A Mariner's Miscellany

Well-known as the editor of the best-selling annual Mariner's Book of Days, Peter Spectre assembles some of his favourite 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