Chapters are: 'Ship Handling and Manoeuvring', 'Manoeuvring Characteristics and Interaction', 'Anchor Operations and Deployment', 'Operations with Tugs' and 'Emergency Ship Manoeuvres'.

According to author Captain Henry H. Hooyer, forces acting on the ship have an effective lever arm with respect to a hypothetical pivot point. The forces creating or affecting this pivot point include the ship's motion, underwater resistance, and momentum. The book will be particularly helpful to pilots and ships' officers, and those whose jobs require a thorough understanding of ship behavior.

Hiroaki Kobayashi has trained 1500 mariners in ship handling over twenty years and he has systematized the methods of safe navigation into nine elemental techniques. Taking a rigorous and scientific look at good practice and attitudes, good seamanship can be viewed as a series of concrete technical functions, which can be in terms of competencies. By giving proper attention to human factors the conditions for maintaining system safety can be defined, and the interaction of human competencies and environmental conditions and their effects on system safety can be recognised. System safety in turn depends on good bridge team management, with particular emphasis on communication, cooperation and leadership – communication for the exchange of information, cooperation to smooth team activities, and leadership to ensure that each member of the team performs successfully.

Now in its 5th edition, Shiphandling for the Mariner is the classic and definitive text on the art of practical shiphandling skills for large, modern commercial vessels. Written by a father and son team of pilots, along with contributions from other expert pilots and shipmasters, this compendium follows a nontechnical format that stresses maneuvers used routinely in the field. The text covers essential maneuvers used in docking, undocking, and shiphandling, plus uncommon maneuvers such as docking at single-point and multiple-buoy moorings, use of anchors in shiphandling, offshore lightering, and transiting of locks and canals. Bridge practices in pilot waters and training techniques, including simulator training are also discussed. Updated for the 5th edition: squat and under keel clearance, current practices for bridge resource management, and the use of laptop navigation systems and ECDIS in pilotage waters. Shiphandling for the Mariner is ideal for those with a foundation of practical knowledge looking to advance and master shiphandling skills that are essential to the marine profession.

Suitable as a training manual and a day-to-day reference, Shiphandling is the comprehensive and up to date guide to the theory and practice of ship handling procedures. Its covers the requirements of all STCW-level marine qualifications, provides expert guidance on all the hardware that marine professionals will make use of in the control and operation of their vessel and offers a broad focus on many shiphandling scenarios.