Robert J. Sweet - Powerboat Handling Illustrated: How to Make Your Boat Do Exactly What You Want It to Do

POWERBOAT HANDLING Illustrated

How to Make Your Boat Do
Exactly What You Want It to Do

BOB SWEET

Copyright 2007 by Robert J. Sweet. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-0-07-170953-8

MHID: 0-07-170953-3

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To my wife, Judypartner in boating and in life

Ive had many opportunities to host seminars and courses with boaters of all skill levels and types of boats. Invariably, no matter what the subject of the seminar, questions arise from the audience about boat handlingeven from owners of rather large boats. It became clear to me that there was a dearth of understandable information available to these boaters. It was also apparent that this information needed to be presented in illustrated form.

Undertaking this book required consultation with a number of seasoned skippers and experts, and a lot of reading. The task has been to convert the more arcane technical information into practical, understandable techniques, and to parse that information with the ingrained experiences of seasoned skippers. Experienced mariners appear to have developed their understanding of their boats through years of hands-on trial and error. Even they often seem to have difficulty describing why they do what they do. Hopefully this book will help you bypass, or at least get a jump on, all those years of trial and error.

I would like to acknowledge a group of boaters who reviewed my illustrations and critiqued the maneuvers depicted therein. They include Frank Lingard, Charlie Perkins, and Jerry Daly. Conversations with and observations of skippers Frank Lingard, Bud Tietje, and Peter Moonall holders of USCG Masters Licenseswere very helpful in formulating the procedures outlined in this book.

Ive read and compared a wide range of books related to boats and boat handling along with online resources. A list of books and guides that I feel present good, detailed information on various aspects of the subject is provided at the end of this book for further reading.

A number of manufacturers were very helpful in providing photos and information. Grady-White, Crestliner, Volvo, Mercury Marine, Mustang, Tige, Caravell, Stingray, Regal, Larson, Glacier Bay, World Cat, AfriCat, Danforth, Fortress, Michigan Wheel, Lewmar, and Maptech are prominent in their assistance. I also obtained some excellent photos from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To gain access to various hulls for photographic purposes, I imposed upon a number of marinas and marine stores around Cape Cod with my trusty digital camera.

Last, but not least, I would like to acknowledge the U. S. Power Squadrons and my local Buzzards Bay squadron for providing me with the opportunity to meet with and instruct a host of boaters who have given me insights and motivation to write about boating.

Handling a boat can be a daunting task. These darn things just dont seem to want to do what we want them to do. It can be particularly frustrating after you see an experienced helmsman glide his craft gracefully into the dock, and you wonder Why cant I do that? To add to the stress, when youre at the helm, it seems that the spectators on the dock are really judges observing your every move and scoring your performance.

Imagine that youve just launched your new boat at the ramp in the harbor. Your family is aboard, and you are about to start your first shakedown cruisea day trip to the island for a picnic, some swimming, and then back to the ramp. The boats in the water, youve run your blowers and started the engine. The lines are in and stowed, the fenders are stored, your anchor is at the ready. Everyone is wearing a life jacket. Youve taken all of the precautions and have charts at hand. Youre all set to go.