General knowledge book?

[gittist]

Is there a recommended book for learning about sailboat equipment, systems, maintenance tasks, refrigeration, water making...... ? I know that a lot would be boat specific but I'm looking for a general knowledge.

[barnakiel]

There is a handful.

Try Nigel Calder and John C. Payne books. Both are great authors that cover most things technical.

b.

[Caribbeachbum]

Originally Posted by gittist

Is there a recommended book for learning about sailboat equipment, systems, maintenance tasks, refrigeration, water making...... ? I know that a lot would be boat specific but I'm looking for a general knowledge.

There are two:

Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook
Directly on point, almost all of it about systems, and the care and feeding thereof.

and

The Voyager's Handbook
Beth Leonard's indispensable guide to everything else about the lifestyle has plenty to say about boat systems as well.

-

[zeehag]

royceś

[tkeithlu]

Nigel Calder's "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual" is excellent in those areas. For general coastal seamanship, the older editions of Chapman's Piloting Seamanship and Boat Handling are good, but the most recent (it's up to 60 something editions) is something of a comic book and full of errors - I actually traded mine for an older version. If you get serious about seamanship, download for free (out of copyright) a copy of Bowditch American Practical Navigator. It's the bible of seamanship, and while the celestial navigation part is probably beyond your needs, "According to Bowditch" still wins lots of arguments. It's two large volumes, but sits in this laptop as well as on the shelf.

[Hydra]

Four books by Steve and Linda Dashew are available for *free* download here: SetSail » Free Books

Alain

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

Nigel Calder's "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual" is excellent in those areas. For general coastal seamanship, the older editions of Chapman's Piloting Seamanship and Boat Handling are good, but the most recent (it's up to 60 something editions) is something of a comic book and full of errors - I actually traded mine for an older version. If you get serious about seamanship, download for free (out of copyright) a copy of Bowditch American Practical Navigator. It's the bible of seamanship, and while the celestial navigation part is probably beyond your needs, "According to Bowditch" still wins lots of arguments. It's two large volumes, but sits in this laptop as well as on the shelf.

^ +1
And Boat Mechanical Systems Handbook by Dave Gerr, Marine Diesel Engines by Nigel Calder

BR Teddy

[Stumble]

Probably the single best single reference work is Chapmans, but it is somewhat... lacking in detail.

Calder's books are great, as are the Dashew's.

[gittist]

Thank you for all of the responses. I have the 61st Edition of Chapmans so I hope it isn't full of errors.