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Title: Seamanship in the Age of Sail: An Account of the Shiphandling of the Sailing Man-Of-War 1600-1860, Based on Contemporary Sources by John Harland, Mark Myers ISBN: 0-87021-955-3 Publisher: United States Naval Inst. Pub. Date: September, 1984 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $67.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.75 (8 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Great for armchair sailors
Comment: If you want to know how old-time sailors did things, this book can tell you in impressive detail. For a sailor on a tall ship from the last century and a half, however, most of this book is irrelevant, and could better be replaced by Eagle Seamanship (at a fraction of the cost).
Rating: 5
Summary: A Valuable Reference for 'Tall Ship' captains and crew!
Comment: 'SEAMANSHIP IN THE AGE OF SAIL: An Account of the Shiphandling of the Sailing Man-Of-War 1600-1860, Based on Contemporary Sources'(c.1984) by John Harland, is probably one of the most informative and valuable collections of useful knowledge on sailship handling in the late 20th century!
A major value of this work is its ability to answer the questions developed during today's contemporary square rig sailing. It fully explained why sailboats are pulled by the wind and not pushed (Bernouilli's Principle); the advantages and disadvantages of square rig sailing over fore & aft sailing (downwinds & length of luff); why large square rig ships don't need a center board (a shifting of CLR, CG, & G); or why all sails were never set on a square rig when simply cruising (courses don't draw in a well).
The book is punctuated with pen & ink drawings as well as period photographs and deguerrotypes of ships in the act of a sail evolution or other shipboard activity. And in a time period where photography was not yet invented, the author used contemporary paintings of vessels to demonstrate an aspect of ship handling. Going further back into history, the author delved into the archeological record to demonstrate the origin or existance of a ship component pertinent to his ship handling argument.
SEAMANSHIP IN THE AGE OF SAIL further provided continuity answers as to why sails are shaped the way they are; or why the steeve of the bowsprit was lessened over time. The book gave valuable points on how to rig a ship while underway; how to rig the stun'sls; how to rig the braces, lifts, tacks, sheets, clews, and bunts; how to raise and lower heavy sails; how to bend sails to the spars; how to box haul or club haul the ship; and why the main topsail halyard is a heart attack waiting to happen.
Just as the serious and ambitious mate or deckhand in the 1700s was caught with a copy of Bowditch ('Practical Navigator') in his seachest; in the 2000s you can watch a mate or an ambitious O.S. walk up the brow to his sailship with a copy of SEAMANSHIP IN THE AGE OF SAIL tucked under his arm. Despite its large size and bulk, this book is well worth taking along into the cramped crews quarters for an informed reading at night.
SEAMANSHIP IN THE AGE OF SAIL is a wonderful archive of esoteric sailship handling maneuvers, equipment, gear, and nautical science. The author has done a wonderful job in his research and has provided a great resource to all sailing ship captains and mates.
Rating: 5
Summary: Like the man said...
Comment: If you came here deliberately looking for this type of book, look no further. This is THE one you want. Now I know how to fish an anchor! I just wish the publisher had put the book into a size that more easily fits a backpack or a tote instead of making it coffee-table size.
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