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Introduction
How this book can help you
What are the Inland Waterways?
Part One: Boats for Inland Voyaging
Chapter One: The Desire to Own a Cruising Boat
Steel, Fiberglass, or Something Else?
New Boats or Used?
Fuel and Propulsion Issues
Pre-Ownership Resources
Chapter Two: Accommodations
Overview
Staterooms
Saloons
Inboard Engine Noise
Trawler and Sailboat Saloons
The Head
The Galley
The Engine Room
Chapter Three: Boat Engineering
Fiberglass History
A Look at Four Different Boat Styles
Design Ratios and Engineering Considerations
Hulls and Designs
Developing the Basic Design
Out-of-Bounds Extremes
Chapter Four: The Business of Buying a Boat
Working with a Broker
Contracts
Surveyors and Sea Trials
Negotiations
The Boat that Did Not Finish
Chapter Five: Upgrading Your Boat
Thoughts on Upgrades
Prop Pullers
Dinghies
Deck Lights
Chapter Six: Cruising on the ICW
Schuckers and Thompsons: Two Lesser-Know Boats Worth Consideration
Chapter Seven: Ropes, Lines, and Rigging
Chapter Eight: Where Will I Store the Boat?
Yacht Clubs
Marinas
Boatyards
Seasonal Storage
Peculiarities of Sailboats and Their Care
Steering Systems
Through-Hulls and Seacocks
Lightning Protection
Boatyard Time
Chapter Nine: Life Aboard
Provisioning: Buying Strategies
Housekeeping Tips
Money and Mail
Part Two: Inland Boating
Chapter Ten: Boater Safety
Boater Training
Safety Gear
Life Jackets
Vessel Safety Check
Mixing People and Water
Chapter Eleven: First Lessons
First Time at Sea
Boat Stores
Chapter Twelve: Impediments to Life Aboard Ship
The Biggest Cruising Problem
Electrical Power: Generation and Storage
Refrigeration
Chapter Thirteen: Anchoring Systems
How Anchors Work
Selecting Anchors
Problems with Stock Type Anchors
Anchor Sizing
Scope
Anchor Chain
Fitting the Chain on the Boat
Refining the Ground-Tackle System
Snubbers
The Art of Weighing Anchor
Where to Anchor
Anchoring Choices and Your Cruising Style
Cruising Guides
Water Depth
Boat Behavior on the Hook
Windage
Chapter Fourteen: Weather
Weather Basics
Weather Patterns
Clouds and Forecasts
Weather Reports
Chapter Fifteen: Communications
VHF Radios
VHF Range
VHF Radio Safety Features
Safety Issues
A Case of Search and Rescue
Information Sources
Radio Types
Radio Etiquette
Chapter Sixteen: Navigation
Dead Reckoning
Charts
Navigating When You Can't See
Chapter Seventeen: Rules of the Road
COLREGS
Chapter Eighteen: Bridges
Bridges that Open
Running the Bridges
Wet Road Rage
Chapter Nineteen: Locks
Transiting a Lock
The Industrial Canal Lock
Avoiding the Industrial Canal Lock
Part Three: The Inland Waterways
Chapter Twenty: Cruising on the Waterways
Cruising Speed
Meeting and Passing
Stopping Along the Way
Firearms On Board
Chapter Twenty-One: Memorable Trips and Lessons
The Great Loop Trip
The Hudson River
The Okeechobee Waterway
Offshore Delights
Offshore Seas
European Canal Cruising
Favorite Places
Seafaring Lessons Learned
Postmortem
Appendices
A: Suppliers and Resources
B: Tools and Maintenance Supplies
C: Reference Books
D: Sample Contract
E: Sea Spirit (ex-Digger's Dream) Survey
Sea Jay Survey
Index
