INTRODUCTION<br >When something goes wrong at sea， it is invariably a problem you<br >have never before experienced， the weather conditions are wors-<br >ening and time Is of the essence. You are unsure of the best course<br >of action， and you cannot afford to spend precious time searching<br >for the precise answer to your actual dilemma. All your accumulated<br >knowledge from books， previous experience， casual talk and regi-<br >mented study suddenly seems too distant， too technical.<br > You need to think on your feet. Assuming you can retain your<br >wits in the face of the unknown or the spectre of disaster， basic<br >information can be adjusted and reinterpreted to fit a particular<br >situation. This book is designed to both supply the basics and give<br >you the mental framework for solving your problem yourself.<br > Herein you will find direct responses to a number of nautical<br >emergency situations. Other actions will be possible. More perma-<br >nent repairs may be needed later. The state of sea and wind may<br >force modifications in the advice. But you will have some sort of<br >ready reference， and answer to a tightening throat and rising fear，<br >to the question， What now?<br > Obviously， no one volume could cover every possible con-<br >tingency. Every yacht and yachtsman is different and each has<br >capabilities unknown to this author. The assumption throughout is<br >that you know your boat and its abilities and， hopefully， you know<br >your own as well. Don t overestimate your knowledge and skills.<br >Ego is deadly on the water.<br > No known substitute exists for experience and the knowledge<br >acquired through errors and mistakes rectified. In an emergency，<br >the initial response is usually panic. Repress it! Panic is wonderful<br >for the climax in a disaster movie. It has no place aboard any ves-<br >sel. Remember the Titanic? To be a proficient seaman， you must<br >learn to think everything through， to gauge speed and distance， to<br >know wind speed from the look of the water s surface， to be able to<br >judge the inertial movement of your hull in different types of<br >weather.<br > Safe and enjoyable boating Is the result of applied knowledge，<br >and that comes from practice practice and more practice. This<br >book will give you responses in a general way to most emergency<br >situations. But your accumulated knowledge and experience is what<br >will allow you to adapt the advice and procedures described herein<br >to the particular situation you have to face.<br > Good boating!<br > Tony Meisel<br > New Suffolk， NY<br >