The American Practical Navigator--commonly
known as "Bowditch" after Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838), the editor and writer
of the earliest editions--was first published in the United States in 1802. It was
and remains the preeminent navigation reference book for commercial and naval boatmen.
But today's 888-page textbook (produced exclusively by the U.S.
National Imagery and Mapping Agency) has been weighed down by two centuries of competing
demands and burdened with big-ship arcana--a far cry from Bowditch's original vow "to
put down in the book nothing I can't teach the crew."
Now, Boater's Bowditch removes
the mystery and mathematics from The American Practical
Navigator, explaining in plain English all the basic and most practical
concepts and techniques used by the professional navigator. Boater's
Bowditch emphasizes the graphic and visual techniques of navigation, with the
relevant scientific principles explained simply and clearly.
Boater's Bowditch also
includes through and up-to-the-minute coverage of marine weather, and it's the first truly
comprehensive guide to modern navigation marvels such as GPS and electronic charts.
This book gives Bowditch back to the ordinary mariners for whom it
was first intended.
Richard Hubbard has navigated everything
from large Coast Guard vessels to ocean racers and cruising yachts. For 14 years
he's worked for the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (formerly the Defense Mapping
Agency) and was editor of the 1995 edition of Pub. No. 9, The
American Practical Navigator. His work as navigation consultant and
seminar leader for the National Women's Sailing Association convinced him that small-craft
operators needed a book like Boater's Bowditch.
If you enjoyed this book from International
Marine, why not try:
Get Your Captain's License
Charlie Wing
The home-study guide for the U.S. Coast Guard
captain's ratings exams. Not only the entire 6,215-question database from which the
Coast Guard will select your exam here, but so are the answers, both in the book itself
and on the enclosed CD. The interactive AutoExam CD-ROM allows you to take an
unlimited number of practice exams, grades you, tells you what you missed, and keys a log
of your results over time. Get Your Captain's License is the easiest-to-use
test preparation guide available anywhere. Illustrated with hundreds of line
drawings and 16 full-color pages of navigation lights, navaids, and charts.
Softcover, 488 pages, $54.95 including CD (PC
only). Order No. 913677-X.
Look for this and other International Marine books at
your local bookstore or order direct by calling toll free 1-800-262-4729. Prices are
in U.S. dollars and are subject to change.
International Marine/
A Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies
