The Sailing Dictionary

The Sailing Dictionary

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

Atlantic High

Atlantic High
A Celebration
by William F. Buckley, Jr.
Doubleday, 1982

Comments:  Many years ago when I was learning to sail I developed a keen interest in non-fiction sailing stories. One of the writers I discovered came as somewhat of a surprise, since his reputation was well established in a very different field, but it turned out that William F. Buckley, Jr. was actually an accomplished sailer who had written several books on the subject. Though I had little interest in his politics, I found Buckley's writing about sailing to be quite engaging.

This book is primarily an account of a transatlantic crossing Buckley made in 1980 with a group of close friends aboard a 71-foot boat named Sealestial. Typical of his other sailing books, the story covers a great deal of nautical minutia about cruising that is quite enjoyable for enthusiasts, as well as character studies of the various crew and their behaviors over the extended period at sea. There is little in the way of survival drama, with the expedition unfolding with workmanlike efficiency in generally agreeable weather, but there are the usual touches of Buckley's subtle humor on topics such as the importance of air conditioning and ice machines. On the whole this is a very enjoyable read for anyone with an interest in cruising, but be forewarned, with Buckley you will definitely need a dictionary handy.

Copy Notes:  I first read Atlantic High over 25 years ago as a paperback, but thoroughly enjoyed reading it again recently when I found this first edition hardback. The book includes numerous photographs that greatly enhance the story.

The Wind Off The Island

The Wind Off The Island
By Ernle Bradford
Grafton Books, 1988

Comments:  Ernle Bradford is one of my favorite authors. He was a prolific writer, largely known for his studies in history, but a few of his books are more personal, dealing with his own experiences of sailing on the Mediterranean. This book is an account of a year he and his wife spent cruising near Sicily on a small Dutch cutter named Mother Goose.

The cruise took place in the 1950s, when life for most of the local island inhabitants was still very rustic, consisting of the traditional livelihoods they'd held for generations. Although there are certainly enough passages about sailing to please most nautical enthusiasts, the book is really more of a travel memoir, offering a quaint snapshot of a beautiful island country and its authentic people. And about Bradford's own quest to find a simpler and more independent life closer to the sea.

Copy Notes:  Paperback, later edition reprint of 1960 original

Sea Change

Sea Change
Alone Across the Atlantic in a Wooden Boat
by Peter Nicols
Viking, 1997

Comments:  The framework for this book is a true account of writer Peter Nichol's ill-fated crossing of the Atlantic on a small sailboat named Toad. However, the deeper story involves his reflections on the boat's connection to his marriage, and the factors that led to the demise of both. It's essentially an unhappy tale about dealing with loss told through the lens of a nautical experience. The book is certainly well written and many of the sailing passages are beautifully recounted, but the overall tone of the book is somber and sorrowful. It's not exactly an inspirational adventure, but one the author does ultimately survive and grow from.

Nicols is also the author of another sailing book that I enjoyed enormously, A Voyage for Madmen, an account of the first solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world by sailboat in 1969.

Copy Notes:  Hardback, first edition

Dorade

Dorade
The History of an Ocean Racing Yacht
by Douglas D. Adkins
David R. Godine, 2012

Comments:  When I first saw this book I was immediately drawn to its beautiful photography of historic sailboats. I didn't buy it at at first, mainly due to the price, but after encountering it a second time I gave in. Although I bought it primarily for the photography, I was quickly engaged by the story. As the name suggests, it's basically a history of the sailboat Dorade, a well-known and highly regarded racing yawl that was dominant in ocean racing during the 20th century.

For anyone interested in sailing, this is a fascinating history. Dorade is a 52-foot, Bermuda rigged yawl built at a City Island, New York boatyard in 1930, just after the Great Stock Market Crash of 1929. She had a revolutionary high-performance design and quickly became recognized internationally after achieving much competitive success. Early on she sailed in the top races on the East Coast of the U.S., transatlantic races, and prominent European races, consistently either winning or placing very favorably. In the 1930s she was sold to a new owner on the West Coast and began to race in the Pacific, again competing at the highest level and further securing her winning reputation. Subsequently, she went through a series of owners that took her to the Pacific Northwest for a few decades, then Italy for several years, and ultimately back to the U.S. in 2006, where she remains today.

The sport of sailboat racing has nowhere near the popular following today that it did early in the last century, so it's hard to imagine how famous Dorade was in her prime, but she was as well-known then as any superstar athlete of today. Beyond all her racing success and distinction, she's also a very sleek and beautiful boat to look at. Consequently, there's a remarkable amount of great photography of Dorade from throughout her career, and those images add much to her history. This is both a beautiful book to study and a wonderful story to read. Dorade has had a long and extraordinary life. Anyone who loves the feel of spray on their face would enjoy this book.

Dorade's Website

Copy Notes:  Hardback, first edition, photography and illustrations

A Voyage For Madmen

A Voyage For Madmen
by Peter Nichols
HarperCollins, 2001

Comments:  I'll go ahead and reveal it up front: this is one of the best sailing books I've ever read. It chronicles the story of nine men engaged in the first race to circumnavigate the world in a sailboat, non-stop and alone, by the treacherous southern route. The Golden Globe race in 1968 was an attempt to resolve one of the last unaccomplished feats of transoceanic navigation. It would take the better part of a year to complete, with competitors departing separately over a period of several months, and prizes being awarded for both the first to finish and the fastest overall time.

As one might imagine for such an risky undertaking, the cast of characters included a variety of bold personalities. Each contestant was driven by his own complex set of personal motivations and over the course of the race was racked by the full range of emotional experience as the endeavor became more harrowing than they ever imagined. The author, an accomplished transoceanic sailor himself, adeptly frames the known facts with pertinent background information about oceanic weather, sailboat design, and sailing practices, as well as first-hand accounts from logbooks of the contestants themselves. He is credibly able to get inside the minds of these men and relate their thinking and experiences. The details surrounding the preparation of the diverse variety of boats involved, and why their captains were convinced of their seaworthiness, is a particularly revealing aspect of the story. In many cases the fortunes of these men were set before they ever departed, determined by critical decisions made about their craft in the planning stages.

The final outcome of the race was extraordinary and unexpected, with only one competitor actually completing the race, and others driven to some degree of personal enlightenment or tragic madness by the attempt. This is one of those survival stories where truth is far more compelling than fiction. If you've every had any interest at all in sailing or the sea, then this is a must read book.

Copy Notes:  Hardback, first edition, map illustrations, black and white photographic plates

America's Victory

America's Victory
The Heroic Story of a Team of Ordinary Americans--and How They Won the Greatest Yacht Race Ever
by David W. Shaw
The Free Press, 2002

Comments:  This is the story of the very first sailing race for the America's Cup -- though it wasn't known by that name at the outset. In 1851, when the U.S. was in early ascendency to the world stage, a group of American industrialists commissioned the design and construction of a new sailboat with the specific intent to beat the British in a sailing challenge. These men believed that America's reputation would be enhanced by demonstrating supremacy in the maritime realm that had been dominated by the British for so long. The boat built for the task was named America, and this is the story of her design, her transatlantic crossing to Britain for the challenge, and the series of races where she distinguished herself by wining against all competitors.

While ostensibly an historical account, the writer uses creative license to present the story in somewhat of an imagined form, describing numerous surmised details and providing the characters with plausible dialog, all within the context of known events and facts. The technical details regarding how the boat was operated during the principal race are particularly evocative. Although there was clearly an extensive amount of research performed and the story is largely based on accurate knowledge, the author's imaginings do add to the enjoyment of the tale. This is a very enjoyable book for anyone with a passion for sailing.

Copy Notes:  Hardcover, first edition, photographs and illustrations

Looking For A Ship

Looking For A Ship
by John McPhee
Macfarlane Walter & Ross, 1990

Comments:  Lately I've been reading more about sailing and seamanship, so I was intrigued when I found this book by John McPhee about the American merchant marine. I've enjoyed some of his other work and knew it would be well done. McPhee is an accomplished writer and storyteller with a journalistic sensibility, somewhat in the same tradition as Tom Wolfe, but more committed to crafting a story that conveys an experience, rather than presenting an opinion.

In this book he takes a voyage to South America aboard an American Merchant Marine vessel, a container ship named the Stella Lykes that visits numerous ports to deliver and/or take-on cargo. The story is largely about the mechanics of a commercial ship, the characters that run it, and the experiences of sailing to foreign ports in sometimes dangerous waters. Beyond that he's also telling a story about the American Merchant Marine system -- its history, how it works, and why it's in decline. He provides a snapshot of how an institution that once helped make America great has become a shadow of its former self as we've ceded the bulk of the world's shipping to foreign agents. It's a sort of paean to an American tradition that will likely soon be lost.

Copy Notes:  Hardback, first edition

Ulysses Found

Ulysses Found
by Ernle Bradford
Hodder & Stoughton, 1964

Comments:  This book is the perfect combination of history, geography, mythology, and sailing. Bradford is a distinguished historian who spent three decades as a military and merchant seaman on the Mediterranean. He brings a deep familiarity with those waters and the region to an investigative analysis of the route taken by Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey. In much the same way that modern entertainment media use the concept of "based on a true story" to expand well beyond actual events, Bradford asserts that in Homer's time the same would have occurred with the popular media of that era -- the epic poem.

Looking beyond all the improbable details of giants, sirens, and goddesses, Bradford finds bits of truth in the poem and proposes a story that actually could have occurred. He uses the richly detailed navigational and cultural clues found in the Odyssey to develop and support a very plausible version of the adventure. By bringing context and reality to the story, he delivers a new tale just as engaging as the original, reinforcing its rightful place as one of the greatest adventure stories of all time.

I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to reading it again in time.

Copy Notes:  Harback, first edition, photos, indexed