Auxiliary Sail Vessel Operations: For the Aspiring Professional Sailor [Hardcover]

G. Anderson Chase (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

...A well-thumbed copy of this book should be in every sailor's seabag, whether he or she is an aspiring professional or a recreational passagemaker. Auxiliary Sail Vessel Operations provides a solid introduction to the fundamental principles and practices necessary to successfully work in today's commercial sailing industry. It fills a long-standing void in existing nautical science literature. This book covers a lot of important territory. Throughout, Andy Chase's extensive experience on merchant ships, sail training vessels, and as an inspiring educator shines through. Definitions of advanced vocabulary and concise explanations of each concept are presented in the body of the text and are clearly illustrated by Eric Chase's drawings. Suggestions for further reading are included at the end of each chapter. Three appendices, as well as an up-to-date bibliography, will point the reader eager for further study in the right direction. -- WoodenBoat Magazine May/June 1998 Reviewed by Capt. Peg Brandon

...Despite its academic-sounding title, this book, written as a textbook for a class taught by Capt. Chase at the Maine Maritime Academy, has practical applications that extend far beyond the classroom. It's not just for the youngster who fantasizes about making a living in the windjammer fleet. In its 316 pages there is enough information to satisfy the curiosity of even the saltiest of sea dogs.

I wouldn't lightly recommend a $35 book unless it was worth every penny, and this book is. It should be part of the library aboard every boat.... This is one of those books that will take care of you. -- Sailing Magazine July 1998 Reviewed by David Berson

This is a really wonderful book, for a variety of reasons, at a variety of levels. Despite its rather formal title, it is a surprisingly accessible second-level step to understanding just what it is you do when you are sailing....

Most folks brought up under sail just know how the wind operates on a sail during a tack or jibe, but don't know exactly why. Here are clear explanations, including descriptions of some of those quirky spaces we've all been in but weren't sure why it happened--simple physics but puzzling sometimes, yet possibly critical in a emergency. The same goes for the fluid dynamics and gravitational physics of hull rudder, seemingly simple, yet it kicks back on you at strange times. After reading this book, you'll have an idea why. -- The Northern Mariner/Le Marin du Nord The Journal of the Canadian Nautical Research Society Reviewed by John Townley, Sea Cliff, NY

About the Author

From Sailing Magazine July 1998 By Lisa Moore

Capt. G. Andy Chase's roots in sailing are deep. His great, great, great grandfather was none other than Nathaniel Bowditch, who wrote the American Practical Navigator--commonly referred to as Bowditch--which was published in 1802 because of the need for a simply written, complete text on navigation.

Although Chase quickly and humbly dodges the comparison, his own book originated in a similar way. As an associate professor of nautical science at the Maine Maritime Academy, he was assigned to teach a course entitled Auxiliary Sail Vessel Operations. But there was no textbook available. Drawing on his years of experience at sea, Chase decided to write one. "I got brave," he said.

Chase's dad, E. Dixwell Chase, helped with the editing and his brother Eric sketched the diagrams for the book. The whole family is entrenched in sailing.

"We grew up summering in Maine, sailing mostly on my grandfather's Concordia Yawl,: he said. "We also raced an O'Day out of Buck's Harbor."

At the age of 16, Chase quit high school to begin his seafaring career aboard a Norwegian merchant ship. He returned to finish high school before setting out again, this time under sail. As deckhand, second mate and master, he sailed with the Maine Windjammer fleet, including the schooner Nathaniel Bowditch, skippered by his oldest brother Carl. Chase graduated from the academy in 1979 and holds a U.S. unlimited master's license for power vessels, and master of auxiliary sail vessels up to 1,600 tons.

Chase said he enjoys teaching--especially when the classroom is on the water. In 1991 he led a group of students from the academy to Greenland aboard Bowdoin, the 88-foot schooner formerly skippered by Adm. Donald B. MacMillan for arctic exploration.

But the mariner who has sailed schooners, tankers and barges never tires of sailing his home waters on the boats he grew up with. "I just bought an old O'Day Daysailer," Chase said enthusiastically. "It's a little toy boat. I could spend all day tacking in and out of the cove."

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 316 pages
• Publisher: Cornell Maritime Pr/Tidewater Pub; 1st edition (July 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087033493X
• ISBN-13: 978-0870334931
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,355,027 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Industry Standard Book, Period", September 14, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Baltimore MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Auxiliary Sail Vessel Operations: For the Aspiring Professional Sailor (Hardcover)

Capt. Chase has used all his well founded resources to pull together and create a book inwhich any person who is involved in the Tall Ship industry should get their hands on! This book is well researched and laid out so the young sailor, hardened seasoned professional or the educator can use this book on a daily basis. I highly recommend this Book!

5.0 out of 5 stars For anyone with a serious interest in sailing, October 8, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Auxiliary Sail Vessel Operations: For the Aspiring Professional Sailor (Hardcover)

Auxiliary Sail Vessel Operations For The Aspiring Professional Sailor by G. Andy Chase is a no-nonsense, technically comprehensive and detailed "how-to" instructional and reference manual that covers sail vessel operations in extensive depth and detail. Individual chapters instruct the reader in trim and balance, basic sail maneuvers, keeping the ship stable, rules and regulations, and much more. A core addition to any Nautical Studies reference collection, Auxiliary Sail Vessel Operations For The Aspiring Professional Sailor is especially recommended for anyone with a serious interest in sailing and seeking to improve their nautical skills and abilities.