As the title indicates this book is primarily about coastal and lake cruising in shallow draught boats. The subject of camping aboard and ashore is explained in great depth. The book is packed full of information gleaned by the authors who have beach cruised for years at a time from 1974. They have detailed the techniques of sailing, navigation and self-sufficiency, with a particular reference to beach exploration. This competent and resourceful couple provide valuable information and recommendations for equipping such adventures, the choice of suitable boats, their modifications, camping equipment, costs, dangers, pitfalls etc.

Although aimed at the US market with details of hundreds of resources in North America, the book has many valuable lessons applicable to all who aspire to do likewise. For the UK reader much of the specialist gear can be obtained by mail order or online through the Internet.

Without a doubt, he who reads the book will be more informed as to the characteristics required of those who participate in this eco-friendly pastime. Ida and Michael open our eyes to the possibility of doing what they have done by making beach cruising and coastal camping their modus operandi. Bill Serjeant

Longitude by Dava Sobel. Published by Fourth Estate, London 1996

This slim volume of 180 pages is a truly exciting read for sailors. The inability to find longitude meant that sailors were effectively lost at sea when out of sight of land. Great disasters and financial losses to the huge merchant fleet made finding a solution to this problem the great scientific quest of the time. As an example, in 1707 Admiral Sir Cloudisley Shovell sailed his Royal Navy fleet straight onto the Scillies thinking that they actually were located off Brest. Two thousand seamen and four of the five mighty warships were lost.

The longitude problem had already taxed leading scientists throughout Europe for two centuries when Parliament massively increased interest by offering £20,000 (a vast sum in those days and equivalent to many millions now) for a solution.

Longitude is a brilliant non-scientific account of the human endeavours and intrigues to win this prize. The central character is John Harrison, a low born, self educated Yorkshireman who took on the established Astronomers Royal and a hugely sceptical establishment. He spent his whole life inventing and developing clocks, (to be renamed chronometers) which finally solved the problem of longitude. This is a very exciting human story and contains brief summaries of some of the weird and cranky solutions that the huge reward money encouraged. There has been a film made from the book which I have not seen but others have said is memorable. However I will be visiting the Guildhall and the Royal Observatory as soon as I can to see the chronometers that Harrison spent his whole life building. This book is a great read.

A much bigger and glossier illustrated version of the book co-produced by Dava Sobel and William Andrews, Curator of Scientific instruments at Harvard University is also published at £14.99.

“Dava Sobel has written a gem of a book… Longitude is one of the best reads for the non-scientific mind to come along in many a moon.” Financial Times

“A wonderful story, beautifully told… Sobel has done the impossible and made horology sexy.” New Scientist

Alan Glanville