Fast Powerboat Seamanship: The Complete Guide to Boat Handling, Navigation, and Safety
Author: Dag Pike

• Hardcover 272 pages (July 1, 2004)
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0071422099

Synopsis
This fantastic book is the definitive guide to operating 30- to 100-foot boats at speeds of 25 to more than 100 knots. Fast powerboats outsell sailboats 10 to 1, yet there has been no comprehensive guide available for operating them. Now, from one of the world's leading authorities on fast powerboats, comes the book that answers that need. Author Dag Pike provides plenty of tips, anecdotes, and instructive illustrations as he covers crucial topics such as hull design and construction, engines and propulsion systems, coping with extreme conditions, tides and currents, collision avoidance, communications, and much more. He helps fast-boat owners: adjust to the faster pace of events at high speed; understand the effects of speed on boat handling; negotiate waves safely and efficiently; master high-speed navigation; and, learn fast-boat docking techniques.

From the Back Cover
Operating a powerboat at high speed is both a great thrill and a serious responsibility. As your speed increases, you ride a constantly narrowing line between safety and danger, and the consequences of an accident can be disastrous to you, to your passengers, and to other boaters. It is your responsibility to learn the skills and acquire the knowledge needed to keep your boat firmly under control.

In Fast Powerboat Seamanship , one of the world's leading authorities on high-speed piloting and navigation shows you how to operate any fast boat for maximum thrill at minimum risk. Dag Pike, author of the U.S. Coast Guard's Fast Boat Seamanship Manual , describes the effects of hull design on performance and gives you a better understanding of how your boat is built. He explains how fast boats respond under a variety of conditions, and he walks you through everything you need to know about engines, propulsion systems, trim tabs, and the other controls that give you complete command of your craft.

Pike provides a step-by-step tutorial in the techniques of fast-boat driving and spells out the measures you can take to ensure comfort and safety for yourself and your passengers. He also explores the things you need to know about the sea itself: how waves are generated, how they move, and how to assess and adjust to changing conditions on the water. You'll learn how to adapt to the faster pace of events at 25 to 100 knots; navigate at high speed; and control a high-speed turn. You'll also learn techniques for avoiding collisions, operating in extreme weather, and much more.

The better you understand your boat and how to control it, the greater the pleasure you will get from high-performance boating. Fast Powerboat Seamanship is the source for the specialized knowledge and skills you need to get the most out of any fast boat.

Dag Pike has more than 50 years' experience in power boating and has written 21 books on the subject, including the Fast Boat Seamanship Manual (U.S. Coast Guard, 2002). He is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation and a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.