have given even Job pause. Their stoic accounts are stronger and more dramatic for their total lack of affection, their frankness, and their lack of ego. Their gripping stories are custom made for the imaginative reader who seeks adventure in a more controlled environment, safe and warm, and well fed. "Civilized "readers with their armchairs anchored firmly to the living room floor.
Rich in drama and history, here are fifteen stories that will entertain, inform, and inspire--enduring stories that have attracted generations of readers.
With contributions from:
William Shakespeare
Aaron Smith
Joseph Conrad
Erskine Childers
Joshua Slocum
James Fenimore Cooper
Herman Melville
Richard Henry Dana
Jerome K. Jerome
Edgar Allan Poe
Richard Hakluyt
Robert Louis Stevenson
Owen Chase
Ernest Shackleton

Flares Up is a true story of adventure, tenacity and the capacity of the human spirit to triumph over adversity.Firefighter Paul Hopkins, 55, survives a brain haemorrhage. The experience motivates him to undertake the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge - to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. He teams up with entrepreneur Phil Pugh, who is aged 65but renowned for undertaking extreme physical challenges in honour of his disabled son. They encounter major financial and physical setbacks, which cause years of delays and put a strain on both their marriages. Finally, on 12 December 2019, in a fourth-hand 20ft wooden boat, they set off from the Canary Islands. Violent storms, 30ft waves and equipment failure leave both men seasick, dehydrated and sleep-deprived. Alone on the ocean, they are forced to examine their lives. Was the decision to undertake this challenge brave, selfish or foolish? After 70 days, nine hours and 11 minutes at sea, they cross the finish line, two changed men. Will either of their wives be there to greet them?

'An extraordinary account of heroism and sacrifice. An unexpected and important story, rivetingly told. Rip roaring stuff. Get this into the paws of the sea dog in your life.' - Griff Rhys Jones 'A book that had to be written' - Let's Talk 'People ashore don’t realise what a grim war we are waging at sea with the Germans. A cold-blooded war, in a way I think requiring the maximum of bravery from the men of both sides in the long run, as it is so ceaseless and intangible. You just don’t know whether the next moment will be your last.' Robert Hichens, RNVSR Several years ago, Julia Jones was searching through long-forgotten items stored at her house and discovered some suitcases of old written material, which turned out to be accounts by her father of his experiences in the RNVSR (Royal Naval Volunteer Supplementary Reserve). She realised that as a child she’d met some of the people mentioned, and although she was too young to truly know them, these youthful impressions spurred her on to rediscovery and understanding. In this absorbing book Julia tells the compelling stories of the yachtsmen. Some were famous (such as Sir Peter Scott), others were wealthy (such as August Courtauld, who returned his pay to help with the war effort) but the majority were just 'ordinary' professionals such as publishers, lawyers and advertising agents, who signed up because they loved sailing. Few could ever have dreamed that they would end up acting in areas that were so far beyond their normal lives, as they found themselves commanding destroyers and submarines, and undertaking covert missions of sabotage. Some undertook the dangerous daily drudgery of minesweeping; others tackled unexploded bombs, engaged the enemy in high-speed attacks or played key roles in Ian Fleming's famous intelligence commandos. This varied crew of men were given tasks vital to the war effort, requiring endurance, extraordinary bravery, resourcefulness and quick thinking. Some died in the process, but for the ones who survived, Julia asks how their experiences changed them. Could their love of sailing and the sea survive the harsh realities of war?

A charming and characterful guidebook to the best of Britain's diverse and fascinating canal network for all waterway enthusiasts. Beautifully illustrated, this compendium uncovers the many extraordinary, notable and surprising places to be found on Britain's waterways. Our canals and rivers link into a diverse 3,000-mile-long network, and 101 Wonders of the Waterways shows you that wherever you find yourself in the country, there will be something nearby to give you a taste of this beautiful and nostalgia-infused world. Canal cruising experts Steve Haywood and Moira Haynes bring our waterways to life with their witty and lyrical prose, including many lesser-known and often ignored places - the best-kept secrets of Britain's canals and rivers. Some examples of wonders include: * Historic Hungerford in Berkshire, where William of Orange was staying when he was offered the crown after the Glorious Revolution * The world famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, soaring spectacularly on slender tapered columns 126 feet over the River Dee below * Hest Bank, with its stunning views and the only place where a canal runs so close to the seashore that you can smell the seaweed from the back of your boat As well as lively personal anecdotes, and insightful commentary on Britain's heritage and history, this guide includes handy recommendations to help you make the most of your visit to each wonder. This is the book you will want to have in the back of your car, or stuffed into your backpack, so you can find an idyllic place for a picnic, or the perfect day trip for a long weekend.

Make the most of your time ashore with Adlard Coles Shore Guide to South Brittany. With the sailing behind you, you'll be looking to explore your destination, asking questions such as: How far to the nearest shops and where are the places to eat? You'll also need help to solve practical problems, such as finding fuel, repairs and laundry facilities. Once you're fed and watered, what is there to see and do, and how can you keep the family entertained? You need a different kind of pilot book and this guide is the answer. Packed with beautiful photographs and practical information on local facilities, places to visit and the best beaches within reach of the marina, Adlard Coles Shore Guide to South Brittany will steer you towards the essentials and the pleasures of this beautiful and popular region. Written especially for sailors and designed for planning enjoyable cruises, stretching from the rock-bound shores of western Brittany to the softer and warmer parts towards La Rochelle, this handy-sized travel guide is the perfect resource for anyone cruising this coastline. Paul Heiney, a hugely experienced sailor, journalist and author, describes the marinas, big and small, worth visiting as well as the welcoming harbours and string of peaceful islands to explore.

This book was compiled to assist students studying for the Department of Trade Engineering Drawing examination for a First and Second Class Certificate of Competency. It will also benefit anyone studying for the Engineering Knowledge paper in Part B of the exam. The DoT requirements differ from standard drawing office practice. In order to determine the engineering knowledge of a candidate, a general assembly drawing is required. Details of the drawing are given in the form of dimensioned pictorial views of the individual components for an item of marine engineering machinery. The candidate's skill as a draughtsman is judged from his attempt at the drawing. It is expected that the particular piece of machinery could be manufactured from the drawing, which necessitates inserting dimensions on a general assembly drawing - a practice not common elsewhere. This established textbook will assist students through the course.