For any sailor, in a yacht or motorboat, the passage from one place to another is relatively easy, particularly with modern navigation equipment. What can be more of a challenge (and a potential source of anxiety for skipper and crew) is the start and end of a passage - how to leave and arrive safely, particularly if it's a cramped marina or crowded anchorage. In Illustrated Seamanship, Ivar Dedekam takes you through the techniques required to achieve a safe departure and arrival. Starting with the fundamentals of ropework he then moves on to manoeuvring, berthing, making fast and then leaving. All types of berthing are covered from coming alongside, stern to, bow to, between finger pontoons and using piles and buoys. There is advice about dealing with different wind and current directions as well as using springs. Ivar then turns to anchoring and offers guidance on setting and weighing anchor in many different circumstances: under sail and under power, using one or two anchors and coping with changes in wind and tide while anchored. You probably won't experience all the scenarios that Ivar so carefully describes, but you will certainly come across quite a few. Knowing what to do when a new situation comes up could be invaluable, increasing your confidence and leading to greater enjoyment and use of your boat. With over 500 diagrams, this slim volume is a perfect reminder of frequently used techniques and could be your get-out-of-jail card when a new circumstance arises. This new edition has an improved layout and the eBook's functionality has been improved significantly.
Today, yachts are often equipped with electrical windlasses, autopilot, bow thrusters, etc. This equipment has also become much more reliable, making it possible to make long offshore passages without much knowledge of seamanship.
However, as the coastguards in many countries can confirm, more and more yachts require assistance, even when they should be able to reach harbour on their own.
In this book you will be shown the traditional techniques you should be familiar with - regarding rope handling, manoeuvring and anchoring - in order to make long or short passages safely. Each element is clearly explained alongside detailed illustrations, combining to make a straightforward and easy-to-follow guide.
Although yacht gear is becoming more and more reliable, you can be almost sure that, sooner or later, it will fail or you will be out of electrical power to use it. Learning the traditional techniques may not only be necessary but is also both interesting and fun. Instead of waking up the entire harbour in the early hours with the noise of your bow thruster, you may, alternatively, use a spring line to get safely moored to or leave the pontoon quietly.
