Boating 101: Essential Lessons for Boaters Reviews

• Not for small-medium power boats

  
  By on 2002-05-26
  Perhaps useful if you own a large sailboat, but not very relevant for a lake-bound 23' powerboat. Expected more diagrams.
  
  

• a complete waste of money

  
  By on 1999-06-22
  I have been boating for about a year (i have a 29 foot searay sundancer) and could have written a much better book. Unless you know ZERO about boating, do not buy this book.
  
  

• Boating 101

  
  By on 2000-03-13
  I was looking for an easy to follow boating book for my husband and older son. Then I found Siminoff's Boating 101 and quickly learned that even I could follow the text just reading through it in the bookstore. My husband was especially concerned about anchoring and in the various lakes we go to in New Jersey and now with some clues he got from this book, boating and staying out over a few nights is very comfortable for us and has become something we really enjoy. Thank you.
  
  

• Covers Everything

  
  By A3198AF98UC17A on 2000-03-18
  I took my wife and kids to Tortola this past winter, and bareboat charted a sail boat. I had read through many books on boating, but this one was by far the best. It gave me all the knowledge to enjoy my boating experience without getting into the usual trouble a amatuer would find themselves in. I would recommend this book to anyone, definatley worth the price
  
  

• I loved this book!

  
  By A2HAYDH686V5QR on 2000-03-05
  Boating 101 was absolutely riveting. Before reading this book I didn't know my port from my starboard. Now I'm ready to sail around the world.
  
  
• Excellant review of all aspects of boating
  By A3H2OD0TUTOIG5 on 2000-03-12
  This book is an excellant source of all aspects of boating and boating safety. I have taken many boating courses on and off the water but this is the book I read before any sailing trip I take. It puts my head in the boating mode, without having to read up on all kinds of material. A great book for any boater.
  
  
• Great book for those completely new to boating.
  By A1ZY9YO5EV3F90 on 2005-09-02
  The title says it all...
  It was easy to read and the author answers alot of questions you might be too embarrassed to ask.
  
  
• Great Overview of Recreational Boating
  By A1P960EDE6MMHE on 2000-02-28
  While this book seems to be targeted at the novice boater, it can serve as an excellent review piece for the experienced boater as well. This is especially applicable to areas where the boating season is limited to 3 or 4 months of the year, leaving 6 or 7 months to forget a lot of basic skills. Every time I take my boat out, I observe people who need to read this book. It's well written, clear, nicely illustrated and should be a part of every boater's basic library.
  
  
• Nice Review but Not Enough Practical Information
  By A2TFJVN8KOKNIE on 2006-10-09
  This book gives a reasonably good review about boating (but not about boat ownership, see below). It discusses things like safety, navigation, anchoring and docking. Much of it was based on larger sailboats although some of it does apply to boats of all sizes. I was disappointed at the illustrations and pictures that look like they date back to 1970. No color pictures.
  
  But there was little practical advice about day to day boating, which was what I was looking for. Briefly, I wanted to know things like:
  1. boat cleaning advice (what best to use)
  2. when and how long to run bilge pump
  3. tying knots
  4. winter storage
  5. basic Coast Guard regulations
  
  So the book wasn't bad but was a bit disappointing for beginner boat owner.
  
  
• Great summary of what you REALLY need to know!
  By A3MOGE2W5W72W7 on 2002-09-11
  You can wade through several 200+ page books and get some of the information contained in this one, but this book gives you what you really need to know (and the information is a lot easier to discern than from those big books). So many beginner's books don't really deal with what you have to know, such as docking, anchoring, rules of the road, reading a chart, use of the radio, heavy weather, etc. This is not a "how to sail book." But sailors, like all boaters, must know the knowledge of seamanship contained in this book to be safe and enjoy themselves and unfortunately many on the water do not. I've sailed for many years, have taken several classes, etc. and this is the book I recommend to everyone new to boating or for a review.
  
  

• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Boating and Sailing, Third Edition
• Quick and Easy Boat Maintenance: 1,001 Time-Saving Tips
• Boat Docking (Close Quarters Maneuvering for Small Craft)
• The Practical Mariner's Book of Knowledge: 420 Sea-Tested Rules of Thumb for Almost Every Boating Situation
• Boating Skills and Seamanship, 13th Edition