BOOK REVIEWS

FIBREGLASS BOATS -- Hugo du Plessis. Third Edition. Published in hardback by Adlard Coles Nautical at œ19.99. 288 pages with numerous line drawings and b/w photographs. ISBN 0-7136-4290-4

Since this book was first published over thirty years ago it has become a classic reference work for both boatbuilders and boatowners. This third edition, which has been completely rewritten and updated, continues that tradition. It comes in plain English rather than technical jargon, and breaks through much of the mumbo-jumbo that has built up around GRP over the years. The boatowner can read a sensible and practical account of how his boat was built, how it will age, and how it should be maintained and repaired.

Early chapters cover the theory of fibreglass, what it is composed of, how it is put together and what its physical properties are. The book continues with an explanation of what happens to fibreglass as it is used and ages, and of how it may gradually fail. It says much for the author's skill, as well as his knowledge, that these more theoretical chapters are interesting as well as informative.

Further sections cover moulding, fitting out and gel-coat problems, and it is here that du Plessis's forty years of experience as a boatbuilder and surveyor shows. The book describes not only how things ought to be done, but also how they are usually done in practice and what implications this has for the owner. Methods used in the early days of GRP, when the material was less understood, are well covered. As many ocean cruising boats are no longer in the first flush of youth this is particularly valuable. The sections on maintenance, repair and testing are as practical as anyone could wish for, and cover the sorts of problems that a well used boat is likely to encounter in the real world.

Fibreglass Boats is worth shelf space aboard any GRP cruiser. It's informative, interesting, comprehensive and readable. On a practical note, whether it's beefing up a set of chainplates, moulding a stowage for the liferaft, dealing with blistering, or repairing `a little bit of bother with some coral', the chances are that the topic will be covered.

GHM

WATERSTEPS ROUND EUROPE : FROM GREECE TO ENGLAND BY BARGE -- Bill and Laurel Cooper. Published by Adlard Coles Nautical at œ9.99. 156 paperback pages with seventeen line drawings by Laurel. ISBN 0-7136-4399-4

Watersteps Round Europe is the Coopers' fourth title and a companion to their last one, Watersteps Through France. It, too, tells of a cruise in Hosanna, the elderly Dutch barge in which they make their home. She is 26m long with 1.5m draught and is rigged as a spritsail schooner. She is roomy, comfortable and not very manoeuverable. They are in their late 60s and Laurel is considerably hindered by a bad hip. They nearly always sail by themselves.

This tale is, therefore, not only very interesting for those doing a similar route -- from Greece to the Rhone, through France to Calais, and ending with a dash up to Great Yarmouth. It is also a continuing triumph over adversity, and by the time they get to Norfolk they are exhausted. They obviously have not taken their own advice (from Sail into the Sunset) to sail a boat of a size that you can easily cope with, and yet they move their home with all their belongings, including two adventurous cats, around Europe and end up just where they had planned.

Travel books should be well written, fast moving and full of interesting anecdotes. This book is all of these, much embellished by Laurel's delightful sketches. If I have a criticism it is only that I would much rather there were titles under these little pictures instead of having to look each one up in the index. In addition the Coopers love their food and offer some mouth watering meals, especially as they work their way up through France.

Now they have returned to Greece with Hosanna right across central Europe, up the Rhine and down the Danube, a much more hair-raising voyage for which they both received awards from the Royal Cruising Club this spring. This was during the Bosnian war and must be their best read yet.

JKV

CRUISING ASSOCIATION HANDBOOK -- edited by Tony Brett-Jones CBE (with the aid of nine regional editors). Eighth edition. Published in hardback by the Cruising Association at œ49.95 (œ34.50 to CA members). 448 A4 pages, including 484 harbour plans but no photographs. ISBN 0-9503-742-8-8

The origins of the Cruising Association Handbook lie in the Sailing Directions which formed part of their 1909 Yearbook -- the Association itself had been formed just a year before. The first edition proper, which appeared in 1920 (and must now be a prized collector's item), was amongst the pioneers of yachtsmen's pilots and covered over 500 ports in Britain and the near Continent. The sixth edition was on Wrestler's bookshelf for our first cruise thirteen years ago.

The sheer quantity of information packed between the robust blue covers is probably unique amongst pilot books the world over. Coverage runs from the Faeroes to Gibraltar and Ireland to the south west Baltic, though inevitably the level of detail decreases somewhat with distance from home. In particularly, not every harbour in, say, Spain merits a plan, and those included are on a fairly small scale.

However for any yacht on passage around UK shores, and particularly for foreign yachts visiting north west Europe and planning to cover some ground between cruising areas, the Cruising Association Handbook will prove invaluable. For detailed, leisurely cruising of a single area it would probably be worth investing in the local cruising guide as well, if only for the photographs and background information. There is very little waffle in the CA Handbook.

The plans are supplied by Imray, Laurie, Norie and Wilson Ltd, though doubtless with input from the Editors. They are in standard Imray four-colour format and generally easy to follow, while the cut-off date for new information (presumably for both text and plans) is given as January 1996. A few advertisements appear, doubtless to help ease the high production costs of such a volume, and there are no less than two bound-in markers.

As all pilot book compilers know, the detail can only be kept current via feedback from users, and report forms are available on which to send in corrections. Free update supplements will be sent to those who complete and return a short questionnaire tucked in a (pre-paid) envelope at the back (and which I discovered rather by accident.....).

Expensive yes, but unparallelled value for money, and with the aid of regular corrections assured of a good long life.

AH

THE CONCISE GUIDE TO CARIBBEAN WEATHER -- David Jones. Published by Nautorama Publishing, Road Town, Tortola, BVI at US $19.95. Available in UK from Kelvin Hughes Ltd, Royal Crescent Road, Southampton S014 3NP and Marine Instruments, Upton Slip, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 3DQ at œ15. 72 pages (A5, soft covers) with several b/w diagrams and tables. ISBN-0-9652-476-0-0

There is a tendency to think that once one has arrived in the Caribbean after, hopefully, having enjoyed two or three weeks of constant trade winds, similar conditions will exist throughout the Island chain. The fact that several amateur forecasters have set up radio nets to give advice to yachtsmen cruising the islands bears testimony to the fact that all is not what one might expect.

One of these forecasters is David Jones of the yacht Misstine. He has set up a radio net on 4003 and 8104 kHz at 0815 and 0830 LT respectively. Once a yacht has checked in with him he follows progress and gives a personal routeing and weather service -- I was delighted to be able to follow his advice both throughout the Islands and on to Bermuda.

With the knowledge gained over the last four years he has written an informative and helpful book and whilst not a `scientist' gives good, sound practical advice and explanations of local weather conditions.

The Concise Guide to Caribbean Weather starts with non-hurricane season weather patterns and goes on to cover the hurricane season. David Jones then devotes several pages to special Caribbean features and useful notes on the inter-island passages. As there is a substantial difference in the weather patterns throughout the Caribbean Sea he breaks the area down into four smaller zones -- the Island Chain, the Central Caribbean Basin, the Southwest Caribbean and the Northwest Caribbean -- also the areas used in his radio forecasts.

Possession of this book will make a substantial contribution to the safety of a yacht and the better understanding of local weather conditions. It would also be a great advantage to read it before arriving in the Caribbean to gain a clearer idea of the factors affecting local conditions and what to expect. I commend it to members as being a concise and practical guide to Caribbean weather.

MPG

THE CRUISING CHEF COOKBOOK -- Michael Greenwald. Second edition. Published by Paradise Cay Publications, Box 20, Middletown, CA at $19.95

Hard advice on stocking the galley with the right tools, provisioning, and practical recipes is interspersed with whimsical anecdotes in Michael Greenwald's The Cruising Chef Cookbook. Greenwald has years of experience as a chef and as a cruiser, and his obvious love of both cooking and cruising is combined into a cookbook that can be dipped into for a sailing yarn as well as a recipe. I read chapters such as `The Sarasota Shuffle', `The Great Pulvoronis Smuggle' and `Night of the Falling Birds' for pure pleasure. Then I turned to other topics such as losing fear of pressure cooking, storing eggs and vegetables, `Soup', `The Galley' or the old standby `Pasta and Rice' for nitty-gritty cooking information.

The book is well organised. An easy-to-use index allows pertinent questions to be answered quickly, such as how to deal with a freshly caught fish. Rebecca Thomson's line drawings punctuate the whole like a perfect spice, flavouring an already tasty book to perfection.

I'm not much of a cook, but Michael's easy style has inspired me and I win rave reviews when I use the recipes. It's no wonder the first edition was the best selling sailor's cookbook ever and went through ten printings, with over 105,000 copies sold. The new edition has a updated cover and chapters, but the same wonderful line drawings. You'll keep this cookbook aboard for reference -- and the crew will hold out plates for second helpings. (Be sure to read `Planning for the Big Eater' on how to deal with that particular problem!).

LF

RUMS OF THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN -- Edward Hamilton. Published by Tafia Distribution, PO Box 20393, Bradenton, Florida Fl 34203 at $24.95

To most cruising people the Caribbean means sunshine, islands -- and rum.

At home we see the well known brands like Baccardi, Myers, perhaps Mount Gay. But there are many others never heard of beyond their native islands. Good eminently drinkable rums too, certainly not the kill-devil firewater reckoned to be lethal to a white man that we were warned against when I was in the Navy. Few are not on a par with the exported brands and connoisseurs think many are better.

Ed Hamilton's three years research turned up over a hundred rums and required the purchase of nearly as many bottles -- in the course of duty no doubt. Even that did not include the former whisky bottle with a hand scribbled label which just says `Local Strong Rum'. Origin generally unknown, or if it is, nobody is going to say. There is still home made rum to be had.

In practice many commercial rums are made from `neutral spirit' supplied by a few large, efficient distilleries. This is pure colourless alcohol, made of course from sugar cane or molasses. But the secret of the local makers who do not actually distil is the way this raw alcohol is blended and aged, each subtly different. Colour, too, is added for those who believe rum must be rum coloured, known locally as `red rum'. Yet many of the best rums are white (and do not make the mistake of thinking this is a ladies' drink). Incidentally this `neutral spirit' is also made into vodka or gin, and often exported to Britain for that purpose.

Rums of the Eastern Caribbean includes recipes for rum drinks, cures if you have not appreciated what `strong rum' means (technically over 100% proof -- it can be 78% alcohol), and an interesting description of how rum is made in the backyard as well as in the most modern distilleries. There is a brief history of each distillery and, so that you will make no mistakes, there are over a hundred colour pictures of rum labels. It is worth buying the book for these alone. Names like Pirates' Blend, Pussers, Foxy's Firewater, Captain Bligh (one of the best), Bounty, Spicy Jack, Old Brigand, Jack Iron, Admiral Rodney and of course Nelsson (French spelling!). And the recipes..... ever tried Royal Navy Fog Cutter, Lady Hamilton, Nelson's blood, Antigua Kiss, Drunken Fruit?

This book should be on the shelf of every yacht heading for the Caribbean.

HdP

ADLARD COLES NAUTICAL YACHT LOGBOOK -- compiled by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. Published by Adlard Coles Nautical at œ12.99. 120 pages between hard covers. ISBN 0-7136-4417-6

Ask any dozen yachtsmen how a logbook should be laid out and you'd probably get fourteen different answers. To judge by his own choice, Robin Knox-Johnston keeps a pretty thorough log with columns for Time, Course, Deviation, Error, True course, Log, Distance, Power, Wind direction and force, Leeway, Barometer, Sea state, Cloud, and Weather/visibility. And that's in addition to spaces inviting daily high and low waters, noon position, record of hours underway, engine hours etc.

Inevitably, to fit fifteen columns into a page width of 170mm (coincidentally Flying Fish's text height) means all must be narrow. In contrast, the right hand page is lined but otherwise left blank for Notes and Remarks.

A short section at the front of the book is devoted to The Basics of Navigation (in one page!?), Notes on Keeping a Logbook, the Beaufort Scale, Useful Abbreviations and a sample completed page. Then come 60 double page spreads -- quite enough for the average yacht in the average season, more's the pity -- followed by pages for Daily Summary, Waypoints, Notes, Visitors and crew and, right at the back where it is easily found, Radio safety procedure.

The Adlard Coles Nautical LOGBOOK is printed on good quality paper, suitable for either pencil or ink and equal to a good deal of erasing. The pages show no sign of sticking together when wet, and there is a useful bound-in woven bookmark. The cover, of gold embossed on navy blue, would look good on any yacht's chart table. An acceptable Christmas present for person or yacht.

AH