Best Boating Tip Ever

T

Texas Steve

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 24, 2008
Messages
115
Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C SE
Hull Identification Number
40
Vessel Name
Slow 'n Easy
I was going to post this under the Smooth Shifting Thread, but it didn't really make sense, so here goes a new topic...

Seeing what a rookie I was when I bought my new R21-EC, Marc Grove of Wefings kindly and gently suggested I purchase a copy of Chapman's Piloting. I'm sure most of the folks on this blog already have the book, but for the benefit of those that haven't yet bought a copy, it is the Bible of Seamanship and boat handling. It kind of goes back to the old adage, "I didn't know what I didn't know until I read the book!" It doesn't have to be the latest edition (I bought mine at the half price book store), because the seamanship basics haven't changed since Columbus took his cruise.

We were discussing how to back a single engine inboard into a slip... all covered in Chapman's. Want to really understand all you need to know about anchoring (and that's a bunch!), look it up. I am constantly amazed at the number of people operating enormous vessels that can't get the basics of scope and rode.

If you don't have the book, go buy it today. It could well save your life and it will improve your boat handling skills exponentially. For what it's worth...

Texas Steve
 
Picked up a used 58th Edition for $25 at the The Marine Supply Co. on Commercial Ave in Anacortes today while attending the Anacortes Fair. The stuff they have in that shop always amazes me. I also found a long funnel that will be useful for topping up the engine coolant fluid tank for $1.99 and several ANL fuses per Andrew Custis's advice.

I flipped through the Chapman's book and I agree it's chock full with useful interesting stuff.

Thanks. 🙂
 
Chapman's is not just for "rookies". I have been actively boating for sixty years and have never been without one. No one can know everything about boating, but having a Chapman's handy is better than having the brain that I used to have. I have upgraded my copy about every fifteen years, mostly because the old copy was worn out. I think that the only editing was to trade out the photos of Elco cruisers.
Gill and Barry - While at the Anacortes Arts Fair you probably bypassed the kids area on 7th. If you had ventured in you would have seen my most successful boat design in action.
 
Auklet":3evghqm3 said:
Chapman's is not just for "rookies". I have been actively boating for sixty years and have never been without one. No one can know everything about boating, but having a Chapman's handy is better than having the brain that I used to have. I have upgraded my copy about every fifteen years, mostly because the old copy was worn out. I think that the only editing was to trade out the photos of Elco cruisers.
Gill and Barry - While at the Anacortes Arts Fair you probably bypassed the kids area on 7th. If you had ventured in you would have seen my most successful boat design in action.
Click to expand...

I actually did better with my 2nd copy of Chapman's at the West Marine store in Edmonds today who has a closing store sale. Picked up a brand new 65th Edition for $15. 😀 Will keep the 65th onboard and the 58th at home. 🙂

Sorry to have missed the kids area on 7th. Just what was that "boat design" all about ?
 
The Anacortes Community Maritime Center has a pool in the kids area where kids can play with rubber band powered boats. The design they were using was like the one I made when I was 10 years old. It didn't work then and it still doesn't work well. I offered to design a new style boat that goes much faster and in a straight line. It was so successful that I now make 100 of the boats each year and donate them to ACMC to sell as a fund raiser.
Sorry to hear that the Edmonds West Marine is closing. But, wow, who could pass up a Chapman's on a deal like that?
 
I, too, am a newbie at boating, so I took the advice of others on this thread. I just ordered a copy of Chapman Piloting & Seamanship on e-bay. There are several listed, and given one person's statement that seamanship really hasn't changed over the centuries, I felt comfortable in paying less for an older edition.
Thank you for the collective wisdom I've found here - not just Ranger-specific, but for boating in general.
 
Another use for Chapmans--the darn book is heavy. Our R25 seems to have a slight list to port, due we think to the fact the generator and air conditioner are on the port side. We wanted to make the boat ride more level so we were looking for things to move to the starboard side. One of the items we moved was our copy of Chapmans and that did the trick!

PS. We have both read the entire Chapmans twice, great information.

Jim and Jo Ann
2008 R25
Banjo
 
Another good book to have is the Bowditch American Practical Navigator. You can buy it in the stores. But, the government now owns the copyright and a soft copy can be downloaded for free. I keep it and all my other important manuals (Yanmar, Grarmin Ranger Tugs, NOAA, etc) in soft copy on my Droid Razr for easy access.
 
RProffer":295f6e03 said:
Another good book to have is the Bowditch American Practical Navigator. You can buy it in the stores. But, the government now owns the copyright and a soft copy can be downloaded for free. I keep it and all my other important manuals (Yanmar, Grarmin Ranger Tugs, NOAA, etc) in soft copy on my Droid Razr for easy access.
Click to expand...

I'll echo that. Virtually every piece of equipment on your boat has a manual, or at least a parts list, that you can download.
I keep all of them on the iPad, with a backup copy at home along with the hard copies.

You can't ever have too much information available.
 
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