Chapman Piloting & Seamanship 68th Edition Hardcover – October 3, 2017

If you are a serious captain of a boat, then there is a lot of information that you should know for the sake of the safety of you, your crew and passengers and other people on the water. You should understand how to navigate inshore (piloting) and perhaps offshore (navigating) if you venture away from land. You should understand how to communicate using radio, horns, flags, lights and shapes. You should absolutely understand the rules of the road and other laws applicable to mariners and vessels. You should also be well versed in seamanship (the art of operating boats) and in your boats systems.Chapman Piloting and Seamanship is a comprehensive reference to all that a captain could be expected to know. Specialist books may go into more detail, but this book puts it all in one place, and I wouldn't substitute this book for instruction from an experienced hand. But, it is a book that you can keep going back to again and again over decades of life on the water. It is clear, and well explained with excellent illustrations. Its also clearly not one of those books hastily thrown together with stock pictures to make money on the mass market. Chapman is a serious book for serious mariners in its 100th year of publication with continual updates and improvements.Simply put, if you are doing anything more than using a small watercraft on local waters, this book contains all of the information that you should, and need to know.

lots of information and very helpful

If you want accurate, up to date info that is presented in a way that is easy to understand, then Chapman is the book you want. I have been using Chapman since the early 90s and am extremely happy with it. It’s not great to carry around because it’s a big heavy book, but it has everything you’ll need to know if you’re just getting into boating, studying for your captains license, or just brushing up on your navigation. This is probably the only book you’ll ever need for all your boating related needs.

What an amazing book! I'd seen the 1984 (I think) edition on a "Learn to Navigate" cruise recently and decided to get the current edition for myself. It tells you 98% (if not more) of what you need to know to be a safe, knowledgeable boater, whether you're motoring or sailing or doing a little of both. Lots of easy-to-understand text, illustrations, charts, and photographs. This is a MUST HAVE book for any serious boater's library.

This is the bible for more boaters. It covers all general concepts from safety to navigation and even basic sailing and boat handling. It is plenty of content to read with great illustrations. Personally, I think Amazon is selling it at the best price on the web. This book is a must-own for any serious boater or liveaboard.

A gold standard of information. Has some noticeable updates from prior versions.

I have owned boats for many years (40+), I spent much of my career in marine law enforcement, and I have a 100 Ton Masters Certificate ... If you want to be on the water, and you want to know more about the world of boats and boating than what the pointy end of the boat is called, this is the best single source I know of.I have had this book for many years ... I bought this one for my teenage son who aspires to run my boat.

I ordered it because I needed it to take a Coast Guard Auxiliary course In seamanship. The course recommended this manual-although it recommended it in 1992.Well written. Easy to understand. Nice pictures. So far, the best sea manual I have found- including Coast Guard based materials. I passed the course – the years difference didn’t matter.