Seamanship in the Age of Sail: An Account of the Shiphandling of the Sailing Man-Of-War 1600-1860, Based on Contemporary Sources [Hardcover]

John H. Harland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1984

Describes the proper historical development of seamanship among the major navies of the world. In order to explain even the most complex evolution clearly, over 350 line drawings were specially commissioned. Every aspect of handling a man-of-war is detailed and illustrated from original sources.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Naval Inst Pr; Later Reprint edition (August 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870219553
• ISBN-13: 978-0870219559
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #204,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Valuable Reference for 'Tall Ship' captains and crew!, October 11, 2002

By 

Brian A. Glennon "BAG" (South Boston, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seamanship in the Age of Sail: An Account of the Shiphandling of the Sailing Man-Of-War 1600-1860, Based on Contemporary Sources (Hardcover)

'SEAMANSHIP IN THE AGE OF SAIL: An Account of the Shiphandling of the Sailing Man-Of-War 1600-1860, Based on Contemporary Sources'(c.1984) by John Harland, is probably one of the most informative and valuable collections of useful knowledge on sailship handling in the late 20th century!

A major value of this work is its ability to answer the questions developed during today's contemporary square rig sailing. It fully explained why sailboats are pulled by the wind and not pushed (Bernouilli's Principle); the advantages and disadvantages of square rig sailing over fore & aft sailing (downwinds & length of luff); why large square rig ships don't need a center board (a shifting of CLR, CG, & G); or why all sails were never set on a square rig when simply cruising (courses don't draw in a well).

The book is punctuated with pen & ink drawings as well as period photographs and deguerrotypes of ships in the act of a sail evolution or other shipboard activity. And in a time period where photography was not yet invented, the author used contemporary paintings of vessels to demonstrate an aspect of ship handling. Going further back into history, the author delved into the archeological record to demonstrate the origin or existance of a ship component pertinent to his ship handling argument.

SEAMANSHIP IN THE AGE OF SAIL further provided continuity answers as to why sails are shaped the way they are; or why the steeve of the bowsprit was lessened over time. The book gave valuable points on how to rig a ship while underway; how to rig the stun'sls; how to rig the braces, lifts, tacks, sheets, clews, and bunts; how to raise and lower heavy sails; how to bend sails to the spars; how to box haul or club haul the ship; and why the main topsail halyard is a heart attack waiting to happen.

Just as the serious and ambitious mate or deckhand in the 1700s was caught with a copy of Bowditch ('Practical Navigator') in his seachest; in the 2000s you can watch a mate or an ambitious O.S. walk up the brow to his sailship with a copy of SEAMANSHIP IN THE AGE OF SAIL tucked under his arm. Despite its large size and bulk, this book is well worth taking along into the cramped crews quarters for an informed reading at night.

SEAMANSHIP IN THE AGE OF SAIL is a wonderful archive of esoteric sailship handling maneuvers, equipment, gear, and nautical science. The author has done a wonderful job in his research and has provided a great resource to all sailing ship captains and mates.

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just get the book!, June 25, 2001

By 

John H. Schmidt (Charleston, WV USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seamanship in the Age of Sail: An Account of the Shiphandling of the Sailing Man-Of-War 1600-1860, Based on Contemporary Sources (Hardcover)

If you are here intentionally you should just get this book. I bought mine along with several other books at the Naval Academy's museum store in Annapolis, MD but it was a couple weeks before I seriously began to realize what a treasure this is. The other books on ship "anatomy" and modeling show you the parts and often just lead you to ask "what is that for?" and "how did they do it?". Unlike the other books this one has the answers with a skillful use of diagrams and photos. Ever wonder how to box haul a frigate or cast off the buntline lizards? The answers are here. Sheesh, I don't think O'Brain himself couldn't have done it better.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seamanship in the age of sail, August 28, 2000

By 

Norman T. Budde (Hingham, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seamanship in the Age of Sail: An Account of the Shiphandling of the Sailing Man-Of-War 1600-1860, Based on Contemporary Sources (Hardcover)

Though in the coffee-table price range, this is a marvelous resource and reference tome. It is not something to be read cover to cover in a few evenings, but if you have ever wondered how a ship-rigged vessel could be tacked through the eye of the wind (why wouldn't it go backwards with all the sails plastered against their masts?) this book will tell you in all the detail you're hungering for. Which lines did what and in what sequence. Excellent pen-and ink illustrations on virtually page to accompany the text and render mysteries more understandable. Despite a previous reviewers alarms, this volume was just reprinted this year (2000) by the Naval Institute Press...