A•B•Sea
A Loose-footed LexiconBy Jack Lagan
352 pp. 30 line drawings. 2003. Paperback. $19.95ISBN 1 57409 159 X
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A•B•Sea is an entertaining, comprehensive guide to the language and lore of 21st century seafarers. Packed with practical advice, this is a dictionary with a difference: many words are illustrated by passages from classics books of the sea, others by the author's experiences aboard an American schooner with a European engine and two boxes of tools.
Sample entries from this colorful and informative dictionary include:
Bermuda Triangle: ...Given a choice between alien creatures and bad weather combined with inept seamanship and navigation, you should vote for the latter every time. The US Coast Guard certainly does...
carry away, to: when any part of the standing rigging or a spar breaks it is said to have 'carried away.' What you say is probably unprintable.
headroom: the distance between the cabin sole and the deckhead; usually measured on an unfamiliar boat by the number of times you bang your head.
orca: the 'killer whale', the one with the bold black-and-white paint job, that snacks on seals and is really a big dolphin with attitude and not a whale at all.
seasickness (mal de mer): a form of motion sickness usually brought on by a feeling of well-being and euphoria. Reputedly comes in two stages: during the first you fear you might die; during the second, you fear you might not.
“a delightful nautical dictionary…a compendium of interesting and useful nautical information and trivia…” —Good Old Boat
“a fascinating collection of terms and expressions related to the sea and seafaring… Excellent!” —Classic Boat
“[a] witty and slightly twisted compendium.” —Sailing
”far more than an alphabetical list of words with definitions…a cocktail of facts.” —The Nautical Magazine
“a very entertaining guide…packed with practical advice&rdwuo; —Latitudes & Attitudes
“…an authoritative reference and a definitive resource…” —Midwest Book Review
“an enjoyably eclectic mix of clear factual definitions of today's everyday boating terms with more arcane expressions and curious digressions by the author…. Highly recommended.” —Watercraft
“[An] entertaining dictionary of the language and legends of seafarers of the 21st century.” —Research and Reference Book News
- See what else the press has to say: Reviews
About the Author:
Jack Lagan is a writer who has been sailing since the 1960s. As a navigator, he believes that those who travel on the sea should have one GPS set stowed in the chart table and 500 years of nautical history stowed in their hearts. He lives in the UK.