The Complete Book addresses anchoring systems, techniques, and permanent moorings for boats from twelve feet to eighty feet in length. It covers monohulls, multihulls, light displacement sail-boats, cruisers, sportfishers, passagemakers, and workboats. In short, it is for all recreational and working boats in this size range.

The book deals not only with anchor behavior, but also with the rode assembly, riding stoppers, and the human factors. What formerly was thought of as strength through size (heavy anchors and large rodes) has been refined to decrease weight, lighten loads on the boat, and reduce difficulty in handling.

The revised second edition introduces some new ground tackle components that will assure the ground tackle system retains compatible strength and performance. Two interesting rode design changes have been added: the use of galvanized High Test chain, which can relieve the weight in the bow of the boat and improve performance, and the use of direct rope-to-chain splices in a combination rode to replace the bulky and heavy anchor shackle joint of old. Also added are three new anchor designs: Barnacle, Bulwagga, and Spade.