The Sailor's Assistant: Reference Data for Maintenance, Repair, and Cruising [Hardcover]

John Vigor (Author)

Book Description

Series: International Marine Sailboat Library | Publication Date: October 1, 1996

This quick-reference guide is an on-board data bank, compiling in one place all the facts, figures, tables, and graphs to which a cruising sailor must occasionally refer. In 17 chapters ranging from deck gear and electronics to spars, rigging, and navigation, it groups information logically; an extensively cross-referenced index acts as a search engine when needed. The amount of data a cruising sailor needs at fingertip reach can be staggering: recommended anchor sizes and types, cleat sizes for specified lines, winch sizes and power ratios, fender sizes, electrical wire sizes for specified amperages, solar panel outputs, GPS accuracy, VHF radio ranges, strength of fiberglass panels, fastener types and pilot hole sizes for various applications, electrical power consumption calculations, fuel consumption, propeller pitch and diameter, refueling procedures, sources of non-stock hardware, nautical rules of the road, navigation formulas, pressures of various wind speeds, coverage of paint, recommended adhesive-sealants, drinking water requirements, cooking fuels, safety equipment, safe working loads for shackles and rigging, and a thousand others. Most of this arcana is buried in one book or another, but now it's all in one place and easy to get at.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... Vigor expertly judges what information to include and exclude, and deftly draws the line at how much detail is enough." -- Dockside

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: International Marine Publishing (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070674760
• ISBN-13: 978-0070674769
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,027,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing book--full of stuff every sailor NEEDS to know., May 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sailor's Assistant: Reference Data for Maintenance, Repair, and Cruising (Hardcover)

This book is a sleeper. The first time I thumbed through it, I failed to appreciate how much really useful information it contained. Only later while looking for guidance in sizing new winches did its scope register. Vigor has packed an astounding amount of useful information into this slender volume--how to size props, prop shafts, anchors and chains, electrical wiring, even sails. It has weather information, data on radio propagation, the facts on bottom paint coverage and compatability, hull-evaluation formulas, cruising tips, hard-to-find conversion factors, the shelf life of galley stores--the list goes on and on. Most of the information is in easy to read tables, charts, or drawings. I have used this book often since I discovered it. A good reference to have at hand.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstandingly useful sail boat owner's reference book, September 1, 2007

By 

John Markwell (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sailor's Assistant: Reference Data for Maintenance, Repair, and Cruising (Hardcover)

I have a reasonable library of sailing/boating books and this is one of the few to which I refer, year after year. This book has provided me with many straight forward answers to practical questions as I converted my sailboat from a weekender to a coastal cruiser; for example, the thickness of foam matresses, the size of a storm jib, sizing my battery bank and cabling when I re-wired the vessel. Recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Keep it on the boat!, December 11, 2009

By 

C. Sarsfield (Maine) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Sailor's Assistant: Reference Data for Maintenance, Repair, and Cruising (Hardcover)

As other reviewers have stated, this book isn't much of a read, but it's incredibly useful as a reference. Keep it our your boat and you will find yourself reaching for it all the time.