Rob Gibson – författare

The RYA Sail Trim Handbook for Cruisers is crammed with useful tips and pointers on one of the fundamentals of good seamanship: sail trim. The book focuses more on the needs of the cruising sailor as opposed to the out-and-out racer. After all, a well-trimmed cruising yacht will be better balanced, easier to handle, and will sail more comfortably.Sail trim can be bewildering to the novice but the RYA Sail Trim Handbook talks you through the subject in an informative yet entertaining manner. The book is further enhanced by a range of clear, well thought-out illustrations.Ultimately this book will have you itching to get back afloat and tinkering with the trim of your sails.

If docking a yacht feels like a public exam, it's usually not "e;bad boat handling"e;—it's unseen forces you haven't learned to use.This practical seamanship guide turns close-quarters boat handling in marinas and harbours into repeatable routines by teaching how wind, tide/current, prop walk, and momentum actually move a boat. It shows how to plan an approach, rig lines and fenders for either side, and use springs, slip lines, ferry gliding, and short bursts of power with neutral to dock, depart, pick up buoys, moor, and anchor with less drama. It also covers ropework, knots, towing setups, heavy-weather judgement, and emergencies including man overboard and grounding. Rob Gibson writes from real training-skipper experience, including seeing crews fall from unsafe finger berths and mishandle loaded lines.  - Explains how hull, rudder, and propulsion choices (single vs twin screw, long keel vs fin, outboards/sterndrives, cats) change low-speed control.  - Teaches stream-reading and prop-walk tests, then applies them to station-keeping, tight turns, controlled reversing, and wind-against-stream buoy pick-ups.  - Breaks down marina berthing and departures using midships springs, singling up, warp-led leverage, and friction "e;dragging"e; to tame unwanted yaw.  - Covers anchoring scope and holding checks, towing with bridles and chafe control, sea-state risk (overfalls, wind-against-tide), and MOB/Hi-Line procedures.A principle-based, hands-on boat-handling manual that replaces marina anxiety with a small set of force-aware techniques that scale from first-time skippers to experienced crews refining safety and control.

The digital edition of the RYA Sail Trim Handbook for Cruisers is crammed with useful tips and pointers on one of the fundamentals of good seamanship: sail trim. The book focuses more on the needs of the cruising sailor as opposed to the out-and-out racer. After all, a well-trimmed cruising yacht will be better balanced, easier to handle, and will sail more comfortably. Sail trim can be bewildering to the novice but the RYA Sail Trim Handbook talks you through the subject in an informative yet entertaining manner. The book is further enhanced by a range of clear, well thought-out interactive illustrations. Chapters include: How Sails Work Jibs & Genoas Spinnakers Reefing Sailing Upwind Heavy Weather Sailing Trade Wind Sailing Ultimately this book will have you itching to get back afloat and tinkering with the trim of your sails.

From droving to driving, heilan coos to long horns, Highland Cowboys explores the links between the two cattle cultures of Scotland and America through music, song, dance, and folklore. The vast number of Scots who emigrated to North America, whether through forcible eviction during the Highland Clearances or voluntarily in the hope of a better life, has been well documented. With them they took their culture, their language, their music and their skills. Cattle droving in Scotland was an established profession from the 16th century, and many such migrants took cowboy jobs in the American West. The medium of music paints a vivid picture of their social and personal lives, and describes a mutual exchange as music crossed and re-crossed the Atlantic creating strong links between the old culture and the new. This unique exploration of the cowboy culture sheds new light on the everyday life of the cattle communities.