Sea Kayak Navigation: A Practical Manual, Essential Knowledge for Finding Your Way at Sea
At last a specialist book on navigation written specially for the kayaker. Franco has a good pedigree as a sea kayaker, brought up in the Channel Islands, 1978 circumnavigation of Ireland and an unsupported crossing of the North Sea in 1989, now Head of Kayaking at Plas y Brenin, the UK National Mountain Centre in North Wales.The writing is very practical, with many hints and tips, relating purely to the kayaker. Many of the generic sea kayaking books do have chapters or even sections on navigation but here we have a fairly concise volume which covers far more than these earlier books.It is always easy to find what has been missed out, but here Franco makes the point that he has only included what he considers necessary, 'no more, no less'. So what is covered and how?     The section on Basic Navigation is well written and an ideal start for the beginner. Its basis is pilotage, the art of navigation by the 'eyeball', following landmarks, buoys and transits. An excellent chapter which, for most people, is what will be used for most trips.There is so much clear and concise information in the chapters on POSITION, PREDICTING TIDES and ALLOWING FOR WIND AND TIDES, that it makes the book an essential item in most sea paddlers' kit.The book is illustrated throughout with photographs and clear diagrams. I would thoroughly recommend this excellent book and believe it will become a well-regarded work for sea kayakers and instructors everywhere. --Ocean Paddler, UK, February 1999--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.