Dag Pike (1933–2021)

Buy two copies, one for the family and one for my best friend; so said my first born on opening this book. This book is a must, it concentrates the mind, it alerts one to the dangers and very importantly alerts one to what can be done to avoid or at least mitigate disaster.

The book is worth the money for the photographs alone let alone the seriously good advice. It covers all sorts of disasters from dinghies to super tankers, from rank amateurs to professionals. Only 192 pages but lots packed into this covering capsize, fire, grounding, ice, harbours (especially dangerous), rescues, storms, survival and collision.

One telling observation is that "there is still the factor of human error, for which a solution has yet to be found" and it is this issue that can be altered by occasional reference to any book on disasters. The aware skipper or crew member is automatically safer than the casual, forgetful, tired, unwell less alert person. The book will not stop sailors from going to sea but it may make them safer and hence make the various voyages more enjoyable.

G.Q.… (meer)

The author shares his 50 years experience of navigating a wide variety of craft ranging from fast motor cruisers to lifeboats. This book is in an easy to read format, split into 50 short topics each of which is accompanied by colour photos and chartlets making it extremely easy to understand. There are wonderful gems juxtaposed together - safety margins followed by fuel and navigation! The chapter on ‘Local Knowledge’ reminds you that when you are the skipper not to rely on a crew member saying they know the harbour. They may from dry land but may not know any hazards on the way in - the skipper has to check charts to ensure hidden hazards are identified.

The only downside to this series is the way in which each page is split into two halves, one of which is colour washed - a problem for any with sight impairment.

AM… (meer)

Dag Pike’s years of experience in all types of weather whilst navigating fast power boats is shared with the reader. For those of us who have had the privilege of receiving our meteorology tuition from the Little Ship Club trainers much of the information the author shares with us is ‘inbred’.

For those who have never been amongst the LSC trainees, the author explains how to translate the basic weather forecast information into practical reality. This includes how to estimate the speed at which the forecast weather will arrive, what message can be seen in the clouds, the colour of the sky - what that might mean, how to identify dangerous sea conditions, how to fine tune the forecast and much else.

A useful book to read and absorb on journeys.

ACM… (meer)