The Rudder Treasury: A Companion for Lovers of Small Craft [Paperback]

Tom Davin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2003

Encompassing some of the best articles to ever appear in the legendary Rudder magazine, the premier nautical publication from the first half of the twentieth century, this volume contains a treasure trove of influential writings on a varied and exhaustive array of subjects. This anthology is an invaluable resource, representing a wealth of wisdom unavailable for the past fifty years. Featuring contributions from some of the most famous and diverse figures in the history of yachting and sailing, from Thomas Fleming Day and C. Andrade, Jr., to John Alden and L. Francis Herreshoff, The Rudder Treasury is a timeless record of decades' worth of accumulated experience.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a treasure of good writing, good humor and good advice..." -- Points East, August 2003

"...as genuine and invigorating as a lung full of fresh, salt air." -- Sailing, February 2004

"...quite simply the most engaging fall-cruising reading any skipper could stow in his ship's library." --Cruising World, August 2003

From its launch in 1891 to the middle of the twentieth century, The Rudder was the greatest American yachting and boating magazine , says Peter H. Spectre in his Foreword; high praise from an editor who, to me, personifies the best of current American boating magazines. What made The Rudder so special?...It was edited for years by Thomas Fleming Day...He treated his readers as intelligent human beings...recognized yacht design as an evolution, with a connected past, present and future...of the school that the doing was more important than the having. All of these trace elements and more are present in the selected material which Tom Davin has divided into Winter Reading, mainly cruising yarns; Dream Ships, boats described by the leading designers of their day; the Care and Feeding of Yachtsmen, including recipes for Lobsters and Gin, Whelk Stew-Soup and Conch Salad; and The Hurrah's Nest, a bilgeful of dogmatic advice, arbitrary opinions, and clever devices and methods.

My only real reservation about recommending this anthology without reservation is that I fear it will spoil you for modern boating magazines, including mine. --WaterCraft, September/October 2004

About the Author

Tom Davin, Editor, is a writer and sailing enthusiast.

Product Details

• Paperback: 349 pages
• Publisher: Sheridan House (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574091603
• ISBN-13: 978-1574091601
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Notes from the Old School, or rather, the Experienced School, December 31, 2004

By 

Sailing Triathlete (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Rudder Treasury: A Companion for Lovers of Small Craft (Paperback)

Each chapter of this book is an old article from the good years of Rudder Magazine (1893 - ~1950). I now see why the magaize has such an excellent reputation. The book is full of very interesting, practical and relevant information from real experts about both sailing a power boating. Also the authors are often very opinionated, and I find that extremely entertaining and useful. Today's magazines are largely of forum for advertisers, and the editors often write what pleases the advertisers (their primary source of $ is advertising, not subscription fees). I have more confidence in the advice of experts who have nothing to gain (this book), than the happy go lucky stories and product reviews of today's magazines.

If you don't like all of the ridiculusly positive reviews, shiny products, and promotion of excessive reliance on systems, then skip today's magazines. If instead you believe sailing and cruising is about depending on your own competence with basic skills, knowlege and experience, then this should be excellent and informative reading.

The information here is very relevant today: Boats still float, the wind still blows, and the sails still fill, good seamanship has not changed.

I would take one issue of Rudder Magazine over a year long subscribtion of today's magazines (Sail Mag., Cruising World...)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Treasury, Indeed, December 11, 2009

By 

C. Sarsfield (Maine) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Rudder Treasury: A Companion for Lovers of Small Craft (Paperback)

Rudder was a great magazine and here are some highlights from it's pages. Many are still relevant today, and you can certainly get a tiny bit saltier just reading this. Even the items that have passed their usefulness are quite entertaining and give you a great sense of history. A very entertaining and informative read.