The first book to address the fears and hesitations of reluctant mates whose husbands have caught the cruising bug.

The adventure of sailing over the horizon is a widely held dream. Yet for every couple that goes cruising, thousands stay behind because only one partner is infected with this dream.

Dragged Aboard addresses only the interests of the reluctant partner: Is cruising safe? Healthy? Can I be comfortable? What will we eat? Can I be reached in an emergency? What can I take? With such essential questions honestly answered, it's possible to realize that you don't have to like sailing to get hooked on the cruising lifestyle. Don Casey carefully, cheerfully explains what life afloat is all about, from the mundane to the magical.

The definitive guide from the world's best-known sailboat maintenance expert.

"Don Caseys Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual" combines six core volumes into a single, utterly dependable resource that answers every frequent question, explains every major system, and helps you keep your boat and its components shipshape..

More than 2,500 clear and detailed illustrations guide you step by step through every procedure. Caseys technical virtuosity, his user-friendly explanations, and Peter Compton's diesel engine expertise make even the more complicated repairs and improvements easy to understand. This must-have guide saves you time, money, and grief as you learn the fastest, easiest, most effective ways to: . . Evaluate the condition of your boat or one youre about to purchase. Repair structural damage to your fiberglass sailboat. Improve or repair your sailboats electrical system. Troubleshoot, maintain, and repair your boats diesel engine. Put a professional-looking finish on your boats hull, deck, spars, wood, and trim. Make and repair sails, sail covers, dodgers, awnings, sailbags, and bimini tops. .

"Astoundingly clear text and line drawing illustrations. The reader can almost feel the hand-holding this book provides through each step of a repair.""Dockside,"

Don Casey is the author of the universally praised "This Old Boat," which has helped tens of thousands of boatowners turn their rundown production boats into first-class yachts. A regular contributor to "SAIL" and "Good Old Boat" magazines, he combines more than three decades of sailing, an innate curiosity, a knack for clarity, and an eye for the telling detail to deliver reliable expertise. He andhis wife, Olga, cruise the Caribbean aboard their 35-year-old, much-modified Allied Seawind..

Become an expert judge of used sailboats. Step by step, the author of the bestselling "This Old Boat" shows you how to evaluate the condition of an older fiberglass sailboat - the one you own or the one you'd like to purchase. Don Casey's expert advice helps you: assess the condition of a used sailboat in 30 minutes; prioritize maintenance and repair tasks for a boat you already own; catch potential problems early; know where to look and what to look for (and how to interpret what you see). A professional survey is recommended before purchasing a boat - and usually required for financing - but with "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat", you can consider and reject any number of boats before settling on 'the one'.This book will streamline your used-boat shopping while saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in professional survey fees. 'The perfect place to begin, or to continue your education...As a reviewer of both new and used boats, I own many books filled with advice. I strongly suspect that "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat" is the one I will consult most' - "Sailing". 'A complete reference for the boatowner or prospective boat buyer on evaluating the condition of fiberglass sailboats using common sense and proven advice' - GAM on "Yachting Magazine" (Canada). Don Casey is one of today's best and most trusted do-it-yourself boating writers. His nine books include the bestselling "This Old Boat and Sailboat Electrics Simplified". He writes the long-running "Ask Don Casey" column for BoatUS.com and is a monthly columnist for Sailnet.com and a regular "SAIL" magazine contributor.

Turn a run-down fiberglass boat into a first-class yacht

Since it first appeared in 1991, Don Casey's "This Old Boat" has helped tens of thousands of sailors refurbish older fiberglass boats and has become a revered classic among boat rehabbers.This second edition is revised from first page to last with new information on electrical systems, diesel engines, refrigeration, resins, plumbing and more. Plus, more than 600 newly created illustrations enhance the book's beauty as well as its utility.

The skills required for top-notch canvaswork are astonishingly few, and canvas's potential to protect your boat and enhance your enjoyment of it is practically limitless. Here is all you need to tackle virtually any canvaswork project: sails and sailcovers, flags, dodgers, ditty bags, cushion covers, and awnings--including Biminis. It's clean, safe, and risk-free--and you'll save a bunch of money and get exactly what you want in the process.

Don't Be Baffled by Your Electrical System--Handle Repairs and Improvements with Ease With clear illustrations and simple explanations, Don Casey shows you exactly how to install wiring . . . make good, safe connections . . . match your battery bank and alternator to your needs . . . troubleshoot problems quickly . . . avoid shore power problems . . . and more--all without a lot of technical jargon."Don Casey's book provides clear guidance on how to create and maintain a robust electrical system. Don's lucid explanations and numerous illustrations make what is normally mysterious and invisible--electricity--into something the reader is able to understand with confidence. An excellent addition to the sailor's seagoing library."--Chuck Hawley

Make your boat shine again

No improvement to a tired-looking boat will have a more dramatic impact than refinishing, and few tasks are easier. Here is everything you need to achieve a fabulous finish on your fiberglass boat's bottom, topsides, deck, spars, wood trim, and belowdeck surfaces while saving time, money, and grief.

What reviewers have said about Don Casey's boat maintenance books:

"Astonishingly clear text and illustrations. The reader can almost feel the hand-holding this book provides through each step."--"Dockside"

"I own many books filled with advice, but I strongly suspect that this is the one I will consult most."--"Sailing"

"Casey makes tricky points clear in hundreds of illustrations and lively prose."--"SailNet"

"If you have an older sailboat, you need this book."--"The Ensign"

A fiberglass hulls seamless nature leads many boatowners to conclude that repair must be difficult. Wrong. Here, clearly and abundantly illustrated, is all you need to know to seal joints, bed hardware, replace portlights, locate leaks, fix cracks and even holes, restore your hulls gloss, renew nonskid decks, and much more. Youll wonder what you were worried about.