Ker-Splash 2: The High Performance Powerboat Book has just arrived today at Barnes & Noble online. B&N is currently the only retailer offering this new 400-page reference guide at a discount price, $17.95 with free shipping over $25.
The title of this book can be perceived in several different ways. Yes, the Sonic 38 Cat on the cover costs more than my house and the cover does imply that this is a book about high performance offshore speedboats. The book actually covers this type of boat and many others, too, however there is a heavy page count favoring these speed-demon monsters in the last two chapters. You could also think of Ker-Splash 2 as a high performance book, since it is very detailed and complete, intended as both an entertaining read and a long-term reference. The third meaning is that there is a lot of emphasis on the drive trains of the boats. Recreational powerboats are defined and priced according to their engines and drive systems. Although there is some overlap and few absolute rules, boats are generally categorized by the particular combinations of their hulls, engines, and drives, and Ker-Splash 2 covers these interrelationships in detail.
Ker-Splash 2 will be available in Kindle and other e-book formats by the end of April, but I think the appeal of this reference work will probably always be stronger as a print version. That has certainly been the case with its predecessor, Ker-SPLASH! Recreational Power Boaters Guide. If you are in the market for a new or used boat, or you just like to read fun facts and entertaining stories about boats, grab a copy before B&N changes its mind and raises the price to the $19.95 retail like everyone else!
