Technical Books > Boating & Boatbuilding & Trains & Aeroplanes (& other moving machines)

One hundred years of evolution prove it: motorboats are more than just nice toys. Based on more than 300 original images drawn from archives and sales brochures, this book offers a unique insight at motorboat design and lifestyle from the early racers to classic mahogany runabouts, from fast offshores to the newest motoryachts. Included is a biographical overview of the diverse personalities behind the scenes of motor boating. First published 2005.

David Bell has been painting ships and the sea for more than forty years. From smacks to schooners, from whalers to warships his investigations have taken him on a remarkable pictorial journey through the history of the sea. The accuracy of his painting is infused with that vital ingredient 'artistic vision'. Finding inspiration in all sorts of areas through time and place he has drawn on his outstanding talent as an artist and his tremendous experience of the sea during his time and travels around the world as a navigator. This ... read more

"For anyone considering setting sail, "Eyewitness Companions" offer an essential reference library, perfect for novices or anyone who just wants to know more about their favourite pastime." - Heyday. This book is essential reading, whether you're dipping your toe in the water for the first time, or a seasoned sea-dog brushing up your skills. Find out how to get started: explore different boats, what to wear, and discover the correct kit to pack for rivers, lakes or the high seas. Learn the essential techniques, from rigging and lau... read more

Peter Clark has been a lifelong aviation addict and today is one of New Zealand's foremost commentators on the aviation industry. Over the last 30 years he has experienced an incredible number of aviation adventures and he has written about them in Flying. Among the experiences he recounts: Travelling into the war zone in East Timor with the RNZAF -- Meeting John Travolta when the Hollywood star was a Qantas ambassador -- Flying to Antarctica with the RNZAF -- Travelling by Concorde -- Meeting former United States President Bill Cl... read more

For a century now, New Zealand sailors have been designing, building, and sailing fast light boats - boats that will plane. This book tells the story of fast light boats in New Zealand: of those designers, builders, sailors, boats, and clubs whose ideas and enthusiasm have made a difference to the way the world sails.

"The Complete Yachtmaster" has been a bestseller since first publication and has established itself as the standard reference for Yachtmaster students as well as skippers of all levels of experience. In this fully revised sixth edition, Tom Cunliffe brings together all the essentials of modern cruising in one volume. Subjects include an analysis of what makes a good skipper, the theory and practice of sailing, seamanship, navigation including chart plotters and PCs, meteorology, heavy weather, yacht stability and coping with emerge... read more

A Home Afloat gives an enticing peek through the portholes, and access to a wealth of inspiring ideas for anyone wanting to make their home aboard a boat of whatever shape and size. This gorgeous coffee table book is bursting with interior design and furnishing ideas for boats and other small living spaces, and looks inside motorboats, riverboats, houseboats, yachts, barges, tugs and commercial vessels.A Home Afloat gives an insight into the lifestyle of people with different budgets and outlooks on life, but who have all made the ... read more

"Knots and Splices" is the bestselling truly pocket-sized book on rope and wire work, splices, and all types of knots, and has been continuously in print for almost 50 years. It has become the basic handbook showing how to tie the most useful and indispensable knots, bends and splices and has sold worldwide to sailors, campers, scouts, climbers, fishermen and outdoors people. Each straightforward explanation of how to achieve the knot or splice is accompanied by clear colour photographs of each stage, making learning easy. Thorough... read more

Sound woodworking skills are essential when building a boat from scratch or just completing a hull, whether it is made of steel, aluminium, GRP or any form of wooden construction. This highly illustrated book provides will help any aspiring boatbuilder decide what materials and tools to use and how to use them. Richard Birmingham's classic text covers the wide range of techniques and skills needed when constructing a boat, from interpreting the plans to hints on working different timbers. He answers many of those puzzling questi... read more

Tom Perkins, the venture capitalist behind such companies as Google, Genentech, Amazon, and AOL, doesn't do things halfway. When he collected vintage cars, for instance, he had the world's largest collection of Bugatti automobiles. And when he decided to pursue a lifelong dream and build a sailing yacht, he went the whole nine yards: He decided it would be the world's largest yacht - big enough to fit Noah's Ark on its deck. He wanted it to sail at a record 26 knots, under unprecedented physical forces. And, he thought, having buil... read more

DoP November 2009, Wellington 275x210mm /240pp Hardcover The cargo and passenger vessels recorded in this book have provided regular and scheduled services across Cook Strait since the late 19th century, establishing and maintaining the vital link between Wellington and the South Island ports of Lyttelton, Picton and Nelson. Many will forever be a part of our nation's history. Most are forgotten in time. Described are the ships that, year after year, in war and peace, carried our commerce and families between north and south.... read more

This title contains 100 years of airborne innovation and adventure for aviation fans - in a new compact edition. From the Wright brothers' first powered flight, to Concorde's final voyage and the tragic crash of the Columbia, take a sky-high journey through the history of aviation. Charting the trailblazers, jet test pilots and constant progress at the cutting-edge of technology, every aspect of flight is explored. Recalling memorable events - record-breaking flights, aerial warfare and terrorist hijackings - this is the story of h... read more

Have you ever wondered how many servings of fish and chips are sold in the UK per year? Why women, on average, catch bigger fish than men? Or what the last meal served onboard the Titanic consisted of? If so, enjoy this second helping of "The Little Book of the Sea" series, which gathers together facts, figures, lore and trivia about all things edible from the sea. From recipes gathered from around the world, to instructions for eating pufferfish (the world's deadliest delicacy), to the official explanation of how Popeye the Sailor... read more

Spectacular aircraft and military equipment showcased in one of the world's largest and most important historical air shows. Enthusiasts and historic aircraft come from all over the world to turn quiet Wanaka from a small tourist destination in the lower South Island to the centre of the Warbird world for 4 days every second Easter. Amazing aerial displays from some of the world's best known and rarest historical aircraft are a highlight of the event. From fragile and slow moving World War One biplanes to modern day supersonic jets... read more

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On January 15, 2009, a US Airways Airbus A320 had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport in New York, when a flock of Canada geese collided with it, destroying both of its engines. Over the next three minutes, the plane's pilot Chelsey 'Sully' Sullenberger, managed to glide to a safe landing in the Hudson River. It was an instant media sensation, the 'The Miracle on the Hudson', and Captain Sully was the hero. But, how much of the success of this dramatic landing can actually be credited to the genius of the pilot? To what extent is... read more

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This book is an exuberant celebration of sailing in all its glory. Many of the world's most outstanding photographers from Beken of Cowes, Carlo Borlenghi and Gilles Martin-Raget to Rick Tomlinson, Franco Pace and Stanley Rosenfeld, present their tribute to this exciting world in an impressive galley of amazing action images. "Sail" showcases the sweeping lines and glamorous settings of yachts of all sizes and types: cruising and racing beauties, legendary yachts from this century and the last, mono and multihulls, round the world ... read more

A good working knowledge of the Rule of the Road is essential for both skippers and crew of yachts and motorboats - as well as everyone else who goes to sea. It is also an important part of RYA Day Skipper and Yachtmaster courses. Learning the Rule of the Road includes the full text of The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, but because these Regulations are lengthy and detailed they are not always easy to understand - nor is it easy to find your way around. This guide takes those sections of the rules t... read more

New Zealand has a remarkable maritime history and many of us have a close relationship with the sea that surrounds us. No sooner had the first European settlers arrived in Auckland than they held a regatta to celebrate, and the first pure racing/pleasure yachts were built from the 1880s onwards, by the famous houses of Logan and Bailey. More than 100 years later, many of these masterpieces are still going strong, and their remarkable life stories of success, neglect and restoration tell a story of New Zealand's history. Renowned ya... read more