How To Avoid Huge Ships By John W. Trimmer - Goodreads
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karen4,012 reviews172k followersFollowFollowholy-grail-unicorn-tamerlaneJune 3, 2014this book is 112 pages long. apart from "look up occasionally while sailing," what do you suppose the other 111 1/2 pages offer as advice?is why i need this particular book
Dan5 reviews2 followersFollowFollowJuly 16, 2012Thank god I was able to find and read this book. Before, I was being blasted by large ships on an almost daily basis. Now, I only get hit by huge ships about once or twice a month. Still having trouble with small ships. The end of this book left on a cliffhanger...maybe how to avoid moving houses next? *crosses fingers*
Dan1 review4 followersFollowFollowAugust 13, 2012I was annoyed that after reading the book, I showed up for a 4 day cruise, and the ship wasn't there.
Jan74 reviewsFollowFollowDecember 29, 2014Okay, I admit it, when I first heard about this book, I chuckled at the title. Of course it's obvious how to avoid huge ships... just don't get in their way. But then I started wondering what could actually be in this neat little volume that would have made a second edition necessary. I started checking local libraries for a copy. I didn't find any, because it's fairly obvious we don't have many (or any) huge ships here in Utah. Curiosity got the better of me and I started looking for a copy at local and online used book stores when I thought to check worldcat (thanks for the pointer, google books). The nearest copy was at a little public library in Idaho. (!)Now I simply had to read it. I investigated my local library's inter-library loan program. Sure enough, within a week or two I had the book in my hot little hands. I hungrily started reading it, setting aside the other books I already had in progress.To my surprise, I found myself enthralled! The unexpected insights of Captain Trimmer, combined with his anecdotes and "common sense" instructions were great fun to read. I will definitely take his advice to heart if I ever find myself conning a small boat in heavily trafficked waters. I also found myself thinking of the pilot controlling one of those huge vessels and the difficulties involved. In all, a very good read and I thank the Kitsap Regional Library system for their participation in the inter-library loan program.
DoctorM842 reviews2 followersFollowFollowWant to readJanuary 31, 2015Well, yes--- people laugh about this, and a few will buy it as a joke. But I am a sometime academic, and I'm always angry at people who mock highly specialized books because the title seems hilarious. (I'm especially angry at articles--- usually by right-wingers or "social conservatives" ---that mock titles on micro-history or small-scale social history or the history of marginalized groups) I have no problem with deadpan jokes about the title here--- "How To Avoid Huge Ships" ---but let's make a note. In heavily-trafficked sea lanes where huge container ships and Very Large Crude Carriers sweep past small, often wooden, country ships, it's no joke. Small local vessels may not appear on radar or may simply not be seen in darkness or bad weather. A really large tanker needs miles of sea room to turn or stop, and every year in places like the Persian Gulf or the West African coast numbers of small country ships just...go missing, run down by huge ships, often without even leaving debris. So...not quite a joke. 
Cormac Healy358 reviews5 followersFollowFollowApril 22, 2015This book really is one of the best huge ship avoidance references I've come across, not just for the effective methods it teaches as to avoiding huge ships, but also for exploding some of the huge ship avoidance myths that many of us take for granted.For example:- Do not charge the huge ship at full speed in an attempt to scare it off. This may work with coyotes, but it is less effective with huge ships.- Similarly, do not roll your boat over and play dead. Unless the huge ship is captained by a grizzly bear, this will not work.- Do not attempt to go under the huge ship. This is typically not successful.- Do not attempt to jump over the huge ship.Captain Trimmer presents a rather novel technique for avoiding huge ships - move your boat out of the path of the huge ship. I know what you're thinking, this goes against conventional wisdom, but Trimmer presents significant empirical evidence to support his theory. Indeed, over the long run, moving out of the way will dramatically decrease the number of huge ship collisions you will have to endure in your daily life
Richard821 reviews14 followersFollowFollowOctober 7, 2013I placed this book on Inter-Library Loan after being unable to resist reading the book so many have posted fake, but humorous reviews for online. So, for once, this is an actual review of the book. At least, it's the best review someone who has never captained a personal boat and certainly has no need to avoid huge ships can provide.This is a surprisingly entertaining book. Captain Trimmer has a very casual, but distinct voice and sprinkles his text liberally with anecdotes about his own service on huge ships. Most of the stories repeat themselves and the book itself more or less just uses different examples on how to do the same thing.Captain Trimmer seems to know this himself and ended the book with one of the more entertaining anecdotes describing how a captain he served under liberally used his ship whistle in a crowded Japanese harbor to teach a lesson. The lesson? "That means get the hell out of the way. I'm coming through."Since the sum of my captaining experience is being in charge of a canoe that was crossing a busy lake and was capsized near shore by an unruly crew member, I can't say this book is for me and my eyes glazed over more often than not on the technical bits. I was surprised about how much of the book I didn't mind reading, however, and even the aspects that are meant for a boat captain were interesting just as trivia or to satisfy my curiosity about ships.So, overall, How to Avoid Huge Ships isn't half bad and isn't much of a time investment (I read it in about 45 minutes with some pages skipped here and there) if you're curious. So, how do you avoid huge ships? Stay the hell out of their way if you can. I bet they'll appreciate it.
Melanie3 reviews3 followersFollowFollowMay 17, 2012Okay, I haven't actually read this, but I have read the reviews of it on Amazon and they are dam funny.
Francesco D'Anselmi9 reviewsFollowFollowFebruary 13, 2025One day at a time I owe my life to this book. Mr Trimmer provides excellent advice on how avoid boats, namely stay out of their way. Felt like 1980s brainrot. He is no doubt a genius. If I ever get hit by a huge ship I have no excuse. I'm actually quite nervous now.Kes2,385 reviews50 followersFollowFollowOctober 25, 2020The joke reviews really did this book a disservice. This is a book written from the perspective of a captain who has piloted huge ships, and has witnessed small boats cross into his field of vision. It's a book earnestly written to encourage better seamanship, and is filled with anecdotes of his time as a seaman, focusing particularly on sailing in the US and Panama.Comments about the mechanics of sailing and the use of wind and current remain timeless. I wish he had spent a bit more time talking about the Colreg (Collision Regulations) in between all his diagrams; I think that would have shed a bit more light on it.Ultimately though, this is a clearly written and enjoyable book. 5/5 stars
Steve WigginsAuthor 9 books93 followersFollowFollowJanuary 26, 2015This was bought for me as a joke, but I took it quite seriously. I loved it. The advice here works on many levels, for landlubbers as well as sea dogs. See what I mean at: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
Simon67 reviews5 followersFollowFollowMay 27, 2009Indispensable; whether you dwell in the slums of Bombay or in the high rises of New York, this book will be equally useful.
Germanio PuglioAuthor 2 books7 followersFollowFollowAugust 31, 2013I followed his advice and am now soaked and covered in seaweed and my arm is broken. Not only did I not avoid huge ships but the small ones got to me as well. Sorry, this advice does not work, even if he is a ship captain. I can't remember the number for the hospital either and my cell phone is wet.Bryan133 reviews9 followersFollowFollowto-read-3-seems-promisingMarch 4, 2009It's coming right for me!
Alex519 reviews28 followersFollowFollowReadFebruary 21, 2010How to Avoid Huge Ships by John W. Trimmer (1993)
Megan Wilkinson3 reviews1 followerFollowFollowFebruary 3, 2012If ever there was a book for people who have run-ins with huge ships, this is that book.
Tommy Blomqvist7 reviewsFollowFollowReadDecember 26, 2013I live very close to the mediterranean Baltic sea with many large ships and I Think this book has helped me many times.I have not had any problems with huge ships since I read this book.
Dave Harlow3 reviewsFollowFollowFebruary 11, 2015I don't sail, but I thought this book might be useful anyway. It is - since reading, I haven't been hit by a single huge ship.
Nagel Sullivan1 review2 followersFollowFollowFebruary 10, 2016Riveting. 
Sylvia571 reviews45 followersFollowFollowAugust 2, 2016Mostly skimmed. Giggled a lot. I feel much more confident about huge ships now. 
Gabby Raskin-Irwin6 reviewsFollowFollowJanuary 12, 2022I read this book all the way through. The writing style was... interesting. However, after I finished, I ran into a huge ship. I have to say, this book was a huge waste of time, as it did not help me avoid huge ships at all.
Gumby55 reviews1 followerFollowFollowSeptember 21, 2022I feel a camaraderie with the few people on Earth who have actually read this strange and rare book. No ship will come upon me unawares ever again.
Carrot Kevins11 reviews1 followerFollowFollowJanuary 31, 2025haven’t seen a huge boat since reading 👍👍
Paul3 reviews5 followersFollowFollowJanuary 9, 2014Revolutionary! 
Don Helling6 reviewsFollowFollowMarch 29, 2017I haven't had one negative encounter with a huge ship since reading this book! The last chapter of nothing but silhouettes of huge ships and their names is worth the price alone. Captain Trimmer does a fine job here (check out the Amazon reviews for more).Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Want to ReadBuy on AmazonRate this bookHow to Avoid Huge ShipsJohn W. Trimmer
4.36Want to ReadBuy on AmazonRate this bookYou are the owner-captain of a luxury fifty-foot trawler motoring across the bay with your family and a few friends one balmy summer evening. Off in the distance, beyond the bridge spanning the waterway, you can make out the lights and shape of a containership moving down the channel. Have you ever wondered what action you must take to keep clear of that fast-approaching ship? This book will tell you how to do so quickly.Conscientious skippers are wise to read this book and discover if a ship's radar will pick up a small boat at night. It is fascinating to learn what is taking place on the bridge or down in the engine room of one of these leviathans as it heads your way. Can it be stopped before it hits you? Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones by reading this book written for the private boat owner/captain.- GenresNonfiction
112 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1982
Book details & editions6 people are currently reading507 people want to readAbout the author
John W. Trimmer
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4.365 stars47 (67%)4 stars11 (15%)3 stars5 (7%)2 stars4 (5%)1 star3 (4%)Search review textFiltersDisplaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviewskaren4,012 reviews172k followersFollowFollowholy-grail-unicorn-tamerlaneJune 3, 2014this book is 112 pages long. apart from "look up occasionally while sailing," what do you suppose the other 111 1/2 pages offer as advice?is why i need this particular bookDan5 reviews2 followersFollowFollowJuly 16, 2012Thank god I was able to find and read this book. Before, I was being blasted by large ships on an almost daily basis. Now, I only get hit by huge ships about once or twice a month. Still having trouble with small ships. The end of this book left on a cliffhanger...maybe how to avoid moving houses next? *crosses fingers*Dan1 review4 followersFollowFollowAugust 13, 2012I was annoyed that after reading the book, I showed up for a 4 day cruise, and the ship wasn't there.Jan74 reviewsFollowFollowDecember 29, 2014Okay, I admit it, when I first heard about this book, I chuckled at the title. Of course it's obvious how to avoid huge ships... just don't get in their way. But then I started wondering what could actually be in this neat little volume that would have made a second edition necessary. I started checking local libraries for a copy. I didn't find any, because it's fairly obvious we don't have many (or any) huge ships here in Utah. Curiosity got the better of me and I started looking for a copy at local and online used book stores when I thought to check worldcat (thanks for the pointer, google books). The nearest copy was at a little public library in Idaho. (!)Now I simply had to read it. I investigated my local library's inter-library loan program. Sure enough, within a week or two I had the book in my hot little hands. I hungrily started reading it, setting aside the other books I already had in progress.To my surprise, I found myself enthralled! The unexpected insights of Captain Trimmer, combined with his anecdotes and "common sense" instructions were great fun to read. I will definitely take his advice to heart if I ever find myself conning a small boat in heavily trafficked waters. I also found myself thinking of the pilot controlling one of those huge vessels and the difficulties involved. In all, a very good read and I thank the Kitsap Regional Library system for their participation in the inter-library loan program.- at-librarynon-fiction
DoctorM842 reviews2 followersFollowFollowWant to readJanuary 31, 2015Well, yes--- people laugh about this, and a few will buy it as a joke. But I am a sometime academic, and I'm always angry at people who mock highly specialized books because the title seems hilarious. (I'm especially angry at articles--- usually by right-wingers or "social conservatives" ---that mock titles on micro-history or small-scale social history or the history of marginalized groups) I have no problem with deadpan jokes about the title here--- "How To Avoid Huge Ships" ---but let's make a note. In heavily-trafficked sea lanes where huge container ships and Very Large Crude Carriers sweep past small, often wooden, country ships, it's no joke. Small local vessels may not appear on radar or may simply not be seen in darkness or bad weather. A really large tanker needs miles of sea room to turn or stop, and every year in places like the Persian Gulf or the West African coast numbers of small country ships just...go missing, run down by huge ships, often without even leaving debris. So...not quite a joke. Cormac Healy358 reviews5 followersFollowFollowApril 22, 2015This book really is one of the best huge ship avoidance references I've come across, not just for the effective methods it teaches as to avoiding huge ships, but also for exploding some of the huge ship avoidance myths that many of us take for granted.For example:- Do not charge the huge ship at full speed in an attempt to scare it off. This may work with coyotes, but it is less effective with huge ships.- Similarly, do not roll your boat over and play dead. Unless the huge ship is captained by a grizzly bear, this will not work.- Do not attempt to go under the huge ship. This is typically not successful.- Do not attempt to jump over the huge ship.Captain Trimmer presents a rather novel technique for avoiding huge ships - move your boat out of the path of the huge ship. I know what you're thinking, this goes against conventional wisdom, but Trimmer presents significant empirical evidence to support his theory. Indeed, over the long run, moving out of the way will dramatically decrease the number of huge ship collisions you will have to endure in your daily lifeRichard821 reviews14 followersFollowFollowOctober 7, 2013I placed this book on Inter-Library Loan after being unable to resist reading the book so many have posted fake, but humorous reviews for online. So, for once, this is an actual review of the book. At least, it's the best review someone who has never captained a personal boat and certainly has no need to avoid huge ships can provide.This is a surprisingly entertaining book. Captain Trimmer has a very casual, but distinct voice and sprinkles his text liberally with anecdotes about his own service on huge ships. Most of the stories repeat themselves and the book itself more or less just uses different examples on how to do the same thing.Captain Trimmer seems to know this himself and ended the book with one of the more entertaining anecdotes describing how a captain he served under liberally used his ship whistle in a crowded Japanese harbor to teach a lesson. The lesson? "That means get the hell out of the way. I'm coming through."Since the sum of my captaining experience is being in charge of a canoe that was crossing a busy lake and was capsized near shore by an unruly crew member, I can't say this book is for me and my eyes glazed over more often than not on the technical bits. I was surprised about how much of the book I didn't mind reading, however, and even the aspects that are meant for a boat captain were interesting just as trivia or to satisfy my curiosity about ships.So, overall, How to Avoid Huge Ships isn't half bad and isn't much of a time investment (I read it in about 45 minutes with some pages skipped here and there) if you're curious. So, how do you avoid huge ships? Stay the hell out of their way if you can. I bet they'll appreciate it.- nonfiction
Melanie3 reviews3 followersFollowFollowMay 17, 2012Okay, I haven't actually read this, but I have read the reviews of it on Amazon and they are dam funny.Francesco D'Anselmi9 reviewsFollowFollowFebruary 13, 2025One day at a time I owe my life to this book. Mr Trimmer provides excellent advice on how avoid boats, namely stay out of their way. Felt like 1980s brainrot. He is no doubt a genius. If I ever get hit by a huge ship I have no excuse. I'm actually quite nervous now.Kes2,385 reviews50 followersFollowFollowOctober 25, 2020The joke reviews really did this book a disservice. This is a book written from the perspective of a captain who has piloted huge ships, and has witnessed small boats cross into his field of vision. It's a book earnestly written to encourage better seamanship, and is filled with anecdotes of his time as a seaman, focusing particularly on sailing in the US and Panama.Comments about the mechanics of sailing and the use of wind and current remain timeless. I wish he had spent a bit more time talking about the Colreg (Collision Regulations) in between all his diagrams; I think that would have shed a bit more light on it.Ultimately though, this is a clearly written and enjoyable book. 5/5 stars- non-fictionread-2020
Steve WigginsAuthor 9 books93 followersFollowFollowJanuary 26, 2015This was bought for me as a joke, but I took it quite seriously. I loved it. The advice here works on many levels, for landlubbers as well as sea dogs. See what I mean at: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.Simon67 reviews5 followersFollowFollowMay 27, 2009Indispensable; whether you dwell in the slums of Bombay or in the high rises of New York, this book will be equally useful.Germanio PuglioAuthor 2 books7 followersFollowFollowAugust 31, 2013I followed his advice and am now soaked and covered in seaweed and my arm is broken. Not only did I not avoid huge ships but the small ones got to me as well. Sorry, this advice does not work, even if he is a ship captain. I can't remember the number for the hospital either and my cell phone is wet.Bryan133 reviews9 followersFollowFollowto-read-3-seems-promisingMarch 4, 2009It's coming right for me!- humornon-fictionreference
Alex519 reviews28 followersFollowFollowReadFebruary 21, 2010How to Avoid Huge Ships by John W. Trimmer (1993)Megan Wilkinson3 reviews1 followerFollowFollowFebruary 3, 2012If ever there was a book for people who have run-ins with huge ships, this is that book.- favorites
Tommy Blomqvist7 reviewsFollowFollowReadDecember 26, 2013I live very close to the mediterranean Baltic sea with many large ships and I Think this book has helped me many times.I have not had any problems with huge ships since I read this book.Dave Harlow3 reviewsFollowFollowFebruary 11, 2015I don't sail, but I thought this book might be useful anyway. It is - since reading, I haven't been hit by a single huge ship.Nagel Sullivan1 review2 followersFollowFollowFebruary 10, 2016Riveting. Sylvia571 reviews45 followersFollowFollowAugust 2, 2016Mostly skimmed. Giggled a lot. I feel much more confident about huge ships now. - 2016
Gabby Raskin-Irwin6 reviewsFollowFollowJanuary 12, 2022I read this book all the way through. The writing style was... interesting. However, after I finished, I ran into a huge ship. I have to say, this book was a huge waste of time, as it did not help me avoid huge ships at all.Gumby55 reviews1 followerFollowFollowSeptember 21, 2022I feel a camaraderie with the few people on Earth who have actually read this strange and rare book. No ship will come upon me unawares ever again.- nonfiction
Carrot Kevins11 reviews1 followerFollowFollowJanuary 31, 2025haven’t seen a huge boat since reading 👍👍Paul3 reviews5 followersFollowFollowJanuary 9, 2014Revolutionary! Don Helling6 reviewsFollowFollowMarch 29, 2017I haven't had one negative encounter with a huge ship since reading this book! The last chapter of nothing but silhouettes of huge ships and their names is worth the price alone. Captain Trimmer does a fine job here (check out the Amazon reviews for more).Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviewsJoin the discussion
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How To Avoid Huge Ships: Trimmer, John W.
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How To Avoid Huge Ships 2nd Edition 1993 By John W. Trimmer