Navigate the hazards of boat ownership with absolute confidence

Next to your house, your boat may well be the biggest investment you ever make. Buying and owning a boat involves one baffling decision after another. Yet informed, impartial guidance is almost impossible to find--until now, that is.

This essential manual provides a method to the madness of boat buying and ownership, plotting a straight course through an ocean of confusion while it answers such questions as:

• Why fractional ownership often makes sense
• How to avoid buying a boat you'll never use
• How to identify the Goldilocks boat--not too big, not too small
• How to choose a powering option
• How to negotiate the best deal on any boat-new or used
• How to be your own surveyor, and why even a new boat may need a professional survey
• Why you should finance your boat even if you have the cash, and where to find the best loans
• How to calculate the total cost of ownership before you buy!

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Ireland is Europe's hottest golfing destination and one of the most popular golf venues for Americans eager to sample the fabled links. Author Rob Armstrong predicted the Irish golf boom in the first edition of Golfing in Ireland; in the third, he revisits old courses that have undergone revision or expansion and uncovers the best of Ireland's new courses. In his crisp, irreverent style, he also points out those courses that have not stood up, those that have been poorly maintained or managed, and those that have simply proved disappointing.

Profiled in this edition are: the magnificent Old Head Golf Club in County Cork, one of the most exciting new golf courses in the world; the extraordinarily beautiful new Ring of Kerry Golf and Country Club in County Kerry that overlooks Kenmare Bay; and the expanded golf complex at Ballyliffin in County Donegal. He also reviews several new hotels and restaurants that cater to golfers and are near some of Ireland's best courses. Armstrong's travel tips include a discussion of the Euro, which will soon become the unit of currency in the Irish Republic, and a warning about the proliferation of Irish golf tours....

Get the most from your new powerboat from day one!

There’s nothing like the thrill of skimming over the waves at the helm of a fast powerboat. And the thrill is even greater when you’re driving the boat that’s right for you and handling it with skill and confidence. This third edition of Getting Started in Powerboating gives you all the information you need to select the boat of your dreams, maneuver it like a master, and understand the rules and conventions of powerboating.

Thoroughly updated with new developments and technologies, this new edition of the bestselling guide in its field covers all powerboats—big and small; single-engine, twin-engine, outboard, and sterndrive; trailerable and nontrailerable. You’ll discover the difference between a planing hull and a displacement hull, learn to compensate for the effects of wind and current, and master high-speed techniques. Plus this third edition features new photographs that illustrate key techniques and maneuvering sequences, including turning, backing, docking, and more. Must-have information includes:

• The latest on four-stroke outboards
• Jack plates, jet drives, and bow thrusters
• Piloting and navigation basics
• Anchors and anchoring techniques
• An updated market survey of popular powerboats
• State licensing requirements

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