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Not long ago, I took New Years resolutions quite seriously. I found these lists helped give my life some direction, and Im probably living a healthier, saner life because of them. Lately, though, Ive sunk into a rut, and am having a hard time sticking to my resolutions. I suspect that age has gradually lowered my expectations for what I can accomplish in my allotted span. But I also think that maybe I am enjoying NOT keeping to my promises. It is as if this annual act of defiance is reasserting a youthful recklessness. That is the nice thing about getting older, nobodys going tell you how to live your life, not even yourself. (Although its harder to feign deafness when its your conscience speaking.) It seems, however, that Im the only one who has been liberated from the tyranny of lists. Everywhere I turn, someone else is promoting their "bucket list," enumerating the places to visit or things to do before they die. I see no need to offer another wish list for the coming year, but I do think theres room for a "wishful-thinking" list.

During our 11 years of cruising and living aboard, my wife Theresa and I had a few close calls, but none involving the usual things many people worry about-no pirates, no survival storms, and no amorous whales. The most serious incidents involved something we too often take for granted: our health. The final installment of Practical Sailors four-part series on medical kits in this months issue (page 19) brought to mind one particularly scary incident. We were tucked behind a cape on the northeast corner of Flores Island in Indonesia. After two weeks of nearly windless sailing, we looked forward to a cool dip and the chance to plant our feet on the deserted coral beach beckoning 50 yards away. I grabbed my mask, jumped in to check the anchor, then swam toward shore. Theresa dove in a few seconds later. In my haste, I had not put on my water shoes, so I picked my way through the rocks on the way to shore. A few feet from the beach, I felt a sharp prick between my toes. Below the surface, I saw the demon, pectoral fins flared, teeth bared, venomous spines raised on its back. Instinctively acting in its own defense, the scorpion fish had found its mark.

For countless centuries, the sea has been inspiration and teacher for those who feel its pull—sailors and fishermen, poets and artists. The following collection offers something that will appeal to every sea lover—especially those who have run out of holiday gift ideas. "Sailors’ Wisdom, Day by Day." The photographs in this glossy, hardbound book are selected from Philip Plisson’s 25 years of marine photography, and capture the ocean in its many moods and roles. Inspirational quotes and snippets of hard-learned mariner’s wisdom are culled from sources as diverse as Virgil, Hemingway, and Scottish sea chanteys. A picture and daily wisdom are offered for each of the 365 days in a year. The pages list only the date, not the day of the week or the year, allowing this classic to be used year after year for coffee table decor or bedside inspiration. (Published by Abrams Books Inc., available at www.amazon.com, $21.)

While you wont find any pulp fiction on Practical Sailors reading list this summer, some of our favorites are light enough for evening cockpit reading. Weve included a book of sailing quotes and a classic cruising log in our mixed bag of boating stories, as well as a highly technical account of fiberglass techniques. And, although we don't offer up any Stephen King, you may enjoy first-hand accounts of true-life boating horror stories, straight from the logs of BoatU.S.s accident reports. Unless otherwise noted, the books reviewed here are all available at online retailers like www.amazon.com.

Every time we revisit our bottom paint test I have nightmares. One recurring theme is that my boat needs a haulout soon, but the only boatyard around is a plush affair with a swimming pool, sauna, and waterfront restaurant. I need to pay an annual membership fee to be able to use the yard, and even for members, the haulout rates are astronomical. The yards exorbitant labor rates for various jobs are boldly posted on the office wall, along with a policy that forbids any do-it-yourself repair work. I must buy my paint from the boatyard at 50 percent more than I would pay at the local chandlery.

Epic journeys, colorful captains, and a tyrannical nemesis splash through the pages of three nautical novels, perfect fodder for the winter months ahead. “Cochrane, The Real Master and Commander,” by maritime historian David Cordingly, is a compelling biography of Thomas Cochrane, the real life naval officer and muse for Patrick O’Brian’s Jack Aubrey and “Master and Commander.”John Baldwin and Ron Powers in “Last Flag Down” bring to life the sailors of the CSS Shenandoah, the confederate ship that wreaked havoc on Yankee merchant shipping after the confederate surrender. Baldwin, a direct descendent of the ship’s executive officer, brings a new perspective to a well-documented story. “Under Enemy Colors,” another sea tale set during the 1793 British war with France, relates the exploits, trials and tribulations of First Lt. Charles Hayden on the British frigate the HMS Themis. For those lucky enough to be reading these books in the tropics, the adventures remain the same, the pages are just a little warmer.

Practical Sailor readers, its fair to say, appreciate good gear. If you can't afford the best bilge pump, at least you want one of decent quality, one you can trust. How satisfying it is to turn the drum of a stainless-steel Andersen winch and listen to the pawl clicking in the teeth of the gear, or spin the sheave on a Harken snatch block and hear the clattering of ball bearings, or to heft a Bruce anchor and [IMGCAP(1)]marvel at its brute strength. Imagine then an enormous arena full of every imaginable piece of equipment, component, and boat accessory from around the world. This is what youll find every year in Amsterdam, Netherlands, at an event called the Marine Equipment Trade Show. Held in the Amsterdam RAI convention center, the METS covers roughly 500,000 square feet of floor space. (In comparison, a football field measures just 48,000 square feet.)

Practical Sailor contributors come from all walks of life. Some are cruisers. Some have circumnavigated. Some are renowned racers, and others still are boatyard owners or electronics gurus. Some write for us regularly. Others check in every 10,000 miles or so. But they all have one thing common: They know what theyre talking about. Each one, in his or her own right, is a trusted authority among the sailing crowd. You can tap into this PS fountain of knowledge with each issue of Practical Sailor and by picking up one of the reviewed books written by our capable contributors: Beth Leonards Blue Horizons, Dispatches From Distant Seas and The Voyagers Handbook, Ed Shermans Advanced Marine Electrics and Electronics Traoubleshooting, Andy OGradys Ocean Passages and Landfalls, and John Rousmanieres In a Class By Herself and A Berth to Bermuda.

There eventually comes a time when Practical Sailors editor suddenly realizes he has picked the wrong person to lead a test. Such was the case with our test of galley ranges. The chief tester for that evaluation was Theresa Nicholson. She is my wife, although I often think this is only because I proposed off the coast of Colombia, when she could either say "yes," or endure a very uncomfortable silence for the next 700 miles to the Galapagos.

Last summer, Practical Sailor rounded up 13 life jackets for an infant or toddler under 50 pounds. We put them through a series of tests with children ages 1 to 4 who weighed 20 to 35 pounds (Childs Play, October 2006, https://www.practical-sailor.com/uncategorized/infant-toddler-pfds ). We found four Type II personal flotation device (PFD) we liked, but none of them met our expectations. Practical Sailor testers decided to give our ideas to artist and industrial designer Sasha Cole. After several drafts, Sasha came up with an improved version of a life jacket for infants and toddlers weighing 20-30 pounds.