Publisher: Edward Burrell; £18.50
Publication Date: 2005
There is no substitute for “hands on” experience when learning boat handling, particularly with a single screw barge. Nevertheless this book gets close, by distilling 25 years of the author’s very practical experience. Although aimed at skippers and helmsmen of barges of between 15 and 35 metres, there is a great deal of good advice which is relevant to handling single screw boats of many types. The author starts by describing the dynamics that act on a vessel, whether stopped or underway, (complete with helpful diagrams) before going on to explain how to use those dynamics to get the boat to do what the helmsman wants, without necessarily having to rely on a bow thruster. It is pleasing to see that the book also includes advice on the use of ropes and warps and how to use them to manoeuvre a boat in tight circumstances. There are other useful hints and tips on good seamanship of this sort. The last two parts of the book are devoted to brief comments on some of the equipment which affects the handling of a barge and some reminders on managing a boat and its crew generally. While the book will be particularly useful for novices, there is lot of food for thought for even the most experienced boat handler. The basic message, repeated at frequent intervals is “Do it slowly”! - IPAS