Power Boating for Dummies Paperback – January 1, 2009

Covered everything I need to know

I know NOTHING about boats but my wife is pushing for one. So, I had to educate myself enough to go to the Atlanta Boat Show (which was awesome).This book gave me more than enough information to not look like a complete moron at the boat show and know what questions (at least the basics) to ask about the few boats that got our interest.We have not bought a boat yet but this book seems like a really good, practical starting point in our adventure and I think it will be a bigger help when we actually buy our boat. We are looking for a 19-20 foot bow rider and this book seems to focus on boats that can be trailered.I recommend it for a starting point in learning about power boats.

I have been a sail boater all my life. I now live in an area where I have no room to sail (upper Hudson River), so I have to get a powerboat. Much of the information I knew from having obtained a Coast Guard Captain's License. However, it is not the book's fault that I bought it after a lifetime of boating. If you are new, this would be useful (also take a Coast Guard Auxiliary or Power Squadron safe boating class).

We are buying a boat soon and I need to learn how to operate it. I appreciate the detailed steps for docking, understanding lights and channel markings and for other topics. I like this book.

This book is a great resource for those new to the sport of boating. I knew nothing about boating when I bought our first boat recently and have relied heavily on this book to get started. It would be a good read cover to cover, but I find myself jumping around to different sections to answer certain questions I have. It is very reader friendly and easy to find various boating topics. The author seems to have covered everything you would need to know, as I have found information on every subject I have referred to it for so far. I would strongly recommend this book for the beginner or for anyone looking to brush up on their knowledge of boating.

Got this for a friend who bought a lake house that came with a fairly substantial inboard boat. His only other boat handling experience had been a small fishing boat that actually belonged to a friend and that was 40+ years ago. I could tell from his questions that he really was a bit lost and I could only give him so much help as we live 800 miles away. As an experienced boater I looked at the book and thought all things considered it was better than phone calls, text, and iPhone pictures. A good starting book for the semi-clueless.

I expected some wear, but this item was in fair condition at best. Musty with signs of moisture/mold in addition to the expected corner wear.

I found many worthwhile chapters and pro tips in this volume. It does a great job in letting you know how to handle and maintain a power boat. It s written in an easy to read style so that a non-mechanic like myself can never the less understand what needs to be done, even though I will choose to have it done by a certified mechanic. It also alerts you to many safety issues so you understand how unforgiving going out on the water can be.I would recommend it to any one before they buy a boat so they can grasp what are the responsibilities of being the captain of even a small vessel .