Nautical Sayings-Meanings and Origins 2

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

There are a myriad of sayings and phrases that we use in everyday speech that have their origins in the seafaring days of old, many of their original meanings long forgotten.  In my last post, Nautical Sayings - Meanings and Orgins 1 writer Dee White enumerated some of the more commonly used and best known nautical figures of speech.  In this post, you'll find even more salty sayings that likely pepper your language on a daily basis.  

More Nautical Sayings and Phrases 

by Dee White

Some more nautical phrases for you to “fathom out”. Go on! “Push the boat out”, or you could end up (“by and large”), “all at sea” and “dead in the water”.

All at sea – in a state of confusion.  In the days of sail before navigational aids, boats out of sight of land, or having lost their bearings, were in an unknown position and in danger.

By and large – on the whole, or generally speaking. In the days of sail “large” was a term describing the wind when it was blowing from a point behind the ship’s direction of travel. When this favourable “large” wind was blowing the “largest” sails could be set and the boat could travel downwind. “By” is a nautical term meaning “in the direction of”….eg “by the wind” means to face more or less into the wind. It could be that to sail “by and large” meant the ability to sail not only with the wind but also against it. However, another theory is that to steer a course “by and large” was to keep slightly off the wind, so there was less need for constant adjustment in steering direction.

Dead in the water – not going anywhere or brought to a halt. A ship that was “dead in the water” had no wind in its sails to make it come alive and was therefore not able to move forward.

Fathom out – to deduce something from the facts. A fathom is a unit of measurement – the distance from finger tip to fingertip with arms outstretched. In 14th century, “fathoming” meant embracing someone, so to “fathom out” may have just been a way of measuring with outstretched arms.

Foot loose – free to do as one pleases (maybe romantically unattached). The lower edge of the mainsail is called the “foot”. If this is not attached it will hang or fly free and be much more difficult to control.

Go by the board – finished with (thrown or lost overboard). The “board” is the side or the decking of the ship. The phrase could refer to things that went over the side or that merely fell on the deck.

Grog or Groggy – a ration of alcohol or the state of drinking too much. In 1740 Vice Admiral Sir Edward Vernon issued a decree that the sailors’ daily ration of half a pint of rum should be diluted with an equal amount of water. The sailors referred to the Vice Admiral as “Old Groggy” because of the impressive Grogram cloak which he wore on deck. Hence the disdainful nickname of “grog” was given to their watered down drink. Sailors who drank too much were referred to as “groggy”.

Let the cat out of the bag – disclose a secret. This refers to the cat o’ nine tails, a whip made of rope with nine unbraided strands at the end, used to flog sailors. The “cat” refers to the scratches and wounds the sailors would incur from the flogging. The “cat” was kept in a bag and when it was brought out there was obviously going to be trouble ahead.

No room to swing a cat – a very confined space.  When a sailor was punished by flogging with the “cat o’ nine tails”, the whole ship’s company was required to witness it. The deck became very crowded and there was sometimes “no room to swing a cat”.

Over a barrel – to be in a situation where one cannot change one’s mind. The most common form of punishment for sailors was flogging. The culprit was tied either to a grating, the mast, or over a barrel. “Kissing the gunners daughter” was being tied to the barrel of a deck cannon while it was fired.

Shake a leg ( or show a leg) – rouse yourself and get out of bed. “Show a leg” seems to have been the Royal Navy command for putting a foot out of your hammock and getting up. Another meaning could derive from the 19th century when women were sometimes allowed on board when the boat was in port. Legs were hung over the side of a hammock so that the hairy men’s legs could be distinguished from the more shapely and smooth women’s legs.

Shiver my timbers – an oath expressing annoyance or surprise. It is not certain whether this was a genuine sailor’s oath or just a literary invention, but by the 14th century the meaning of “shiver” was to “break into pieces”. So in a nautical context it would mean “if so and so happens let my boat break to pieces!”

Slush Fund – money put aside to bribe or influence. In 18th century “slush” or “slosh” was the fat or grease skimmed off by the cook when boiling up salted beef. This “slush” was a perk for the ship’s cook who sold it when the ship reached port. The money derived in this way was known as the “slush fund”.

Square meal – a substantial, nourishing meal. Many people believe the phrase to refer to the square plates used by sailors. But as far back as the 16th century the word “square” was used to mean “proper”, “honest” or “straightforward”. This is more likely to be the derivation of the phrase.

Take the wind out of his sails – to take away someone’s initiative, disconcert or frustrate them. This could derive from the art of sailing so that you “steal” the wind from another boat. A boat under sail can be slowed down if another boat sails between it and the wind, preventing their sails from filling.

Touch and go – in a precarious situation. This refers to the situation a vessel would be in, in shallow water, when it touched the bottom but did not become grounded and was able to move off again.

Dee White, the author of this article writes for TheYachtMarket.com, created in 2003 under the ethos of being the "easiest place to buy and sell boats on the internet.' 

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill, webmaster of this site, is the author of the book Lubber's log, published by Llumina Press; a boating journal and adventure story of the author's first time experiences in the preparation, maintenance and piloting of a new, unfamiliar boat. You can visit his website here. Lubber's Log

Nautical Sayings - Origins and Meanings 1

Nautical Sayings and Phrases

by Dee White

While many everyday sayings certainly have genuine nautical origins, there are others which have unproven claims and still more where it is easy to find a logical link…..even though not necessarily valid.

So if you are at a “loose end” and want to “know the ropes”, then “sling your hook”, “batten down the hatches” and “get underway” with these Nautical Sayings.

At a loose ends –  unoccupied.  Nautically, loose ends are unattached ones which are not doing their job. “Tying up loose ends” is used to mean finalising details of a matter as a sailor makes fast the loose ends to ensure the boat is shipshape
.
Batten down the hatches – prepare for trouble. Battening down of walkways and hatches was done when bad weather was imminent. Ships hatches were often open or covered with a wooden grating. When bad weather was expected the hatches were covered with tarpaulins and edged with thin wooden battens to stop them from blowing off.

Between the devil and the deep blue sea – faced with two dangerous alternatives. The derivation seems obscure, but try this one. The “devil” is the seam between the deck planking and the top plank of the ship’s side. It would have to be watertight and would need filling or caulking regularly, which would require a sailor to stand on the very edge of the deck or even be suspended over the side. A dangerous place to be.

Cut and run– run away. It is possible that it derives from ships making a hasty departure by cutting the anchor rope and running with the wind.

Full to the gunwales – full to the brim or packed tight. Pronounced “gunnels”, it is the upper edge of a ship’s side in large vessels and the piece of timber extending round the top side of the hull in smaller craft. It probably first referred to heavily loaded ships.

Get underway – begin a journey. The “under” is likely to have meant “on the” and the “way” is the forward progress of the ship through the water so it actually means “on their way”.

Give a wide berth – a good distance. Originally a berth was a place where there was sea room to moor a boat. The meaning of “berth” was probably “bearing off”. Sailors were warned to keep a wide bearing off something they needed to keep away from. It could also refer to anchoring a boat far enough away from another so that they did not hit each other when swinging with the wind or the tide.

Hard and fast – rigidly adhered to – without doubt. A ship that was “hard and fast” was beached firmly on land. Land was known as “The hard” as in Buckler’s Hard.

Hand over fist – quickly and continuously. It describes the action of hauling on a rope using alternate hands, so it is probably nautical. In the 18th century though, it had a different meaning –“making steady progress”.

In the doldrums – in low spirits or feeling drowsy or dull.  In 19th century the word “doldrum” meant a “dullard or dull fellow” so “the doldrums” was a general state of low spirits. In the middle of the century the word was used to denote the state of ships experiencing becalming in the area just north of the equator, between the Trade Winds. The name was then used geographically to refer to the area itself rather than the state of the ships.

Keel over – to fall over - also a sailor’s term for dying. When the boat’s keel comes out of the water it is very likely to capsize. To be on an even keel – calm and steady. The boat would float upright without listing.

In the offing -  imminent or likely to happen soon. “Offing” is that area of sea that can be seen from land, so when a ship was seen to be “in the offing” it would be expected to dock before the next tide. The adjective “off” in a sailing context means “away from”.

Knowing the ropes – understanding the principles. In square rigged ships there were miles of ropes in the rigging and the only way of keeping track of their functions was to memorise where each of them went. It took and experienced sailor to “know the ropes”.

Log book – an official record book.  An early way to measure a boat’s progress through the sea was to throw overboard a wooden board or “log” with a string attached. The rate at which the string was paid out as the ship moved away from the log was measured by counting knots in the string. These measurements were recorded in a book, the “log book” and from here we also get “knot”- the unit of speed at sea.

On your beam ends – hard up or in a bad situation. The beams were the horizontal timbers of a boat. If the end of these beams were touching the water you were in imminent danger of capsizing.

Pipe down -  a request for silence. The boatswain’s pipe was used to give signals to the crew of sailing ships. “Piping down the hammocks” was the last signal of the day, to go below decks and retire for the night. Also when an officer was “piped down” he was dismissed.

Three sheets to the wind – very drunk. In sailors’ language, a sheet is a rope. If three sheets are not attached to the sails as they ought to be, the sail will flap and the boat will lurch around in a drunken fashion. Sailors had a sliding scale of drunkenness. Tipsy was “one sheet”, whereas falling over was “three sheets”.


Dee White, the author of this article writes for TheYachtMarket.com, created in 2003 under the ethos of being the "easiest place to buy and sell boats on the internet.' 

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill, webmaster of this site, is the author of the book Lubber's log, published by Llumina Press; a boating journal and adventure story of the author's first time experiences in the preparation, maintenance and piloting of a new, unfamiliar boat. You can visit his website here. Lubber's Log

Rogue Wave - True Story

Introduction by William L Gills aka Bos'n Bill

There have been many tall tales of colossal, freak waves big enough to dwarf and scuttle supertankers and ocean liners, some purported to be as high as 100 feet (30 meters). But then there is more to these tales than the mythical stories of sea captains and sailors as measured  empirically by  oil rigs like the Drovner in the North Sea and witnessed on TV broadcasts like the Discovery Channel's, Deadliest Catch.

Here is a first hand account of a trawler captain's encounter with a rogue wave.  It's a wonder any of the crew survived a collision with a massive wall of water, a solitary wave of enormous height that appeared out of nowhere and took them all by surprise.

(For more on rogue waves go to an earlier post on this website: Rogue Waves - Myth or Reality? and view a video demonstration below the article of the equivalent of a 40' (12 meter) boat encountering an 100 foot (30 meter) wave.

A rogue wave and an improbable outcome

Written by Jim Flannery

Don’t tell Sandy Stoddard there are no guardian angels because he’s pretty sure it was an angel that saved
him and his four crewmen when a rogue wave picked up their fishing boat, slammed it on its side and dumped two of the men in the water.

“I started fishing when I was 15 years old,” says Stoddard, a commercial fisherman from Woods Harbour, Nova Scotia. “I’m 57 years old now. You do the math. I’ve never seen anything like it in all those years.”

Stoddard, captain of the 45-foot Logan & Morgan, was in the wheelhouse; his four crewmen were in the stern — wearing their “oil gear,” their slickers — and reeling in a long line of baited hooks shortly after dark March 5. They had been fishing for halibut inside Sable Island off Nova Scotia’s east coast in what Stoddard described as typical North Atlantic conditions: a 35-knot southeast wind gusting to 40 or 50, seas 10 to 12 feet.

“It was just a normal fishing day for us in winter,” he says. “Then out of nowhere — where it came from I don’t know — a wave picked us up and slammed us down on our butts.”

A big wave, a gigantic wave. Stoddard has to be pressed to say how big — it was dark, and it happened so fast — but he thinks it was “50-, 60-, 70-feet high.” The wave picked Logan & Morgan up and, as the boat slipped sideways down the wave’s back side, the wall of water accelerated out from under the boat and dropped it broadside into what seemed like a bottomless trough, slamming it down at 80 degrees — almost on its side, he says. Had there been another big wave behind it, Logan & Morgan would have been smothered in water. “It would have pushed us under,” he says.

The boat popped back up, but before it did so — when it hit the bottom of the trough — it threw two men overboard. Stoddard thinks he saw one of them, Gordie Rhyno, go over the side. “His head went below the rail, but when the boat surged up again, [Rhyno] says he stood on something, and it flipped him back in,” Stoddard says. The skipper believes he saw Rhyno up to his neck in water, but when he landed on deck “he was perfectly dry.” Stoddard can’t explain how it happened. He just knows it did.

Moments after Rhyno was safely back on board, Stoddard heard a dreaded cry from below, “He’s gone! He’s gone!” This time Greg Nickerson had gone over the side — and disappeared. He had slipped under the fiberglass hull, hit the running gear — cutting his head, though not badly — and wound up under a 5-foot overhang at the stern.

Sandy Stoddard

“He hollers once,” Stoddard recalls, and they realized Nickerson was at the stern. He had grabbed a brace under the boat. They kept throwing a life ring to him. Nickerson had been in the water probably five minutes when Rhyno finally spotted him, the life ring around his torso, which itself is pretty remarkable, Stoddard says. Nickerson is 6 feet tall, 200 pounds and was dressed in his oil skins. “It still has me baffled how he fit inside it,” Stoddard says.

The men pulled Nickerson close to the boat with the life ring line. Then one of the crew lunged down and snagged the life ring’s grab rope and threw Nickerson aboard with a powerful one-armed tug. “It’s phenomenal,” Stoddard says. “I can’t figure it. It’s only by the grace of God that it all happened [the way it did].” The other two crewmembers were Daniel Crowell and Jared Bishop.

The near-fatal accident occurred just a few weeks after the Feb. 17 loss of the Miss Ally, a 46-foot halibut boat, also from Woods Harbour, with all five hands aboard — a crushing blow to the small fishing community. An emergency beacon on Miss Ally activated while the boat was returning to port in near-hurricane-force winds and 30-foot seas about 120 kilometers southeast of Liverpool, Nova Scotia. Searchers later found the overturned hull with the wheelhouse and sleeping quarters sheared off. The crew remained missing.

Stoddard says the Logan & Morgan encountered the rogue wave in waters where there are steep bottom ridges and depths ranging from 60 to 100 feet. The veteran seaman has encountered rogues out there before and, he believes, with increasing frequency.

Stoddard says he’s looking to buy foul weather gear with inherent buoyancy for his crew in the event it happens again. “You’ll never be able to predict something like that happening,” he says, so it’s best to be prepared. “I’m hoping I go another 40 years before I see something like that happen again. But then again, it could happen again tomorrow. I’m praying it doesn’t.”

Jim Flannery is a Senior Writer of the Soundings staff, a news and feature publication for pleasure boaters.


Demonstration of the equivalent of a 40 foot boating encountering a rogue wave.

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill, webmaster of this site, is the author of the book Lubber's Log, published by Llumina Press; a boating journal and adventure story of the author's first time experiences in the preparation, maintenance and piloting of a new, unfamiliar boat. You can visit his website here. Lubber's Log

Essential Gear for a Boating Trip

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

Part of planning a successful boating trip is to be sure you have the basic essentials onboard for safety, security and comfort before you leave the dock.  Here is a short narrative by Adriana Noton for both the experienced and inexperienced day tripper and weekender to serve as a reminder to the old hands and a guide to the lubbers of what to bring on a boating trip.

Article By Adriana Noton

Essential gear to bring on a boating trip is like beauty - it depends on the eye of the

beholder. You may not want to step off the dock without a double pack of light beer, while your wife would really like to take the kitchen sink. But probably there is a middle ground where we all can agree that some things are really necessary.

First of all, to be safe, every passenger should have true boating shoes. This term is not equivalent to sneakers, no matter how many cute little nautical flags are used for decoration. Boating shoes, in the modern, commercial sense, have grip pads or other carefully designed features on the soles to make them cling to wet, smooth surfaces. All boat decks are smooth, for maintenance reasons as well as for traditional ideas of beauty. All boat decks are very likely to get and/or stay wet.

Secondly, giving the nod to conventional medical wisdom, you should take sun screen. Hats may blow off, assuredly will interfere with letting the wind blow through your hair, and cannot help protect you from the glare off the surface of the water and the boat itself. You will probably be out for hours, so choose one with a high SPF factor. For those skeptical of the true protection of sun screens, take a spray bottle of dilute vitamin C, take extra CoQ10 for a few days before and a few after your excursion, and have some natural coconut oil along.

Clothes are up to you, depending of course on the season, but also on what you are doing. Rafting down a canyon river does not call for shorts and tank tops, because the water feels like ice all year. Wet suits come in all sizes for those active souls, but for the rear cabin of a yacht, shorts will be just fine.

However, foul weather gear should be somewhere in your immediate vicinity, so provide it if you are the boat owner or check on it beforehand if you are a guest. Open water comes with wind, and being out longer than you expect will make day wear inadequate after sundown. Squalls on the Bay and thunderstorms inland can drench you in a minute. This rainproof outer clothing comes in traditional bright yellow slick to fashionable color coordinates, and can be merely a shell or fully lined for cold weather protection.

For safety, you will want to have on hand a floating flashlight, a way to contact the shore or the folks that stayed on land, a first aid kit with band-aids (great for blisters, if for nothing more serious), lots of water for keeping hydrated, food because raw fish gets old fast, and polarized sunglasses. Sunlight is intensified on the water, so give your eyes the protection they need. Lip balm may also be very welcome after a while.

Of course, there are many other great ideas: gloves to keep the canoe paddle from wearing away the skin on your hands, a personal flotation device (no longer needs to be blaze orange and bulky, or always under your chin), a strap to keep your sunglasses or goggles firmly in place, a folding ladder to let you swim off the boat and get back in, and fishing gear to let you catch dinner. Towel, good books, radios for music and news, good friends - all of these can make things afloat easier and more pleasant.

Essential gear to bring on a boating trip is what personal taste and common sense tell you. You can also check out boating experts, from friends to the US Coast Guard or HM Coast Guard, for advice.

Unleash your inner Magellan. Hit the high seas. Summer is here.  Time to set sail.

Adriana Noton is an experienced boater and Ezine Articles Expert Author
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adriana_Noton

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill, webmaster of this site, is the author of the book Lubber's Log, published by Llumina Press; a boating journal and adventure story of the author's first time experiences in the preparation, maintenance and piloting of a new, unfamiliar boat. You can visit his website here. Lubber's Log

Modern Yacht Racing - J Class

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

One of the most opulent and magnificent sailing class of  racing yachts of all time is the J-Class.  The vessels are unique in their combination of dimension and speed with 170 foot masts, 4 foot wide booms, 1,800 square foot spinnakers and 5,000 square foot main sails. This class of yachts was conceived in the 1930's when only 10 were designed, sparing no expense by the wealthy elites of yachtsmen such as Sir Thomas Lipton and Harold S. Vanderbilt vying to bring home the America's Cup in the yachts Shamrock V, Enterprise and Ranger. 

Most of the J-Class yachts were scrapped prior to World War II and left only a memory until the year 2000 with the birth of the J Class Association (JCA) that now makes it possible to race several replicas of the super yachts when the association organizes races for the them in Newport, USA and Falmouth and Cowes, UK.

The presentation below by Superyacht Media illustrates how spectacular these beautifully designed vessels are.  They are towering, elegant behemoths that represent a Golden Age of Cup racing.  Enjoy the video!

Typical Dimension of the J-Class yacht:
LOA: 120 feet (37 meters)
LWL: 80 feet  (25 meters)
Beam: 20 feet  (6 meters)
Sail Area:  7500 square feet  (2286 square meters)
Maximum Draft:  15 feet  (4.5 meters)





Double click on the video for a full screen presentation.



William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill, webmaster of this site, is the author of the book Lubber's log, published by Llumina Press; a boating journal and adventure story of the author's first time experiences in the preparation, maintenance and piloting of a new, unfamiliar boat. You can visit his website here. Lubber's Log

Who Needs Trim Tabs?

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

If you don't have trim tabs on a planing hull or if you do have them and they aren't working properly your boat's performance, efficiency and safety may be seriously compromised.  Trim tabs are designed to get a boat on plane quickly and correct for uneven weight distribution. With the proper attitude relative to the pitch and roll of the boat given variable wave conditions on any given day you will likely experience increased fuel efficiency, less squatting, a reduction in pounding/porpoising, improved visibility and overall increase in speed.

John Greviskis, one of the most popular figures in boating today is in his 13th broadcast season of his brainchild,  Ship Shape TV. In the video below the illustrations, John and Fair Hyams of Bennett Marine, leader in trim tab innovations, explains the benefits of trim tabs and how they work.

                                   Illustration of How Trim Tabs Work

                 Illustration by Paul Mirto, longtime boater and digital illustrator

        Trim Tabs Overview as seen on Ship Shape TV



William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill, webmaster of this site, is the author of the book Lubber's Log, published by Llumina Press; a boating journal and adventure story of the author's first time experiences in the preparation, maintenance and piloting of a new, unfamiliar boat. You can visit his website here. Lubber's Log

Top Ten Boat Naming Tips

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

Here are some really simple, useful tips to consider when naming your boat.  Your boat's name is more important than it may seem; it becomes your identity on the water, reflects who you are, your values and your character.  Choose wisely and seriously take into account the Top Ten Boat Naming Tips listed below before permanently affixing your new moniker to your stern.

If you are considering renaming your boat, solemnly heed tip #10.  Forgetting to do a proper christening could bring on all sorts of unpleasant, unexpected happenings with a vengeance.  If you feel you need the facts on renaming your boat and the surprising consequences of failing to observe the mandatory ceremonial liturgies go to:  Renaming Your Boat - Ceremony Required?   You'll be glad you did!

Top Ten Boat Naming Tips 

Article from FirstBoat*

1. Less is More 

The shorter the better, especially in an emergency, as every second counts when you are calling for help. In addition, many in the sailing community feel you should try to limit a boat name to one word.

2. Tempting

You don’t want to tempt the gods of the sea one way or the other. Names like “On the Rocks” or “Bottoms Up” may turn out to be more appropriate than you ever intended. By the same token, if you name your boat “Titanic”, or anything else that implies un-sinkability, are just asking for it.

3. Women and Children

Guys: yes, your boat is a “she”. But before you name her after your wife, think about this: What if, even after that grand gesture, she still doesn’t appreciate the boat? Or, if she shares your love of boating, what if she is simply uncomfortable with the idea of sharing her name?

4. NSFW 

NSFW is a term born on the Internet to describe content that is inappropriate, as in “Not suitable/safe for work”. Is your boat name appropriate for kids to see? Will your boss or clients be on the boat, or will they be put off if they get wind of the name? Will friends and family be embarrassed or offended by the name you choose?

5. Honor Thy Neighbor

You don't have to be totally original, but avoid names already used in your harbor, or at least in your marina. There are no rules currently in the US about re-using boat names, but having the same name as the boat next to you is just silly.

6. The VHF Test 

Imagine repeating your boat name several times over the VHF radio in a call to the Coast Guard or dockmaster, and all other boats within listening range. How do you sound? Now, add static and other background noise. Repeat.

7. Turn a Sail into a Sale

That’s so clever, we’ll say it again. A boat name related to your business can help you turn a sail into a sale ™.If you own a business or work for one that you’re proud of, name your boat something related to the company name and you’ll have a billboard on the water, or at least a conversation starter about what you do for a living.

8. Dot Calm

Is the dot-come domain name available to match your boat name? This could be of interest if you are a cruiser, live-aboard, race your boat, share it with other fractional owners, or if you simply want a blog about your boating adventures.

9. The Aqua-Holics

Your boat name will be YOUR name. People you meet may not remember your name, they will remember you by your boat name. This is exaggerated for cruisers and live-aboards. The owners of the Mary-Jane become known as “the Mary-Janes”, the owners of the Jenny become “the Jenny’s”. You get the picture. Do you really want to be known as the Aqua-Holics?

10. Re-Naming a Boat

It is not bad luck to re-name a boat… as long as you christen the boat properly. In fact, whether you buy a new boat or a used boat, always christen her with the new boat name. There are various boat naming ceremonies available on the Internet, but all you really have to do is pop open a bottle of champagne, splash some on the hull, and toast the new boat’s name with at least one witness. Oh, and make sure you say something nice and respectful about Poseidon and/or Neptune.

*For over ten years, FirstBoat has been providing both new and experienced boaters with information about the basics of boating. Whether you are researching new yachts, trying to come up with a boat name, or looking for the latest boating news, check FirstBoat first to find answers fast. 

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill, webmaster of this site, is the author of the book Lubber's Log, published by Llumina Press; a boating journal and adventure story of the author's first time experiences in the preparation, maintenance and piloting of a new, unfamiliar boat. You can visit his website here. Lubber's Log