Minnie as her name suggests is a Mini-Digger working in a quarry, alongside full sized heavy duty quarry diggers. She was brought over from Japan with her friend Laurie a small tipper truck and together they provide small quantities of aggregate for minor building companies while the big diggers and trucks produce huge amounts of aggregate for the heavy construction industry.The big machines laugh and joke about Minnie and Laurie and are generally unkind to them due to their diminu...

The diesel engine is by far the most popular powerplant for boats of all sizes, both power and sail. With the right care and maintenance it is twice as reliable as the petrol engine as it has no electrical ignition system, which in the marine environment can suffer from the effects of damp surroundings. Self-sufficiency at sea and the ability to solve minor engine problems without having to alert the lifeboat is an essential part of good seamanship. Marine Diesel Engines, explains through ...

Transform basic sailing skills into true masteryNo other sport is as complex or as gear- and technique-intensive as sailing. The details and nuances are vast, but beneath the surface are 22 elements, or core areas of knowledge. By understanding these principles you can attain true mastery: tie any knot, shape any sail, take the helm of any boat, no matter how large or unfamiliar.

"Secrets' is the modern Bowditch, written so clearly that navigation and seamanship will be comprehensible to anyone . . ."-- Dave and Jaja Martin, circumnavigators and authors of Into the Light: A Family's Epic Journey"It's a great book. The prose is simple and clear . . ."--John Vigor, author of The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat"The nautical tips and techniques presented are encyclopedic, ye...

A hippy Sell Up and Sail , this entertaining and inspiring book is more than just a cruising narrative - it is an instructive account showing how anyone can circumnavigate (or even sail for an extended period) without huge funds. Lars Hassler originally set off intending to sail for three years, but by judiciously using his funds, and topping them up by taking charter guests on cruises, he sailed around the world for ten years. Woven into the book is advice on costs, distances, timing, pow...

This book won the Dan Poynter 2011 First-place GOLD Global eBook Award in the Non-Fiction/Sports categorySome time ago, Gene Grossman signed on as a crew-member with some friends of his who were delivering a large sailboat with no navigation electronics from Marina del Rey California, through the Panama Canal, to a charter company's tropical island location.On the evening of departure, Gene asked the young skipper (Ron) which crew-member was going to be acting as navigator....

In 1986, seventy-one-year-old Edgar Whitcomb faced a crossroads in his life; he needed a new direction. Th at venture became an epic journey, as this retired Indiana governor embarked on what would be a solo, 30,000-mile, six-year sailing trip. With virtually no previous sailing experience, he and his thirty-foot sailboat, the CILIN II, traveled around the world.In this travel memoir, a chronicle fi lled with danger and adventure, Whitcomb narrates the details of his explo...

Here's what reviewers have said about this book:This book is full of well-illustrated ideas to make your boat safer and more comfortable. All of the projects are easy and economical to perform most with common items available at any hardware store. This is a great read for novices as well as seasoned sailors and particularly for those with smaller boats and weekend cruisers.. . .Downloaded the book before I went sailing.........big mistake! All I wanted to do was get b...

Within these pages is the real meat of core information that you need to be a safe and competent boater. It's presented in an easy reading salty tale format. I'd like to think that this book will offer the pleasure boater a unique perspective on his sport.After spending over forty years with boats and ships of all kinds, I feel that traditional boating texts are too dry, long and hard to read. I've been across the North and South Atlantic Oceans with the USCG and worked commercial t...

Tells of a sailing journey from San Diego to Australia in a 40 foot sailing boat. Covers Mexico, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Tonga and Fiji. Also has a chapter on various events "that were too much fun," for the crew. Includes useful detail on various formalities required in the respective ports of call. Chapters on each of the destinations mentioned above and a final chapter on comical (in hindsight) misadventures the crew experienced. Features a fun and farcical quiz to test a reader...

Have you ever watched a sailboat slip from its dock and cruise out to sea? Have you wanted to go along? "Go to Sea" gives you all the reasons to climb aboard a sailing adventure with your family. With plenty of links to cruising resources, web pages, and equipment information, Go to Sea is a must have for every new sailor wanting to cruise.

The Cruising Life: A Commonsense Guide for the Would-Be Voyager, Jim Trefethen. The funniest, drollest, wisest book on the shelf for the would-be cruiser. Trefethen pulls no punchesÑhe tells you just what will be involved if you and your family decide to "let slip the surly bonds of earth" and set sail. How to get ready, how to finance the voyage, how to live on your boat with maximum peace of mind and minimum hassle, and what equipment you do and don't need. (What you don't need may surpr...