Boater's Bowditch: The Small-Craft American Practical Navigator [Hardcover]

Richard K. Hubbard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

Boaters Bowditch removes the mystery and mathematics from the American Practical Navigator, explaining concepts and techniques used by the professional navigator.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Emphasizing the visual and graphic techniques of navigation, Boater's Bowditch is a small-boat adaptation of the preeminent navigation reference for commercial and naval sailors, the U.S. government's American Practical Navigator ("Bowditch" for short, after the editor and writer of the first edition published in 1802). With hundreds of diagrams and photographs, this handy book is an indispensable resource for beginning and advanced navigators. It explains in plain English all the basic and most practical concepts and techniques used by professional navigators. It's the first truly comprehensive guide to modern navigation tools such as GPS and electronic charts.

Boater's Bowditch fulfills Nathaniel Bowditch's original vow "to put down in the book nothing I can't teach the crew."

"What John Wycliffe did to the Bible in the 14th century, Hubbard has done to the American Practical Navigator, bringing it down to a level most people can understand."--­Ocean Navigator

"Hubbard has done an excellent job. I have been operating small boats on our waters for at least the last 20 years, and virtually every chapter told me something that was not only interesting but in many cases new to me."--­­Greenwich Time

"If you have been put off by navigation texts in the past, here is one which was intended to make navigation easy and understandable."--­Dockside

"It covers every essential element of navigation know-how in clear, concise explanations. . . . Novices and experienced sailors alike will appreciate the book's logical organization."--­­Mariner --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Richard K. Hubbard navigated everything from large coast guard cutters to class A ocean racing yachts and square-riggers for 11 years. Since 1979 he has worked for the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (formerly the Defense Mapping Agency), where today he is a Marine Analyst. He also writes for professional maritime journals and sailing magazines, and remains an active sailor. He was the editor of the 1995 edition of Pub. No. 9, the American Practical Navigator. Boater's Bowditch is the result of a lifetime of sailing, writing, and navigation study.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 404 pages
• Publisher: Intl Marine Pub (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070308667
• ISBN-13: 978-0070308664
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,596,584 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Muddled explanations of basic topics mar this work, July 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Boater's Bowditch: The Small-Craft American Practical Navigator (Hardcover)

A reference work such as this should have one, overriding goal: to
make the explanation of each subject as clear, concise, and above all
accurate as possible. That goal is even more important since this
book is aimed at novices, who may not have the experience and
background knowledge to detect errors and understand muddled
explanations. Unfortunately, this book fails miserably at this goal.
The topics are riddled with inaccuracies and the explanations, where
correct, are overly long and confusing. As one example, the
explanation of the origin of tides is both confusingly written, and,
when deciphered, wrong....And so I recommend the same to potential
readers: skip this book, and go right to the real American Practical
Navigator, which, coincidentally enough, is available from Amazon!
For an introductory book which has been around for years and is both
complete and accurate, I recommend Chapman Piloting : Seamanship &
Boat Handling, which is available for just a few dollars more and is
in its 63rd edition. Disclaimer: I am not associated in any way with
any of the publishers or authors of the books mentioned here, except
as a pleased or disappointed reader.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Intro or Review, February 21, 2002

By 

Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Boater's Bowditch: The Small Craft American Practical Navigator (Paperback)

Both the experienced navigator and the neophyte will find this book very useful. Through clearly written explanations and useful diagrams, Hubbard makes difficult concepts simple and easy to understand. His treatment is among the most up-to-date in the field of navigation (which is important in these days of rapidly advancing technologies) and he writes with the requisite authority (his professional credentials are impeccable). This is a clever adaptation of THE book on navigation (Bowditch's American Practical Navigator)--all serious navigators rely on Bowditch for detail and advanced concepts, and Hubbard has adapted the information for popular use while maintaining the integrity of the source. Highly recommended for the beginner and for the old salt who wants to review and update his or her knowledge.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Boaters Bowditch, May 31, 2010

By 

William H. Bowman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Boater's Bowditch: The Small Craft American Practical Navigator (Paperback)

Excellent source for marine information. Chapters cover some important information not found in other places.