Customer Reviews

Boat Docking (Close Quarters Maneuvering for Small Craft)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Bought the book to get detailed help docking my sailboat in challenging wind/current/space situations. I was especially interested in clever ways to 'warp' in under power with spring lines etc. The book was a disapointment: lots of stuff about coming _alongside_ a dock -- a very rare thing in my experience with crowded, finger-piered marinas. Very little about pilings in wind and current, almost nothing about warping.

You will pick useful nuggets that make the book worth the price, but for practical tips on touch situations Chapman's Seamanship and Small Boat Piloting has way more info.

As a relatively new boater docking into a slip in a crowded marina on a calm day let alone a windy one has been at times a most intimidating experience. Dr. Low's book is an easy and fun read filled with lots of practical advice and good humor. I quickly realized I was not alone with my anxiety about docking and have learned much from the author's experience. Comments relative to the psychological issues were just as helpful as the mechanical aspects. I highly recommend this book.

The book delivers exactly what it advertises, boat docking fundamentals for small vessels. There is ample discussion for nearly every situation you might encounter. The author claims it makes a handy reference; it does. Understandable and concise. Can be used as a handy reference for a particular situation or read and digested entirely in an evening.(Makes a good read late winter/Spring just before boating season begins) While geared more towards the "marina sailor" it is a compact and thorough review of the subject without undue technical dissection of the physics at work. If you want a readable, no-nonsense book that covers the topic; this is the one for you. As the author points out, practice is the key to using the techniques discussed in the book. Applicable to power or sail, more capstan/windlass coverage is available in traditional sailing books such as Chapman's. Recommended!

I am a fairly new boat owner with a twenty-four foot inboard. Kudos for Mr. Low in writing a fun, easy to understand book which helped me understand the dinamics at work when you are on the water. This book helped me in to this new journey, with practical advice. It is for the beginer, but comes with ideas and processes that one needs to understand, and remember, even when experienced. Thank you Mr. Low for being there with a great introduction to boat handling, and for keeping it simple to understand. Other books I have purchased get too wordy and use trade terminoligy that I sometimes don't understand. This book got my thumbs up; you woun't regret it if you are a beginer.

This book contained what I thought was very good information. It was presented in a clear, concise manner, but a little too brief in some instances. The binding however was so poor that the book completely fell apart before I got through with Chapter 2. The rating is solely for content, not construction.

I recently purchased a 24 foot boat with an inboard engine. I wanted to be more familiar with the process of mooring/tying up/docking. I found myself applying lessons from the book to my actual experience. The book is well illustrated and writen in a clear and simple (sometimes humerous) way. It is well spent money for the lesons you will learn and aply. My thanks to the author.

This is a great book with humor in it. Its loaded with information. By admitting that docking is difficult, it sets the stage for the reader to understand the challenges of docking.

Well worth the price.

Being new to twin engine power boating, I found this book to be very helpful. I have read it three or four times in the first month and keep it as a reference. It is extremely helpful in explaining how to dock and "undock" in differing wind conditions.

Should be required reading for all novice boaters and a part of any serious yachting library.

This book is very interesting and informative. Been boating for over fifty years and found short cuts to some of my docking proceedures.