For those serving at sea, professionally connected with the sea or just interested in ships for their own sake, this book provides a refreshing insight into a range of nautical subjects with something for everyone. Born some 33 years ago of a need for shipbrokers to understand the sea-going subjects to undertake the examinations for the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, this updated & expanded version, now of interest to a wider audience, owes its existence to the unexpected interest Bernadette showed in explanations of ships viewed from the window of the author’s office overlooking the port.