Chapman's Piloting & Seamanship
Boaters call this book “the bible” of knowing what to do out there on the waterways.
It is a doorstop-size 920 pages and is now in its 68th printing, boasting decades’ worth of knowledge that new and experienced skippers have acquired while running boats on lakes, rivers and offshore alike.
This book is filled with photos and diagrams, along with explanatory text, to help boaters at all skill levels understand everything from maritime rules of the road to safety tips and maintenance. There are sections on weather, tides and currents, along with sections on navigation skills, anchoring and more.
Really, the joy of reading this book or passing it to a loved one or giving it as a gift to a new boat owner is not just that he’ll be thrilled to learn about becoming a better skipper, but also that you’ll be a whole lot safer the next time he invites you on board for a trip.