A Mariner's Miscellany

By Peter H. Spectre

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Well-known as the editor of the best-selling annual Mariner's Book of Days, Peter Spectre assembles some of his favorite classic nautical material into an amalgam of practical information about boats, anchors, rope, and ballast, cheek by jowl with poetry, legend, lore, superstitions, language of the sea, art, thoughts about literature, and more. Spectre's unique reverence for boats and literature of the sea, and his many years as an editor of WoodenBoat Magazine, make this book a rich collection of maritime knowledge, and an intriguing reference work of sailor's lore.

Spectre is more than the editor of this book; he writes with deep knowledge about the topics covered, and presents among other topics many worthwhile facts about clipper ships, rowing boats, seasick remedies, superstitions, navigational lore, and much more. Chapter heads include: “Buy a Boat and You Buy the Sea”; “Many times, Beauty is the Difference”; “The Search for Comfort Afloat”; “Nautical Books, Memorable Opening Lines”; “Signaling the Old Fashioned Way”"; and much more.

The book is intended to pay homage to the writers and editors that have inspired Spectre over the years, in the hope that its contents will carry new sailors and readers to what Wm. McFee calls “harbors of memory,” and C.G.Davis calls “the ways of the sea.”

“This book is a compendium covering a whole host of maritime information. I won't attempt to list its colossal range, from the fascinating origins of nautical expressions to a list of former Atlantic Blue Ribbon holders; there is even advice on buying a second-hand yacht, besides the history of rum in the Royal Navy.…”

“To read this book is akin to opening a box of treasures. There is at once an instant recall, memories rekindled, expressions and words long forgotten, poems, ditties, flag signals, nautical advice, even the smells of long forgotten meals. They are all there and so much more. A tantilising book which attracts from page 1 to page 289. Illustrated with attractice black and white drawings. Highly recommnded.” —Sea Breezes Magazine

• See what else the press has to say: Reviews

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About the Author:
Peter H. Spectre, a renowned writer with a lifelong appreciation of the sea and its traditions, is the former editor of WoodenBoat, and the current editor of Maine Boats & Harbors. He is the author of A Passage in Time, A Goodly Ship, Different Waterfronts, and Mariner's Book of Days, which every year delights his many readers.

See our Boating General section.

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