Start 2017 by boosting your maritime knowledge.
Our collection of New Year reads will also give you plenty of
impressive facts to share at what’s left of the festive party season!

For salty sea-pups
A Sea Voyage by Gérard Lo Monaco (reviewed by Storm Force members Ella and Noah Dance, aged 7 and 9)
Noah: ‘I really like it because it tells you about the boats and it rhymes, and tells us facts.’ Ella: ‘And it’s fun because there’s pop-ups. My favourite is the tall ship. I think the lifeboat is cool. There’s a piece of string attached to the picture of a bit of string! If I had to describe it in three words they would be fun, fantastic and fact-filled.’ Noah: ‘I think it’s an anytime kind of read, because it fits calming down for night-time and also it’s not scary. Because you can only read scary books during the day, not at night.’ Published by Thames and Hudson
ISBN 9780500650882

For good listeners
The Shipping Forecast By Nic Compton
‘And now, the shipping forecast …’ begins the soothing lullaby so beloved by mariners and daydreamers alike. Tucked up by the fire, the rain lashing the windows, landlubbers can only imagine the winds and the waves being calmly narrated. Although the BBC Radio 4 shipping forecast has been taking listeners from Faeroes to Sole since 1925, it’s baffling to many. The author, himself a sailor, demystifies the jargon and provides a beautiful miscellany of amusing and fascinating facts about the places, the events and people who make up a seafaring community.
Published by Penguin Random House
ISBN: 9781785940293
Price: £9.99

For RNLI enthusiasts
Amble and Hauxley, and Shoreham Harbour Lifeboat Station History Books
By Rodney Burge, and John Periam and Michelle Tugwell
Two new instalments in the RNLI Station History Book series are now available, written, as always, by knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers. Amble author Rodney Burge is a former lifeboat crew member and coxswain, and speaks with warmth, authority and humour about life at one of England’s most northerly stations. Meanwhile Shoreham Harbour authors John and Michelle have filled their volume with incredible photos, brave rescues and shared memories from their station in south-east England. Available from local outlets (including the respective lifeboat station shops) and online at RNLISHOP.org.uk. Published by the RNLI
Price: All priced at £8.95

For shipping historians
Britain’s Historic Ships – a Complete Guide to the Ships that Shaped the Nation By Paul Brown
Twenty of the country’s best-known ships are documented in this highly detailed edition. They’re presented in order of launch date, accompanied by their full specifications, and illustrated thoroughly. The book includes ships from the sail-to-steam transition
era, merchant and Navy vessels and coastal steamers. SS Great Britain, Mary Rose, Cutty Sark, HMS Victory and Gypsy Moth IV are all covered, plus many more. Although it goes in to some depth, the clear writing style makes it a very accessible history.
Published by Bloomsbury
ISBN: 9781844864096
Price: £20

For meteorologists
Instant Weather Forecasting (5th edition) by Alan Watts
The weather: a mild obsession for most sailors, watersports enthusiasts and outdoorsy people. Fifty years after it was first published, this indispensable guide is still a great bet if you want to learn how to identify clouds, pick up climate clues and predict how soggy your trip to the coast might be. The full colour photos are particularly useful,and it’s a valuable companion to any pre-voyage planning session (but do make sure you get an up-to-date forecast as well). Published by Adlard Coles
ISBN: 9781472929730
Price: £9.99

For the curious
A History of Sailing in 100 Objects by Barry Pickthall
Bitesized chapters take you through the ages from a 3500BC pot depicting a Nile boat, to Ellen MacArthur’s camcorder, which she used to record her record-breaking circumnavigation in 2003–4. Along the way, you’ll enjoy an eclectic range of nautical photos and accounts that show the significance of ships, clothes, kit, technology, safety and, um, a lemon (well when was the last time you had scurvy?). A beautiful, fascinating book to dip in to when you’ve 10 minutes of curiosity that needs satiating. Published by Adlard Coles Nautical
Hardback ISBN 9781472918857
Price £20

Buy these books online via RNLI.org/amazon and Amazon will donate a minimum of 5% of the value to the RNLI. Recommended retail prices may vary from the time of writing. Post and packaging costs may apply to books ordered online. Reviews: Laura Rainbow (unless otherwise stated) | Photos: Simon Moss