Mastering Navigation at Sea

To properly enjoy the sea, and to do so safely, you must have the skills, knowledge and confidence to plan thoroughly and stay one step ahead of the game. This book is thoughtfully written to help yachtsmen do just that. It's not another RYA Course Handbook; it's written by a mariner for other mariners. It's well-informed, easy to read and honest about the author's triumphs and disasters over a lifetime's navigating. He has a unique perspective having navigated in many parts of the world from high up on the bridge of a warship, close to the water in a cruising yacht and at depth in a submarine. After his navy career he was Chief Executive of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), often dealing with the consequences of poor navigation.

The author brings the subject to life in a book that is designed to help yachtsmen refresh their knowledge of, and their enthusiasm for, the timeless skills of navigation. It is packed with hundreds of illustrations – colour photographs, charts, diagrams and tables – making the text easy to understand. The book is part of Fernhurst Books' Skipper's Library series of practical books for the cruising sailor.

Praise for Mastering Navigation at Sea

"Navigation techniques are brought to life with practical experience and insightful commentary in his honest account of the highs and lows across a lifetime of navigating… a useful guide for the fresh-faced amateur as well as the experienced sailor."
— RNLI Lifeboat

"It's beautifully laid out, very clear and easy to understand, and very knowledgeable."
— Weems & Plath

"Boissier's latest book is superbly illustrated, informative – and offers prime snippets of the author's triumphs and disasters over a lifetime's navigating… A writer who shares rather than dictates a lesson. Highly recommended."
— Julian Stockwin

"The chapters on pilotage and blind navigation are the best I have read, as are the chapters on tidal heights and streams, which contain useful rules of thumb, various tricks of the trade and other tips follow in subsequent chapters… Most people will probably learn something from this book. It is very well written and the explanations are clear, as are the diagrams and well-chosen illustrations."
— Royal Cruising Club

About the Author

Paul Boissier has spent much of his professional career working on the sea, or in support of the people who go to sea, and in his leisure time he is an avid yachtsman. In the Navy he commanded and navigated warships and submarines in many parts of the world, ending his career as a senior Admiral. He then spent 10 years as Chief Executive of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the charity that saves lives at sea and operates over 340 lifeboats around the UK and Republic of Ireland.

As a cruising yachtsman Paul has sailed his own boat around the UK, northern Europe and in the Mediterranean. He has also spent time afloat in other parts of the world as far apart as western Canada, South America and Australia. This lifetime's experience has given him a unique perspective on navigation, from the bridge of a warship, to the cockpit of a cruising yacht and the control room of a submarine. And, of course, at the RNLI, his work often involved dealing with the consequences of navigational miscalculations by other water users.

About Fernhurst Books

Fernhurst Books was founded in 1979, initially publishing books related to dinghy racing. The list soon expanded to include cruising and other watersports. In 2006 the business was sold to John Wiley, but in 2013 a group of sailing enthusiasts (including the original founder) bought the list and name back, once again creating an independent nautical publisher owned and run by sailors. Fernhurst continues to publish books that instruct, inform and inspire those with a passion on, in or under the water. Their 140+ titles range from how-to guides to narrative to coffee-table books, covering sailing, surfing, canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, swimming, diving and fishing.