Imagine a long voyage to exotic ports around the world--your lifelong dream fulfilled. But first, you have to find the boat that will get you there safely and comfortably. Stapleton's Powerboat Bible is the resource you need, the result of Sid Stapleton's more than thirty years as a cruising powerboater and marine journalist. It's the equivalent of talking with hundreds of experts: naval architects, boatbuilders, maintenance and repair professionals, dealers and brokers, bankers, insurance agents, plus experienced powerboat owners. In addition to cruising in his own boats, Sid has traveled thousands of miles with powerboaters all over the world, from the islands of Greece and the coast of Norway to the Galapagos Islands and Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The accumulated wisdom in this book will make your cruise a relaxing adventure instead of a nerve-racking, expensive ordeal. With Stapleton's Powerboat Bible you get the inside track on how to confidently shop for, buy, finance, and insure the right boat--new or used--for you. From GPS receivers to water makers, stabilizers to satellite phones, and anchors to medical kits, this comprehensive reference supplies expert advice on all the equipment you need, including frank appraisals of major makes and models.
Stapleton's Powerboat Bible also provides you with a wealth of information on inshore and offshore boat handling and seamanship, under all conditions. From navigation and performing repairs to handling virtually every type of emergency situation that can arise at sea, you get practical, no-nonsense information that can maximize your cruising experience.
If your cruise takes you into foreign waters, Stapleton's Powerboat Bible tells you what you need to know about dealing with unfamiliar systems and customs, including tips on regulations for flags and running lights and finding the best currency exchange rates.
Stapleton's Powerboat Bible will help you select, outfit, and operate the yacht best suited to your lifestyle and cruising plans. So make your plans, get out on the water, and live your dream.
"Hard-hitting, no-nonsense answers to all the tough questions facing anyone who hopes to buy a liveaboard powerboat and head off on the cruise of a lifetime. Sid Stapleton has been there before you, and Stapleton's Powerboat Bible is a distillation of the wisdom from his thousands of blue-water miles. Don't even think of buying and outfitting a powerboat for long-term cruising until you've read this book cover to cover."--Milt Baker, founder, Bluewater Books & Charts
"Sid has written a much-needed book for anyone who is buying a boat and wants to go cruising. You'll find useful information to help you in choosing the right boat, equipping it for your individual needs, and handling many of the unexpected things that inevitably arise whether you are going to the next port or to the next continent."--Bruce Kessler, West Marine's Passagemaker of the Year for powerboat circumnavigation, 1990 - 93
Whether you'll be cruising inshore or offshore, Stapleton's Powerboat Bible will prepare you to take on all the challenges and excitements of the cruising life. From choosing and equipping a boat to living aboard and long-distance voyaging, this comprehensive reference gives you the up-to-date knowledge you need to realize all your cruising dreams economically, safely, and comfortably.
Sid Stapleton has been a powerboat cruiser and marine journalist for more than three decades. He is also a longtime contributing editor to Motor Boating & Sailing magazine. In 1993 - 94, he and his wife, Anne, made a 15,000-mile voyage from Maine to Alaska via the Panama Canal in Americas Odyssey, their 49-foot Grand Banks motor yacht. When they aren't on the water, Sid and Anne live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
