Offshore sailing : 101 essential passagemaking tips

'Anybody even thinking of sailing out of sight of land would want Bill Seifert aboard, whether in person or in print.

As he describes what gear and skills count the most, Bill generously calls on his many experiences offshore and in boatyards.

Since many of his stories are pretty funny (when they aren't painful), "Offshore Sailing" is one of the most winning boating books I've read - as well as one of the most helpful'.

John Rousmaniere, author, "The Annapolis Book of Seamanship and Fastnet: Force 10".

Bill Seifert has sailed 100,000 offshore miles and has thirty years of experience as a yacht builder, racer, manager, and delivery skipper.

He has encountered just about everything that can go wrong with every aspect of a boat, from deck to galley, electricals to plumbing, fuel pump to rigging, and he's earned a worldwide reputation as a crack nautical problem-solver.In "Offshore Sailing", he shares his hard-won solutions to a host of boat design, construction, equipment, and seamanship dilemmas. He tells you what works and what doesn't, and step by step - with the help of detailed illustrations and photographs - fills you in on what you need to know for safe, comfortable passagemaking.

Experiencing diesel engine surge-and-die syndrome (SAD)?

Tip 132 tells you why it's happening and what to do about it.

Worried that your bilge pump might not provide adequate pumping power in rough seas?

Tip 8 shows you a simple way to measure its true pumping capacity.

Want to make companionway dropboards lockable from inside and outside?

See tip 71. Batteries charging too slowly or not at all? Tip 111 tells you how to locate and stop hidden power drains.