Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook: A Compendium for Coastal and Offshore Sailors

Niger Calder is the author of Marine Diesel Engines (1987, 1991) and Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual (1989, 1995), the success of which has made him the most sought-after marine how-to writer in the U.S. and U.K. He has published more than 800 magazine articles in SAIL, Cruising World, Ocean Navigator, Yachting World, etc., and lectures on cruising to sell-out crowds. He is also the author of The Cruising Guide to The Northwest Caribbean (IM, 1991) and Cuba: A Cruising Guide (Imray, 1996). He will be testing his newest ideas with his family during a six-month cruise to the Caribbean and South America this winter.

Front MatterPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart One: The BoatChapter 1. A Boat for CruisingBasic Design ParametersLength-Beam Ratio; Keel Types; Displacement Calculations; Ballast Ratio; Displacement-Length Ratio; Overhangs; Waterplanes and Immersion; Comfort Factor; Sail Area-Displacement Ratio; Stability Curves and Ratio; Capsize Screening Value and STIX Number; Maintaining Control; Speed-Length Ratio; Buttocks, Diagonals, and Aft Sections; Speed versus ComfortGetting Down to DetailsConstruction Materials; Cored Hulls and Decks; Hull-to-Deck Joints; Structural Reinforcements; Keels; Rudders and Skegs; Skegs and Propellers; Bilge Water and TankageConclusionChapter 2. On DeckRigs and RiggingRig Options; Masts, Spreaders, and Shroud Angles; Holding Up the Mast; Roller-Reefing Foresails; Mainsail; Odds and EndsCockpits and Deck LayoutCenter or Aft Cockpit; Basic Parameters and the Comfort Factor; Steering; Dodgers and Biminis; Cockpit Flooding; Deck Design and Layout; StowageDealing with Ground TackleBow Platform; Deck Layout; Anchor Wells; Chain Locker; WindlassesAddendum: Carbon Fiber MastsLightning and Other Survival IssuesChapter 3. Cruising Accommodations: Fusing Functionality at Sea with Comfort on the HookGeneral ConsiderationsMinimizing Motion; Keeping Things in Place; Insulation; Ventilation; Air Conditioning and HeatingSpecific SpacesNavigation Station; Wet Locker; Galley; Saloon; Forecabins, Quarter Berths, and Aft Cabins; Head CompartmentConclusionAddendum: Carbon Monoxide PoisoningCarbon Monoxide AlarmsChapter 4. Electrical SystemsA Balanced SystemKeeping the Load Down; The Supply Side; Supplementary Sources of Power; Defining the Limits; Miscellaneous DC Systems IssuesDC to AC InvertersSizing an Inverter; DC and AC InstallationsOver-Current Protection and High-Current CircuitsWhat Size Fuse or Circuit Breaker?; High-Current Circuits; Check Your Own BoatLow-Energy RefrigerationEfficiency; Versatility; Insulate, Insulate, Insulate; Enhancing Performance; Effective RefrigerationLow-Energy LightingFluorescent Lights; LED Lighting; Halogen LightsAC SystemsSafety; Corrosion; Miscellaneous AC Systems CommentsBonding, Zinc Anodes, and Lightning ProtectionStray-Current Corrosion and Bonding; Lightning ProtectionConclusionChapter 5. The Rest of the SystemsThe Engine and PropellerHow Big an Engine?; Propeller Sizing; Propeller Matters; Peripheral Systems; Living with an EngineFuel and Water TanksMetal Tanks; Plastic Tanks; Freshwater Systems; WatermakersBilge PumpsFlooding Rates and Pumping Capacities; Improving Performance: Hoses and Check Valves; Improving Performance: Electrical Considerations; Float Switches; Keeping Dry Below DecksThrough-Hulls, Seacocks, and HosesQuality Through-Hulls and Seacocks; HosesPropane InstallationsThe Problem of Refills When CruisingMaking Equipment ChoicesWhat Spares to Carry?Chapter 6. Acquisition StrategiesDefining PrioritiesWhat Size Boat?; To Build or Not to Build; Commissioning CostsUsed-Boat MarketRefurbishing an Older Sailboat; Old Racing Boats; A Survey; Go Sailing as Soon as Possible!Cruising-Boat Questionnaire and Checklist of Desirable FeaturesPart Two: Cruising SkillsChapter 7. Boat Handling under Power and SailManeuvering under PowerClose Quarters Maneuvering under Power; Docking (Mooring) Lines; Docking Situations; The Mediterranean Moor; Getting in and out of Slips; Picking up and Leaving a MooringSailing SkillsA Little Theory (of Sorts!); Going to Windward; Using Telltales; Adjusting Draft; Tacking; Reaching; Running before the Wind; Double Headsails; Spinnakers; Cruising Spinnakers; Weather Helm and Lee Helm; Motor SailingTuning a RigPreparatory Measurements; Static Tuning; Dynamic Tuning at SeaChapter 8. Piloting, Navigation, and the Rules of the RoadPaper ChartsChart Construction; Chart Terminology and Symbols; Chart Corrections; Other Nautical PublicationsBuoyage Systems and LighthousesLateral and Cardinal Marks; Lighthouses; Picking out Navigation MarksCompasses and PlottingCompass Basics; Compass Installation and Adjustment; Transferring Bearings to and from a Chart; Plotting PositionsBasic PilotingDead Reckoning; Estimated Positions, and Set and Drift; Fixes; Plotting Conventions; Tides, Tidal Currents, and Currents; Keeping a Logbook; Expanding the Piloting Repertoire; Complex Situations, Fog, and CoralElectronic NavigationChart and GPS Datums; Electronic Charting; Radar NavigationRules of the RoadBasic Rules; Sound (and Light) Signals; Navigation LightsIn PerspectiveAddendum: One Person's Ellipsoid Is Another Person's ShipwreckNewton versus the Cassini Family; From Sphere to Ellipsoid; From Ellipsoid to Geoid; A New Age; Nautical Peculiarities; Avoiding ReefsChapter 9. Anchoring, Running Aground, and Kedging OffGround TackleCalculating the Load; Matching the Components; Chain Rodes; Rope Rodes; How Much Rode?; Anchor ChoicesAnchoringAnchoring Routine; Setting and Retrieving an Anchor under Sail; Setting More than One Anchor; Retrieving (Weighing) an AnchorRunning Aground and Kedging OffRunning Aground under Sail; Running Aground on a Rising Tide; Running Aground on a Falling Tide; Running Aground in Tideless Waters; Towing and SalvageChapter 10. The Ditty BagModern RopesA Look at Construction; Caring for RopesMarlinespike SeamanshipKnots; Eye Splices; Seizings and Whippings; RatlinesSailsMaterials and Construction; Maintenance and RepairsDinghiesHard versus Inflatable; Inflatable Options; Getting a Dinghy on and off a Boat; Miscellaneous Dinghy ThoughtsFoul-Weather GearFeatures; Layering and the ExtremitiesSafety-Related EquipmentLife Jackets and Harnesses; Crew Overboard Maneuvers; Fire ExtinguishersChapter 11. Weather Predictions and Heavy-Weather SailingBasic TheoryAdding Wind and Putting a Spin on These Processes; Pressure Changes, Isobars, and Wind Direction; Relative Humidity, Air Masses, Stability, and Instability; Frontal Systems; The Jet Stream and the 500-Millibar Chart; The Big PictureCoastal Cruising: Putting Theory to UseOnshore and Offshore Winds; Thunderstorms; FogOffshore Cruising: Putting Theory to UseThings to Monitor; Signs of Change; Ocean CurrentsExtreme Weather SituationsHurricanes and Typhoons; Rapidly Intensifying Lows (Meteorological Bombs); MicroburstsHeavy-Weather SailingBeing Prepared; Heaving-To; Lying Ahull; Running Off; Sea Anchors; Dealing with Flooding; Abandoning ShipConclusionChapter 12. Extended Cruising and Staying in TouchLogistical ConsiderationsProvisioning; Ensuring Safe Water; Environmental Issues; Finding Crew; Financial Matters and Insurance; Bureaucracy; Children OnboardStaying HealthySeasickness; Good Health in Tropical Climates; Diarrhea; Childhood Infections and Infestations; Avoiding Mosquito-Borne and Other Transmittable Diseases; Cuts, Scratches, Insect Bites, and Marine HazardsStaying in TouchBig Ship Developments; VHF Radio; Marine SSB and Ham SSB Radio; Inmarsat; Satellite and Cell (Mobile) Phones; E-Mail; Making Decisions; Snail MailPostscriptBibliographyMetric Conversions and TrademarksIndex