A tour of over 30 minor harbours around the coasts of southwest Britain from Lyme Bay to the River Severn. Illustrated with evocative colour photography, Dag Pike's narrative brings to life a contrasting collection of small historic harbours, which although infrequently visited have a fascinating story to tell. 'Hidden Harbours of Southwest Britain' aims to paint a picture of what harbours were like in the past and what they are like now. They can make an interesting alternative for visiting yachtsmen looking for somewhere off the beaten track to visit and explore, perhaps by small tenders. They can tempt visitors looking to trace the industrial archaeology of harbours and the reasons for its rise and decline, or walkers along the coastal paths. Many of the harbours were built to last and they can be rich in history and rewarding to visit both by land and sea. Dag Pike has 60 years of experience in a wide variety of ships and boats having worked with Trinity House on their lighthouse tenders and with the RNLI as an Inspector of Lifeboats. He has raced offshore powerboats, sailed competitively and set many long distance records, and has cruised extensively around the coasts on both power and sail yachts. He holds a Master's certificate and a Yachtmaster Ocean. He has written 36 books including his autobiography and writes for many yachting magazines around the world. He now spends part of the year living in Cornwall and sails in the Falmouth Working Boats. "This is a real gem of a book for sailor and landlubber alike. Dag's choice of photography is particularly relevant, the page layout with the aerial topography depicting the harbour is well thought out. Thoroughly recommended". - Nautical Magazine

Though contemporary sailors generally use electronic systems to orient themselves, the sextant is far from redundant. This purest of all nautical instruments, which allows seafarers to accurately determine their global position alone and without the aid of modern technology, is still required equipment on all commercial trading vessels; should electronic systems fail, a sextant can make the difference between disaster and survival. In this invaluable tutorial for beginning navigators, Pike clearly and efficiently explains the use and care of the sextant.

Boats are expensive and they are complicated - unless you are going to pay a professional to carry out a survey (at yet more expense) it is invaluable to be able to: - quickly assess a potential purchase for signs of trouble without paying for lengthy reports - carry out a detailed check on your own boat the end of the season - identify problems and get them dealt with before they get serious - get to know your boat in a lot more detail, so if a problem develops at sea you will be more able to cope Organised into chapters covering: Tools of the trade (basic tools, moisture meters, fingers and feel, smell, mirrors, sources of information); Checking the hull (including wood construction and rot, GRP laminates, osmosis, metal construction, keels, anodes); RIBs and inflatables; Engine and systems; Stern gear; Plumbing; Mast and rigging; Electrical systems; Interiors; Safety equipment. At the end of the book there's a handy guide to carrying out a five minute survey - invaluable when making a quick assessment of a potential purchase. Highly illustrated, with anecdotes and hands-on advice throughout, this practical book gives readers the tools to do much of the work on their own, and know when to call in the experts.

Today travellers by land, sea and air take accurate navigation for granted but it was not always thus. The author, a highly experienced sailor, sets out to record the development of navigational techniques from the earliest time, five millenniums ago. As explorers started to venture offshore into the unknown they had to rely on the sun and stars for direction. From this pioneers turned to mathematics, astrolobes, sextants and increasing accurate clocks to measure latitude and later longitude. More recently major breakthroughs with electronic navigation, GPS and other satellite systems have revolutionised travel. Focusing primarily but not exclusively on marine navigation, the author weaves a fascinating course through the successes and failures of mankind's quest to explore his world. The result is a thoroughly entertaining and informative work which has no rival.