The Outboard Boater's Handbook: Advanced Seamanship and Practical Skills [Paperback]

David Getchell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1994

This comprehensive manual shows you how to go places and do things you never thought possible in a small outboard motorboat. A well-designed ruggedly built 17-footer, for instance, can fish offshore, circumnavigate Lake Superior, and crisscross the continent on inland waterways or on a trailer pulled by the family car. Small outboards are among the most versatile boats ever developed and are far more able than you might expect. Covered here are all the popular types--and some exciting alternatives as well as methods that may change your entire boating outlook.

Aided by contributions from other experts, veteran outboard skipper David R. Getchell, Sr., offers a wealth of useful facts and special savvy that reveal for the first time in a single book the true potential of these democratic boats 20 feet and under. Here are the means to understand what can be done, and the way to do it safely, including: how to judge a boat's potential and capabilities based on design and construction; how to rebuild an older boat; how to handle a little boat in big seas, surf, or shallow water; how to navigate; how to read the weather; how to head upriver or offshore; how to trailer your boat; how to manage and equip it for camp cruising on a nearby lake or for subarctic exploration; and how to care for the boat and motor.

Editorial Reviews

Review

``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 )

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (January 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070230536
• ISBN-13: 978-0070230538
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,255,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensible and comprehensive book on small power boats., September 22, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Outboard Boater's Handbook: Advanced Seamanship and Practical Skills (Paperback)

Covers a wide variety of topics (e.g. selecting, powering, equiping, trailering, maintaining, and sailing) a small (12 to 20 foot)power boat. Excellent for boat owners or those considering buying a boat. I could not find anything as sensible and comprehensive in any of the local libraries

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Info for Boaters, May 16, 2007

By 

Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Outboard Boater's Handbook: Advanced Seamanship and Practical Skills (Paperback)

We don't have a boat yet, but have a lake nearby so are contemplating it. This book is quite interesting as it describes different types of boats (runabout, bass boat, etc.) and what to consider before purchasing one.
Then it has lots of info on handling a boat, like how to run an inlet or docking and anchoring. It's a little scary seeing how much there is to learn about boats and motors. The info is quite practical on the proper load distribution in the boat and motor angle adjustment and how it affects performance. It covers maintaining, repairing and even towing the boat (selecting a trailer and tow vehicle).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a book of practicalities! An outboard boater's Swiss Army knife of info..., September 21, 2006

By 

D. Kolton (The Great Northwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Outboard Boater's Handbook: Advanced Seamanship and Practical Skills (Paperback)

In a day and age of "bigger is better", Getchell makes the case (and I
must say quite well) for smaller is sweeter.

Oftentimes I will pass on a book because of it's copyright date, assuming
the info in it is now dated and there must be "newer" and better tomes
out there. Yet this one is timeless and shall remain so.

When I bought my first boat roughly 8 years ago, I came across this book in
a bookshop and figured that I could use a little edification on boating. I
couldn't put it down. What I found was a simple large-trade paperback
that gave you enough info on almost any facet of boating as relates to
small (18' or less) outboard boats. Think of it as the Swiss-Army knife
of running/fixing/touring/revamping/etc a small boat. Why aluminum v.
fiberglass? What hull designs work best where? How should I set up my
boat to do boat camping? What are the ins/outs of trailering and boat
launches? How can I tell if that used model is beat to heck? How do I
navigate? What do i do when the weather turns on me? Etc.

I recently purchased an outboard boat again. I also bought this
book, again. There aren't many books I would buy twice.

Buy it, you'll like it!