Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Introduction Contributors The Boats Introduction It's All in the Hull How to Test a Boat Twenty Questions to Ask When Selecting a Boat The Matter of Speed The Amazing 17s--and Others of a Rugged Breed The Tin Skiff: America's Favorite Fishing Boat The Ever-Popular Runabout The Handy Jonboat The Booming, Zooming Bassboat Skinny-Water Boating on the Western Jet Boat The Semi-Dory Lives On Canoe Power Gear for Your Boat Thieves Are Eyeing Your Boat Upgrades and Conversions Introduction Surveying Fiberglass Boats Buying Used Aluminum Boats Dressing Up a Whaler A 15-Foot Plywood Cruiser The MFG Just Won't Die Everyman's Exploration Boat Working with Canvas Engines Introduction Selecting an Outboard Motor Jet Drives Silent Power: The Little Electrics Straight Talk from a Dealer Rigging an Outboard How to Maintain Your Outboard or Sterndrive The Ticking Fuel-Tank Bomb Tips on Saving Fuel Trim Tabs and Hydrofoils How to Make an Extension Handle Protecting Your Prop Boat Trailers Introduction Selecting a Trailer Two Accessories You Can Make Yourself Choosing a Tow Vehicle The Tricks of Handling a Trailer Hitch & Ball, Inc. Troubleshooting Your Light System The Critical Wheel Bearings Electronics Introduction A VHF at Your Beck and Call The Many Kinds of Depthfinders Installing a Depthfinder Seamanship Introduction Rough-Water Handling How to Run an Inlet Anchoring and Mooring Little Boats The Delicate Art of Docking Shore Landings and Takeoffs River Expertise Locking Through Do You Really Want to Tow? Defensive Boating: When the World Is Against You The Invaluable Nautical Chart Navaids: The Seaman's Scorecard Taking the Awe Out of Navigating The Ins and Outs of Tides Wind Is Weather Safety: Boating's Dirty Word Something to Grab Onto Running a Tight Ship Keeping Shipshape Cruising Introduction Cruising in Small Powerboats Camping, or Backpacking by Boat Repair and Maintenance Introduction Fiberglass Repairs The Adaptable Epoxy Fillet Tools for Working Fiberglass Repairing Aluminum Boats The Fine Art of Painting Freeing Frozen Parts Inflatable Care and Repair The Marine Supermarket: Finishing Touches Index

About the Author

Annie and David Getchell has been using, selling, and writing about outdoor gear for more than 35 collective gears. This year they finished a four-year run as on-air co-host and producer, respectively, of the PBS series "Anyplace Wild." Annie is an experienced cross-country and downhill ski racer, canoeist, sea kayaker, rock climber, cyclist, and mountaineering instructor. She has for the past eight years been the outdoor gear columnist for AMC Outdoors magazine and is a frequent contributor to Backpacker magazine. Prior to producing "Anyplace Wild" David Getchell Jr. was the longtime equipment editor for Backpacker.

Reviews

"You'll learn how to turn little skiffs into versatile, world-class travellers...If you believe in the 'go simple, go cheap, go now' approach to boating, this is your bible." Boating "Redefines the capabilities of small boats and their owners." Mariner "Considerably more depth of coverage than the run-of-the-mill books on this subject." WoodenBoat