The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sailing


Book Description

The idea of learning to sail excites the imagination with fantasies of a carefree, simple way to relax. But in reality, a lot of work goes into mastering the technical aspects of sailing and learning how to get from one place to another without ending up in the water. Other sailing books go into more detail than the casual learner wants or needs. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Sailing gives readers just what they need to know to get started and enjoy their time on the water. In it, readers get: A primer on the different types of sailboats and tips for buying or renting. Detailed descriptions of the parts and controls of a sailboat. The roles and jobs of sailor and crew. How to get the boat into the water (if it isn't already). The mechanics of sailing. Departing, anchoring, and docking. Handling, navigating, and weather. Sailing safety and emergency preparedness. The rules of the sailing road. Backup plans: engines and oars. Storing, hauling, and maintaining a sailboat.




The Complete Idiot's Guide to Boating and Sailing


Book Description

Offers tips on choosing a boat, describes the parts of a boat and how they operate, explains marine navigation, and covers maintenance and safety issues.




Sailing For Dummies


Book Description

Interested in learning to sail but feel like you’re navigating in murky waters? Sailing for Dummies, Second Edition introduces the basics of sailing, looks at the different types of sailboats and their basic parts, and teaches you everything you need to know before you leave the dock. In Sailing for Dummies, Second Edition, two U.S. sailing champions show you how to: Find and choose a sailing school Use life jackets correctly Tie ten nautical knots Handle sailing emergencies (such as capsizing and rescuing a man overboard) Launch your boat from a trailer, ramp, or beach Get your boat from point A to point B (and back again) Predict and respond to water and wind conditions Read charts, plot your course, use a compass, and find your position at sea Sailing for Dummies shows you that getting out on the water is easier than you think. The authors keep the sailor-speak to a minimum where possible, but give you a grasp of the terminology you need to safely and effectively communicate with your crew. A textbook, user’s manual, and reference all in one, this book takes the intimidation out of sailing and gives you the skills and confidence you need to get your feet wet and become the sailing pro you’ve always wanted to be. Anchors away!




Celestial Navigation for the Complete Idiot


Book Description

This book is ground breaking not because of what it has, but what it doesn't have: No complicated drawings; no mathematics problems; no astronomical talk; no big words you've never heard of. Sailor-author Gene Grossman finally breaks this wonderful subject down into plain English and explains it in such a way that you will no longer have any excuse to claim that you know nothing about the valuable boater's subject of Celestial Navigation. This book was inspired by Gene's DVD program of the same title, which has gained worldwide popularity and is being used the the Navy, Coast Guard and sailing schools all over the world.




A Sail of Two Idiots: 100+ Lessons and Laughs from a Non-Sailor Who Quit the Rat Race, Took the Helm, and Sailed to a New Life in the Caribbean


Book Description

“It was the best of dreams, it was the worst of dreams, it was an age of consulting the nautical experts, it was the age of landlubber foolishness, it was the epoch of determination, it was the epoch of despair, it was the season of hurricanes, it was a spring of beachcombing...” If you dream about chucking it all away and sailing toward an island life, read this first Renee and Michael didn’t have any boating experience and when their plans to remedy that fell through the two had to learn everything the hard way. Despite themselves they managed to get from Miami to Grenada, eventually dropping the anchor of their cruising catamaran at the island of their dreams. Determined to save future sailors from themselves, A Sail of Two Idiots includes lessons Renee and Michael learned and shares them with you as examples of what and what not to do. This a how-to guide wrapped in a funny story—kind of like getting your serving of vegetables from a slice of pizza. Read this and make your dream of sailing away a reality. Includes: “What Broke?” sections explores the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of a cruising multihull "Island” section provide assessments of the islands of the Caribbean




The Complete Idiot's Travel Guide to Cruise Vacations


Book Description

Completely updated, with the latest details on all the ships and their itineraries--plus a full-color photo insert.




The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Arctic and Antarctic


Book Description

Now armchair adventurers can find out about the physical, geological, and climatological conditions of the poles; their unique flora, fauna, and human inhabitants; the history of the greatest polar expeditions, the exciting scientific research being conducted there, and what changing climate conditions might mean to the future of this vast and fascinating realm.




The Complete Idiot's Guide to Private Investigating


Book Description

An updated and revised edition of the most highly recommended guide to learning to be a private investigator-or just using the tools PIs do to understand what goes on in your local courthouse, find information in public records, and perform searches to save you time and money. Among the changes for this edition- Completely new chapters on skip tracing Up-to-date information on how to make money by understanding your local courthouse and finding not-so-hidden gems in public records Under-the-radar databases you need to know about Completely new-and hot-chapters on due diligence searches, including pre-employment and tenant screening investigations and adoption searches




Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Sailing, Expanded and Updated


Book Description

Aimed at sailboat owners of all kinds, this reference book contains 200 entries packed with solid practical advice and valuable tips. Each entry is categorized alphabetically and prefaced by an arresting statement, such as "People always lie about how fast their boats are." The reference format offers readers the opportunity to open the book at any page and browse endlessly. Cartoons by SAIL Magazine cartoonist Tom Payne enliven the text. A comprehensive appendix covers some 50 technical topics. Includes a Foreword by Don Casey. "...it is always interesting and very readable." —Sailing "Filled with practical advice, this book is a winner." — The Ensign "Vigor, who's written for several boating magazines, has brought his experience and sense of humor to bear on the less than ideal experiences of sailing—and he's even alphabetized them...It's fun to page through and you just might learn a thing or two." —Soundings: An Interdisciplinary Journal "This book is easy to read. It imparts some very valuable information in a fun package." — Good Old Boat "This is a great reference book for those just entering the world of sailing, and entertaining." — Latitudes & Attitudes "Vigor, who's written for several boating magazines, has brought his experience and sense of humor to bear on the less than ideal experiences of sailing—and he's even alphabetized them...It's fun to page through and you just might learn a thing or two." — Soundings




The Complete Idiot's Guide to European History, 2nd Edition


Book Description

• Fascinating, fact-filled writing that delivers hundreds of years in the life of the European continent • Terrific supplementary reading for AP History students