This book explains to the reader how to go about boat handling, deck seamanship, coping with emergencies at sea, mooring and anchoring, ropes, knots and tackles, sails, spars and rigging, communications, metereology, stability and bouyancy, maintenance and ship and boat identification. The author is a Merchant Navy-trained master mariner. He was the first person to sail non stop round the world singlehanded in Suhaili (1968-9), winning Sunday Times Golden Globe. He has also won the Round Britain transatlantic sailing record, New York to Lizard in 10 days.