After Charlie Wing published his book on living aboard, many readers were upset that it really didn't cover the technical aspects of life aboard a ship. So, this new book from Wing was a pleasant surprise, even if the title is decidedly non-technical. However, if you want to know about how boat "things" work, this book is definitely a must read. The author is an incredibly gifted and popular writer and he is very good at making even complex things easy to understand. When you're done reading this book, you'll feel empowered to completely go over your boat and know what each every thing is and what it does.

The book takes an in-depth look at every single component on a boat, from the engines to the freshwater systems. The helpful diagrams and illustrations make it easy to understand what you're dealing with and what the part should be doing. For those who have difficulty diagnosing problems on their boat, this is a terrific guide that makes it easy even for novices to get their hands dirty and figure out what the problem is. By informing yourself on the "things" inside your boat, you'll be able to understand what repairs are necessary and when it's vital to take your boat into a chandlery.

Over 80 devices and "things" are illustrated in full throughout the course of the book and the author does a great job of making sure that it is easy to understand their purposes, and what they do on your boat. We highly recommend this book for new owners, especially if they do not have any experience in dealing with their boats or are completely new to the entire boating world. However, even experienced mariners can take something away from this book and it's certainly helpful to keep it on board during a trip.

The author divided each part into a two page spread, with illustrations and while the information isn't terribly technical, you'll still be able to easily understand each component. This is a great resource if you're trying to troubleshoot problems on your boat or if you're trying to learn more about how the engine works. If you're planning a long trip out on the water or the ocean, we really recommend reading the entire book first and then keeping it with you should any problems occur. You'll feel a lot more confident about handling any issues that may crop up during your journey.

Overall, this is a book that we can highly recommend. While it could have covered more systems within the boat, the author only had so much space. As it stands, it's well written and the illustrations are incredible. The intended audience is definitely the novice crew, but the author did a great job of breaking down the terms and making everything easy to understand. This is a terrific book for all boaters and should be considered a great crash course into how boats work.

Originally posted 2008-11-29 14:38:18. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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Boating, Book Review

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