Product Description

Perfect shipboard reference, packed with useful "hands-on" information, covers sailor’s tools, basic knots and useful hitches, handsewing and canvas work and dozens of other topics important to safe, economic and efficient boat maintenance. Over 100 illustrations enhance delightful narrative.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #78813 in Books
• Published on: 1990-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780486264400
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

A Great Introduction
This book is a great introduction to all the arts and projects of seamen around the world. The author provides history as well as directions for each of the projects he presents.

Topics included in this book are knotting and rope-work (everything from functional to decorative); seamsmanship (for garments as well as heavier items like sails); leather working; and many others.

This book is a must for anyone bound on a sailing journey or for those just interested in the crafts practiced to fill time aboard ship.

The Arts of the Sailor: Knotting, Splicing and Ropework
Good informative book in the areas of knotting and ropework but lacks information on splicing weaves. Only shows how to splice twists. Halyards on my boat are weaves as are on most sailboats and therefore I'll have to obtain this information elsewhere.

An excellent resource for new and old traditional sailors.
This is another excellent piece by the late Hervey Garrett Smith. It's sort of a companion to "The Marlinspike Sailor" (ibid), though it is somewhat more expansive on many fundamental topics like knots, bends, whippings and seizings. There is a good bit of overlap between the two books, although this one is both more comprehensive and a smaller physical book (for your small onboard library...) "The Marlinspike Sailor" is more project oriented - and has excellent plans and diagrams for practical onboard ropework and sewing projects - while this book is focussed on the elements that go into such projects (without the actual examples). It's very traditional - as with all of Smith's period writing - with little or no reference to modern materials, but it's a posthumous reprint, so don't expect much updating... but the style is both informative and interesting without being dry or obtuse. "The Marlinspike Sailor" might actually be a better starting point for a true beginner (and it does contain a short update to 'modern' braided rope in the back), but I have them both and don't regret it.