From the author of the four-part series "Revolution at Sea" comes another rousing tale of adventure on the high seas. In this novel, set in the early 18th century, Thomas Marlowe, a secretive Count-of-Monte-Cristo-type character, is given command of the Guardship, a vessel that has the duty of protecting the Virginia coast from pirates. His yearning to be accepted in Virginia society eventually clashes with his dark past. Nelson once again succeeds in building a motley host of characters who spar with sharp wit and deadly weapons. For information call 212-207-7000; 372 pages; $14.

The Seven Seas Cruising Association, a non-exclusive organization of wayward sailors, is gathering in Melbourne, Fla., in November for its 24th annual "gam." On Nov. 12 to 14, an expected 1,500 sailors will gather for a series of lectures and the chance to share ideas. The weekend's feature speaker is John Kretschmer, a widely professional delivery skipper and writer, whose recent book, Flirting with Mermaids, was published this year by Sheridan House (914-693-2410). The SSCA, founded in 1952 in Coronada, Calif., has 10,000 members worldwide. "If you have the dream to someday sail around the world, or even just to…

When panning for gold at the turn of the century, Alaskan Sourdoughs had a description for the storms that plagued Nome and the rest of the Seward Peninsula: "Unequalled and obnoxious." Nothing much has changed since then. The gold has gone, of course, but the storms linger on. Standing on the breakwater in front of Nome, with the wind howling in my ears, rain lashing at my face and whitecaps stretching as far across Norton Sound as I could see, "unequalled and obnoxious" defined conditions perfectly. In the shelter of the harbor, tucked away behind a convenient barge, Audacity bobbed…

The satellite systems we have now are largely designed for providing voice connections. The data capabilities of these systems are typically limited and expensive. What if satellite systems were to come on line with true broadband data capability? The effect of this on voyagers could be revolutionary: You could request voyaging information; it would be placed into multimedia data streams and delivered to your boat in real time. (For an idea of how this type of broadband capability might work on a voyage, see the accompanying sidebar.) Like many technology changes, the driving force for these systems is going to…

Richard Ellis, one of this country's leading authors on ocean science topics, has produced a remarkable new reference book for the maritime enthusiast. The Encyclopedia of the Sea includes more than 450 illustrations by Ellis and includes entries that range from marine wildlife and flora of the world's oceans (the largest group represented) to historic nautical figures and obscure maritime lingo. It is both a scientific and popular reference guide, a style that Ellis has been praised for in his previous books, including Men and Whales(1991) and Monsters of the Sea (1994). Encyclopedia of the Sea would be a welcome…

The recent article on lightning by Larry McKenna ("Crooked fire," Issue No. 91), contains at least one outstanding error. McKenna states that "Different frequencies of sound travel at different speeds, with different efficiencies, through air. Low tones travel more slowly, but much more efficiently, than high tones," and goes on to further describe the acoustic properties in another paragraph. In the second paragraph he states that "At greater distances, the air has absorbed the higher notes" The first statement is incorrect. All acoustic energy, regardless of frequency, travels at the same velocity in air, the velocity being dependent on density.…

From Ocean Navigator #87 January/February 1998 Over the years your readers have written about many novel and interesting navigational techniques. Here is one we use on our Peterson 34 Restless, a frequent, but radar-free, visitor to the foggy western shores of Nova Scotia. A fast-moving ferry on a regular schedule, like the Scotia Prince, shown above, can be tracked using its printed timetable. The Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy may have less traffic than Long Island Sound, for example, but they still contain hazards. Two of these are the ferries operating out of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, for Portland…

The Coast Guard recently donated two retired buoy-tenders to an American relief agency that provides health care to several South Pacific island nations. As those who have voyaged in the South Pacific may have discovered, certain health problems are widespread in native island populations. For example, approximately one-third of the adult population of the Marshall Islands suffers from diabetes, and leprosy occurs there at a higher rate per capita than anywhere else in the world. When voyagers Jamie and Jacque Spence discovered these unusual problems on visits to the islands in the 1970s they decided to found a relief mission.…

One of the most demanding challenges for the skipper of a sailing vessel in the eastern North Pacific is a passage from Mexico to the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the Pacific Northwest. Two thousand miles of dangerous lee shore, and usually strong head winds and opposing seas and currents, characterize the direct route along the coast. The alternative route via the Hawaiian Islands, while easier, is more than twice the distance. Yet in early summer of 1993 I made the passage from Cabo San Lucas to Neah Bay just inside the entrance of the Strait of Juan de…

On a recent transatlantic crossing, my wife Mary and I were caught by a low pressure system and forced to deploy a series drogue. The unit worked well and we later finished our voyage after 1,946 miles. We learned a few things about how to use a drag device that will make us more confident the next time we find ourselves in that situation. We departed St. Anthony, Newfoundland, on July 31 aboard our 35-foot Ted Brewer-designed aluminum cutter, Nomad, and arrived off St. Anthony's Head at Falmouth, England, on August 18. Interestingly, both locations are at almost the same…