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The Marlinspike Sailor
 
 
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The Marlinspike Sailor (Paperback)

~ (Author) "ROPE is probably the most remarkable product known to mankind..." (more)
Key Phrases: chest beckets, alternate crown sennit, square sennit, Matthew Walker, Morning Star (more...)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
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Frequently Bought Together

The Marlinspike Sailor + The Arts of the Sailor: Knotting, Splicing and Ropework + The Complete Book of Decorative Knots
Price For All Three: $39.21

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  • This item: The Marlinspike Sailor by Hervey Garrett Smith

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  • The Arts of the Sailor: Knotting, Splicing and Ropework by Hervey Garrett Smith

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  • The Complete Book of Decorative Knots by Geoffrey Budworth

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The art of creating a 'boaty' boat. If you don't have this title, now is the time to get it." -- WoodenBoat

"[Smith's] original illustrations are a marvel of clarity and charm." -- Cruising World


Review

``The art of creating a `boaty' boat. If you don't have this title, now is the time to get it.'' (WoodenBoat )
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 131 pages
  • Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (September 1, 1993)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0070592187
  • ISBN-13: 978-0070592186
  • Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,338 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #67 in  Books > Outdoors & Nature > Outdoor Recreation > Boating
    #76 in  Books > Outdoors & Nature > Outdoor Recreation > Sailing

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More About the Author

Hervey Garrett Smith
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
ROPE is probably the most remarkable product known to mankind. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
chest beckets, alternate crown sennit, square sennit, marlinspike sailor, marlinespike seamanship, fid length, lanyard knot, marlinspike seamanship, star knot, cover slack, constrictor knot, luff tackle, sail twine, left hand strand, wall knot, cover strands, right hand strand, deck bucket, ditty box, eye splice, short splice, rolling hitch, cod line, long splice, stopper knot
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Matthew Walker, Morning Star
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Marlinspike Sailor
67% buy the item featured on this page:
The Marlinspike Sailor 4.3 out of 5 stars (27)
$12.21
The Complete Book of Decorative Knots
11% buy
The Complete Book of Decorative Knots 3.9 out of 5 stars (11)
$17.05
Ashley Book of Knots
9% buy
Ashley Book of Knots 4.8 out of 5 stars (81)
$53.55
Handbook of Knots: EXPANDED EDITION
8% buy
Handbook of Knots: EXPANDED EDITION 4.4 out of 5 stars (37)
$11.56
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Customer Reviews

27 Reviews
5 star:
 (15)
4 star:
 (8)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (2)
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 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (27 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent self-learner for basic crew skill development., October 11, 2002
By Brian A. Glennon "BAG" (South Boston, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
Using hand drawings that are clearer than any photograph, THE MARLINSPIKE SAILOR (c.1960) by Hervey Garrett Smith illustrated in a 131 page soft cover book a collection of the best detailed renditions of basic knot tying and ropework any beginner can learn to start his ropework career, or for an old hand to refresh his memory.

There is no waste as only essential rope skills are shown in clear etchings, line drawings, and pencil sketches, which will make the wooden sail boat owner self-sufficient from a lot of expensive, store-bought textile gear.

In a written text accompanying each excellent drawing, Hervey Garrett Smith explained the purpose of each rope related product; such as: knob knots used for drawer handles, baggy wrinkle for chafe gear, coach whipping for stanchion rails, rope shackles for your storage chest, sewing skills to make gear bags and sail mending, netmaking for storage, and rope fenders for hull protection. The author included no superfluous skills or fancy work (MacNamara's Lace as we called it in the Navy).

There is more than a hint of Yankee frugality pervading THE MARLINSPIKE SAILOR as Hervey Garrett Smith promotes self-sufficiency through recycling old rope and canvas, or anything else that can be salvaged and made useable.

THE MARLINSPIKE SAILOR is an important and useful book for the beginner to teach themselves the fundamental skills necessary to quickly make oneself a useful member of any traditional sailboat crew. This book should be read in conjunction with both THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS and SEAMANSHIP IN THE AGE OF SAIL.

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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Time Honoured Classic, April 27, 2000
By A Customer
As live-aboard cruisers, we have frequent uses for knots, bends and hitches. We have several instructional books on knotting and splicing, and the best remains "The Marlinspike Sailor" by Hervey Garrett Smith, published in 1956. Smith's explanations and illustrations stand the test of time. They are the clearest and easiest to follow of any instructions we've found. Invariably, we always pull out "The Marlinespike Sailor" when we're at loose ends!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Down To The Sea In Ships, July 27, 2006
By J. H. Minde "Can you keep up?" (Boca Raton, Florida and Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
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THE MARLINSPIKE SAILOR, now in its 46th year, is one of the half-dozen or so "essential" books in any sailor's working library. Just a bit less cumbersome than THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS. THE MARLINSPIKE SAILOR is an excellent book to keep on board to teach yourself or your crew the fundamentals of working with rope, so critical a part of sailing.

I find Mr. Dupre's criticism of the use of nautical terminology in THE MARLINSPIKE SAILOR to be a bit ironic; after all, that's like saying a cookbook makes too many references to kitchen utensils.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars The Marlinspike Sailor
The name implies the art of marlin spike ropework, it has some interesting history (as they all do) but lacks with any of the detailed drawings or photos necessary for most people... Read more
Published 1 day ago by Dale E. Payne

4.0 out of 5 stars The MarlinSpike Sailor
Great book on Knots, very clear instructions, useful list. Every sailor should own a copy!
Published 10 months ago by Sailor's wife

5.0 out of 5 stars Top Notch
An excellent book for anyone interested in rope. Beautifully illustrated. This could be as close as I get to a stroll on deck of a turn of the century clipper ship. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Charles Bealmer

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun to read but not a how-to book
Pros: It's well written and fun to read. It's full of historic information and anecdotes. The illustrations represent a wide variety of interesting projects . Read more
Published 19 months ago by Woodworking Fool

4.0 out of 5 stars Knots to you !!!
Although this book is an interesting addition to my bookshelf, it seems to be more concerned with ornamental knots and rope work. Read more
Published on September 21, 2007 by J. Cooke

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun. Lots of information, great writing style
I love it. Tons of quips and great information.
Published on June 11, 2007 by Graham Davis

5.0 out of 5 stars Sailing knots and splices
I purchased this book for my husband who has been looking for a easy explanation of splicing...He had the following to say: Have looked through several books on sailing knots and... Read more
Published on January 19, 2007 by Lorraine Tosti

2.0 out of 5 stars Very out dated
With the exception of some pages that have been added in the back on braided rope this book is horribly outdated. Read more
Published on January 11, 2007 by M. E. Nelson

5.0 out of 5 stars Easier to handle than Ashley
What a fantastic book. If you would like to learn how to do any number of very cool things with rope, and to do them without (much) frustration, I can't recommend a better book... Read more
Published on December 24, 2006 by M. Ziebell

5.0 out of 5 stars Best knot illustrations ever.
Smith was an artist and his illustrations are proof of it. Excellent drawings, most knots don't even need instructions. Read more
Published on November 9, 2006 by T. Finer

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