You cannot buy a reliable boat. Rather you create a reliable boat based on your knowledge and skill. This book shows you how to apply methods based on sound principles gleaned from a lifetime of boating, boat repair and 25+ years of designing ship systems for the U.S. Navy. You can make your boat as reliable as a Navy Destroyer if you have the knowledge, resources and the skill. There is no end to this journey. According to the author, " A reliable boat is as much a mindset as it is analysis, planning and configuration". In it you'll learn: * Why you should make your boat as reliable as possible * Examples of disasters that could have been avoided and how to avoid them yourself * What are the correct Captain's objectives * A "Systems Approach" to a reliable boat. Make a real trade off study of your boat * What happens in an emergency and why you need a plan * One striking fact that NIST found during a study of the 9/11 Twin Towers disaster that reveals how your brain works in unfamiliar, emergency situations * How to prevent an emergency; Fire, Flood, loss of capability, MOB * Is a first mate really necessary? * How to make emergency repairs * Why and which systems should you monitor on your boat? * What to do if you lose an engine or a prop * What to do if you run aground * Why two $75 bilge pumps are better than one $150 bilge pump. And much more.