News & Views for Southern Sailors - Southwinds Magazine

BOOKS TO READFix It and SailBy Brian GilbertMcGraw Hill. 2006This is a story by a guy who didit. After living on a Catalina 27for four years, he knew whatsmall boats were like. Trying toget back to owning a sailboat,he knew what he could affordwas a small trailerable sailboat.So he bought a Venture 22—pretty run down—and rebuilt it.Gilbert goes into prettygood detail in discussing all aspects of this rebuild, whichmakes it pretty useful for any small boat. This boat is hardlyjust about a Venture 22. This book covers all the bases.There is even a section on restoring a boat trailer. In fact, Iwould say this book could be used as an introduction toworking on boats in general because Gilbert gives the readera good, concise, but thorough discussion on structuralrepairs, installing ports, using sealants, repairs, galvaniccorrosion, rigging, outboard motors, electronics and electrical,paints, epoxy, fiberglassing…the list goes on. The realadvantage is he fits it into 200 pages, which means the boatbuilder/restorer won’t get bogged down in pages of specsand details, as he gives you just enough information. Thisbook is like a reference.Radar for MarinersBy David BurchMcGraw Hill. 2005If you know nothing aboutradar, this book is a great help.The book is basically in twoparts—and this is its savinggrace. The first part, coveringabout 90 pages, is an introductionand discussion of radar sothe user can get going withoutgetting lost in details. It coverswhat is called the “basics of function, operation and applicationneeded to get underway.” The second part goes intomore details and expands on what is covered in the secondpart with some independent information.In part one, there are chapters on how radar works, tuningand interpreting, radar piloting and navigation and collisionavoidance. All of this is in simple enough languagethat the beginner can understand and use radar withoutgetting bogged down in details.Part two gets into more detail, including installation.In the installation section, for example, the book discussesdifferent mounting options for boats, such as which is bestfor a sailboat, on a separate fixed mount off the stern or ona mast? Part two also discusses false echoes, interferenceand advanced piloting and navigation using radar, goinginto detail to better interpret what your radar is trying totell you.A companion CD comes with the book, so the readerdoesn’t have to be on his boat with the radar on and cruisingabout to see what the screen has to offer.Cruising Guide to the Florida KeysBy Morgan Stinemetz and Claiborne Young2nd edition. 2006. Pelican PublishingThis is the second edition ofthe guide that Stinemetz andYoung first came out with in2002. There are a lot of guidesto the Keys, but none that givesyou the extra information thisone does with a little historyhere and there and informationon out-of-the way places tovisit—plus some interestinganecdotal stories. Although agreat guide via the water, thisguide would even be useful forthose traveling by car.The authors have also attempted to give the cruiser ahistorical perspective on the Keys as he travels throughthem. For example, when one gets near Indian Key, thereader can learn about the unique history of this small key,learning that it was originally colonized in the 1830s by aKey West wrecker named Jacob Housman. Housman eventuallyset up a small town on the key with 55 residents.There was even a bowling alley—small, mind you, butthere. The key’s history goes on to tell of how it met itsfinal end as a community. This is typical of many of theinteresting stories and historical facts that one will find inthis guide.The authors also did extensive research of the oftenconfusingwaterways that dot the Keys, hoping to help theboater find his way through the myriad of changes that hecan run into as he tries to reach a well-hidden marina. Somechannels change from red-right returning to green on yourright as other channels intersect. The authors have tried tohelp the boater navigate through these difficult spots whereone can easily be confused.It is, in the end, a guide for boaters to marinas, but withall the other reviews of restaurants, food and lodging, itgoes beyond being just that.There is also a section on a survey of marina damagethe authors did after Hurricane Wilma hit in October 2005.36 October 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com