Mudlark's Ghosts

By Ian Scott

MUDLARK, build in 1953, is a modified version of the iconic Meadow Lark, a shallow-draft leeboard sharpie ketch designed by L. Francis Herreshoff. But she is about to sink. Ian Scott decides to save her, and to do the work himself.

This is the story of why and how he devoted many years to the restoration of MUDLARK, and of what he learned in the process about wooden boats, the timbers they are made of, the designers and craftsmen who make and repair them, the tools they use and, not least, about himself. It is also the story of his imaginary conversation with MUDLARK’S ghosts: the designer, the naval architect who modified the sail plan, the commissioning owner and the builder. All are long dead, but their work lives on in MUDLARK. 

“Ian Scott’s Mudlark’s Ghosts is literate, intelligent, and informative— an inspiration.” 

—Peter H Spectre

“Into this world of mass production comes a one-off book by a one-off author about a one-off boat…required reading for anyone contemplating doing up an old wooden boat.”

—Pete Greenfield, WaterCraft     

See what else the press has to say: Reviews

• Required reading for anyone contemplating restoring an old wooden boat
• Thoughtful discussion of approaches gleaned from both sides of the Atlantic

About the Author:

Ian Scott retired as a Director of the World Bank in 1996 and now divides his time between academia, consulting and messing about in wooden boats. He lives in the UK and the US.