A Comprehensive Reference Book of Modern Sailing Terms
by Joachim Schult, translated by Barbara Webb
Adlard Coles Ltd., 1981
Comments: Sailors use special language that is unfamiliar to most people for many reasons, but safety is one key purpose. Concern for the welfare of life and craft underlies almost every action in the nautical realm. It's essential that crew communications be absolutely unambiguous, and that degree of clarity requires many specialized terms. For instance, there can be many lines on a sailboat, but only one is the jib sheet. In an emergency quickly conveying to a crewman which line to adjust could be the difference between crisis avoidance or catastrophe. That analogy extends to numerous activities on any sailboat.
Developing an understanding of basic sailing terms is fairly easy, but beyond that the extent of special language can be daunting. Fortunately, there are numerous glossaries and dictionaries available to define even the most obscure terms. I've used many of these over the years, but this is my go-to favorite. Somewhat surprisingly, it's actually an English translation from an original German source, produced by a notable specialty publisher of nautical books. The definitions are well written but brief, containing no more than the most essential information, and the volume is profusely illustrated with helpful diagrams. The physical size of the book and its open typesetting also make it easy to use -- something not to be taken for granted with dictionaries. If your interests include the technical side of sailing and seamanship, this is a good companion reference to have within reach.
Copy Notes: Notes: Hardback, first English edition, illustrated
by Joachim Schult, translated by Barbara Webb
Adlard Coles Ltd., 1981
Comments: Sailors use special language that is unfamiliar to most people for many reasons, but safety is one key purpose. Concern for the welfare of life and craft underlies almost every action in the nautical realm. It's essential that crew communications be absolutely unambiguous, and that degree of clarity requires many specialized terms. For instance, there can be many lines on a sailboat, but only one is the jib sheet. In an emergency quickly conveying to a crewman which line to adjust could be the difference between crisis avoidance or catastrophe. That analogy extends to numerous activities on any sailboat.
Developing an understanding of basic sailing terms is fairly easy, but beyond that the extent of special language can be daunting. Fortunately, there are numerous glossaries and dictionaries available to define even the most obscure terms. I've used many of these over the years, but this is my go-to favorite. Somewhat surprisingly, it's actually an English translation from an original German source, produced by a notable specialty publisher of nautical books. The definitions are well written but brief, containing no more than the most essential information, and the volume is profusely illustrated with helpful diagrams. The physical size of the book and its open typesetting also make it easy to use -- something not to be taken for granted with dictionaries. If your interests include the technical side of sailing and seamanship, this is a good companion reference to have within reach.
Copy Notes: Notes: Hardback, first English edition, illustrated
