Chapman Piloting: Seamanship and Small Boat Handling. As of late 2000 this standard boating textbook was in its 63rd edition. Hearst Marine Books, New York. Includes information for members of both US and Canadian Power & Sail Squadrons.
Chart 1: Symbols, Abbreviations and Terms. Canadian Hydrographic Service. Necessary to decipher all those symbols on the nautical charts.
Collision Regulations. International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 with Canadian modifications. Canadian Coast Guard.
Tide and Current Tables.
Volume 1 includes Canso Strait, Lennox Passage.
Volume 2 includes Northumberland Strait.
List of Lights, Buoys and Fog Signals. Canadian Hydrographic Service. Complements information on the charts.
Radio Aids to Marine Navigation. Canadian Hydrographic Service. Learn all about VHF and SSB coverage in Canadian waters, and more.
Where the Wind Blows. 1995. Breakwater Book's beautiful colour version of the Canadian government's manual on marine weather in the Atlantic provinces. Published by authority of the Minister of Environment, and edited and authored by professional meteorologists. Includes quotes of wisdom from men and women who made their livelihoods on the water. Essential reading for serious cruisers in our quirky waters.
The American Practical Navigator ("Bowditch"). The definitive textbook on marine navigation and piloting for nearly two centuries. Good complement to many CPS courses for those who want to dig deeper into current standards of navigation practice. Only necessary for the Celestial Navigation course. Can be found free on the Web. New edition in 2000. (Note: CN Students will also appreciate reading the latest edition of Dutton's Nautical Navigation. I find Dutton's an easier and more practical read, but Bowditch takes precedence for the CN course).
We do not officially endorse the following books, but our members have found them particularly useful:
Harbours & Marinas of Prince Edward Island. Sam Cioran. 1998. WXY Media Inc, 66 Charlton Ave West, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8P 2C1.
Northumberland Strait Cruising Notes. Dale and Avis Gray. Printed in Canada by Babineau Printing, Amherst, Nova Scotia. Spring 1990. 66 pages.
Boat Docking. Low, Charles T. Answers all of the common questions (and most of the esoteric ones) that you could ever think of asking about docking a boat. Chapters describing the underlying principles of boat handling at slow speeds are balanced by many practical examples. Very well illustrated. 88pp. illus. sc 1997. (Charles is a Canadian physician in Ontario). http://www.boatdocking.com/
Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual. How to Maintain, Repair, and Improve Your Boat's Essential Systems. Nigel Calder. International Marine, Camden, Maine. 3nd Edition is out now (the picture shows the 2nd edition). Very thorough book covering most electrical and mechanical systems on recreational and powerboats. Includes a couple of chapters on sailboat rigging. Many troubleshooting charts. http://lincoln.midcoast.com/~ncalder/index.html
