Boats
 With
Reckless Abandon, Memoirs of a Boat-Obsessed Life
By Capt. Jim Sharp Book
Specifications
Trim Size: 6” x 9”
Page Count: 272
Binding: Soft-cover
Illustrations: 29 b/w photographs, 2 line drawings, map
ISBN: 978-1-928862-12-8
Price: $18.95
Click here to look inside this book
This
is the inspirational story of a man who overcame childhood polio
to live an adventure-filled life as a Maine windjammer captain,
entrepreneur, and tug-boat skipper. Capt. Jim shares extraordinary
stories of his life afloat and the colorful characters he has known.
From Maine’s rockbound, foggy coast, to a winter gale on Lake
Michigan and European canal cruising – Capt. Jim has done
it all and knows what he’s about.
Central
to the story is the Gloucester schooner Adventure, now
a National Historic Landmark. Capt. Jim takes you aboard and shares
what it was like to handle such vessel, what it took regarding maintenance
to keep her going, and what it took to keep his many passengers
satisfied. Of course, Adventure was just one of the schooners
that the boat-obsessed Capt. Jim operated. He tells about the
Roseway, Stephen Taber, and the Arctic schooner Bowdoin,
not to mention his classic Alden schooner, an original 50-foot Herreshoff
yawl, a converted sardine carrier, and many more. His tales, alternately
hair-raising and humorous, are a delight.
When
he wasn’t sailing his schooners or maintaining them, Capt.
Jim was running tugboats from Maine to Boston. Perhaps seldom before
have the dangers and challenges of towing, assisting at launches,
and ship docking been better told. Not to be forgotten are Capt.
Jim’s experiences with antique engines, whether a Cooper-Bessemer
aboard a dandy little tug that he converted to a yacht or the intriguing
Fairbanks-Morse that drove Adventure’s anchor winch.
This is a book that all who love boats, motors, and the sea will
find entertaining, instructive, and inspirational.
A
Few Excerpts from With Reckless Abandon:
“Oh my God!” I bought two vessels in two weeks
and I didn’t have even a slim ounce of regret! What
a hopeless addict is me! My growing marital problems had,
if anything, increased my reckless abandon when it came to
boats.”
“No
Karl, it’s Gloucester, pronounced Gloss-ter!”
I was trying to get Karl Malden to sound nautical and proper
for the 1977 movie version of Captains Courageous…”
“Feeling
the heavy responsibility of the 45 people in my charge –
wondering how many would drown if we were pinned on that lee
shore of sharp rocks and surf, zero visibility and 50-degree
water—I kept recalculating my estimated time to the
unseen danger.”
|
 About
the Author:
Born in Philadelphia in 1933, Jim Sharp sold his family’s
finance business to pursue his seafaring dreams. Jim Sharp is the
author of articles in Soundings, and Maine Boats, Homes
& Harbors. He is an instructor at the world-famous Chapman
School of Seamanship, and has cruised under sail and power in the
U.S. and abroad. Capt. Jim is the recipient of the Caffery Antique
and Classic Boats Award for his dedication to maritime preservation.
WHAT
THE REVIEWERS SAY...
"Capt.
Jim Sharp has penned a big-hearted, joyfully told tale
of his 50 years aboard every kind of vessel along the
coast of Maine…Sharp’s engaging memoir
will transport interested readers."
—Maine Sunday Telegram, July 8, 2007
"…told
in a breezy, conversational tone – through some
three dozen boats and three marriages, of those adventures
afloat and the characters he encountered from Maine’s
foggy coast to the Great Lakes and Europe"
—Soundings, July 2007
"Here’s
the fascinating story of a man who has been messing about
in boats all his life…Most notably, Capt. Jim
Sharp owned the historic ex-Grand Banks schooner Adventure,
122- and 230 tons, with a push boat in davits for auxiliary
power. He skippered her in the Maine passenger trade
for two decades."
—Messing About in Boats August 2007 |
 Restore
Your Wooden Boat, How to Do It by Those Who’ve Done It
by multi authors, edited by Stan Grayson
Book Specifications
Trim Size: 8 ½" x 11"
Total Page Count: 128 pages
Binding: Soft Cover
Illustrations: 101 photographs and drawings
Price: $17.95
ISBN: ISBN: 1-928862-11-X
Click here to look inside this book
Are
you daunted by the challenge of restoring that wooden boat you’ve
long dreamed of? Need some inspiration? Need evidence wooden
boats aren’t just for the wealthy or professional boatbuilders?
How about some practical advice on building a home-made steam
box or how to flip over a hull inside a two-car garage? Restore
Your Wooden Boat, How to Do It by Those Who’ve Done It is the
book you’ve been looking for.
This
book brings you the stories of eight men who restored a wooden
boat on their own and lived to tell the tale. Among the authors
are a doctor, a consultant, a retiree, a contractor-turned-teacher,
a project manager, and a carpenter.
Just
as people have different preferences when it comes to boats,
the book includes a variety of boat types – sailboats, a rowboat,
outboards, and a twin-engine cruiser. A classic Chris-Craft,
a Lyman, a Pacemaker Sea Skiff, an Old Town, and an Alden daysailer
are among the boats included. Nor is the book limited to one
construction method. You’ll learn how owners worked on plank-on-frame
boats, a plywood boat, and lap strake models.
This
is an inspirational book that every wooden boat owner, or would-be
owner, will want.
Table
of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Bringing Back a Rowboat
Chapter 2: A Chris-Craft Sportsman
Chapter 3: A Classic Daysailer
Chapter 4: A Lyman Sleeper
Chapter 5: A Chris-Craft Kit Boat
Chapter 6: A Sleek Sloop
Chapter 7: An Old Town Runabout
Chapter 8: The Pacemaker in the Steel Mill
 Tailfins
and Two-Tones – The Guide to America’s Classic Fiberglass and Aluminum
Runabouts
by Peter Hunn
Book Specifications
Trim Size: 8 ½" x 11"
Total Page Count: 176 pages
Binding: Soft Cover
Illustrations: 202 photos and drawings (141 b/w and 61 color)
Price: $23.95
ISBN: 1-928862-10-1
Click here to look inside this book
They
were Mustangs and Malibu’s, Cadillac’s and Chryslers – but they weren’t
cars! They were the fiberglass and aluminum, runabouts that revolutionized
America’s boating industry in the years immediately after World
War II. Now, Peter Hunn’s long-awaited new book tells the stories
of the men and companies behind the great switch from wooden construction.
It was the advent of affordable aluminum and fiberglass runabouts
that didn’t need time-consuming maintenance that made boating more
affordable and attracted millions of Americans.
Today,
these stylish, colorful “sports cars of the waterways” are increasingly
recognized as historic but still-affordable collectibles that provide
lots of boating fun while evoking nostalgia for an earlier era's
sometimes flamboyant style. The author discusses the technologies
that made such boats possible, design features, and he offers valuable
tips on what to look for when purchasing and restoring a runabout.
There are well-researched historical listings on over 600 builders
of aluminum or fiberglass runabouts.
Packed with
useful information, this book is a treat!
Table
of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: From Fighter Planes to Runabouts — An Aluminum Boat
Overview
Chapter 2: Paint and Polish — the Major Aluminum Builders
Chapter 3: In Shops Throughout the Country — Smaller Aluminum Builders
Chapter 4: From Plastic to Glass — Fiberglass Runabouts, an Overview
Chapter 5: The Glass Runabout Comes of Age — Fiberglass Boating’s
Major Players
Chapter 6: A Multitude of Brands — Fiberglass Boat Builders, the
Minor Makes
Chapter 7: The Colorful World of Classic Runabouts
Chapter 8: What to Look for in a Vintage Aluminum or Fiberglass
Runabout
Chapter 9: All Decked Out — Equipping a Vintage Runabout
 Sailing
Small -- Inspiration and Instruction for the Pocket Cruiser
Edited
By Stan Grayson
Book Specifications:
Trim
Size: 6" x 9"
Total Page Count: 200 (192 plus 8-page color insert!)
Binding: Soft cover
Illustrations: Approximately color/bw 36 photos and drawings
Price: $16.95
Click
Here to Look Inside this Book!
Here
is a book that proves one doesn't need to be wealthy to enjoy a lifetime
of sailboat cruising. What's more, even if one can afford a larger,
more expensive yacht, there are reasons both practical and philosophical
not to move up. The cast of authors includes a Pennsylvania librarian,
a Maine psychologist, a retired British farm manager, a British Columbia
naval architect, an Idaho high-school teacher, a Seattle sales rep,
and a professional musician in Maine. These are thoughtful sailors
who ha47427427ve created uniquely fulfilling times afloat and, in
some cases, covered many thousands of miles. The book makes no effort
to focus on freakishly tiny boats but, instead, includes proven craft
that range in size from 16 1/2 feet to 25 feet. Three of the boats
are wooden, four are fiberglass.
The
first chapter is an informative and highly readable overview of the
entire subject of small cruising boats. It includes discussions of
a wide variety of vessels such as the 15' West Wight Potter, "classic
plastic" models like the Bristol 24, O'Day Tempest, and Edey
& Duff Stone Horse, Marshall catboats, Precision 21, Dana 24,
Falmouth Cutter, and many more. Subsequent chapters address all the
many questions that would be familiar to any sailor. Why did they
choose their boat? What have they learned about its performance?
What techniques have they developed to live aboard their boats for
sometimes extended periods? What have they learned about rigs, hulls,
and seaworthiness? These and many other topics are covered by each
contributor.
Whether
readers are new to sailing or experienced, this is a book that could
change the way they approach and appreciate the sport.
Table
of Contents:
Introduction
Chapter 1-Sailing Small, by Stan Grayson
Chapter 2 -40 Years and 70,000 Miles Aboard a Small Sailboat, by
Charles Stock
Chapter 3 -A Sharpie, a Catboat, and a Sloop, by Lance Gunderson
Chapter 4 -My Years with Sea Dart, by Ron Reil
Chapter 5 -Learning to Cruise, by Mary Lou Troy
Chapter 6 -Offshore in a 22-footer, by Michael Meier
Chapter 7 -A 23-footer in the Bahamas, by David Bellows
Chapter 8 -A Designer Goes Small, by Paul Gartside
WHAT
THE REVIEWERS SAY...
"...Most
of the narratives take the reader through the boat-selecting
and buying process, highlighting the most important considerations… Sailing
Small is indeed inspirational. It shows that big bucks
and big boats aren’t necessary to go cruising,
which, at this point in the evolution of the sport with
the average cruiser exceeding 40 feet, is well worth
remembering." – Sailing, November 2005.
"...The
detailed cruising information, handsome color photographs,
and comparative articles about boat selection are enough
to make it mandatory reading."-- Small Craft
Advisor, Nov/Dec 2004
"...Sailing
Small is a wonderful contribution to sailing literature.
I will put it on the shelf in my boat right next to
L. Francis Herreshoff’s The Compleat Cruiser."--
Ron Walton, Falmouth Cutter Newsletter, Autumn
2004
|
 Prop
Riders -- 60 Years of Racing Hydroplanes
By
Phil Kunz and William Holder
Book Specifications:
Trim
Size: 8 1/2" x 11"
Total Page Count: 156
Binding: Softcover
Photographs: 16 pages of gorgeous color,
over 150 b/w photos,
Price: $24.95
Click
Here to Look Inside this Book!
Here,
for the first time, is a comprehensive look at what one famous
driver called "the greatest game on earth." Prop
Riders presents the story of limited-class hydroplane racing
in all its color and fascinating technical detail. Prop Riders brings
the story of the skittish hot rods of boat racing -- hydroplanes
powered by highly tuned V-8 engines from Chevy, Ford, and Chrysler,
to name just a few. Interested in the smaller boats? A stock Toyota
engine or highly modified BMW-powered screamer? The high-winding
Crosley motors of years gone by? They're all here.
In Prop
Riders, fans will learn what each Class is all about together
with fascinating details on hull design; construction, powertrain
technology -- even the fast-growing hobby of restoring vintage
hydroplanes! Long-time fans will especially appreciate the section
of postwar records with detail on the boat, driver, and engine.
Table
of Contents:
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter 1 -From Skimmers to Prop Riders
Chapter 2 -Under the Skin
Chapter 3 -Something for Everyone: APBA Hydroplane Classes
Chapter 4 -Limiteds Overseas
Chapter 5 -North American Hydroplane Builders
Chapter 6 -Multi-engine Ingenuity
Chapter 7 -Race Day
Chapter 8 -Drivers
Chapter 9 -Reviving the Past
Appendix A: Records
Appendix B: Unusual Designs
Appendix C: What's in a Name?
Appendix D: Glossary of Terms
About
the authors: Dayton,
Ohio's William Kunz has been a hydroplane enthusiast and E-Class
participant for many years. After his retirement as a driver,
he sponsored a boat driven by Jim Kropfeld, who went on to
become one of the sport's superstars. Phil has worked as a
photographer since 1981 and is one of the country's leading
experts on the subject of limited-class hydroplanes. Bill Holder
is the author of numerous books on American muscle cars. A
former aerospace engineer, he is well known for his writing
on racing and related subjects.
Cape
Cod Catboats 
By Stan Grayson
Book
Specifications:
ISBN:
1-928862-05-5
Price: $39.95
Binding: hard-cover
Subject: Transportation
Availability date: Approx. July 30, 2002
Trim Size: 8 1/2" x 11"
No. Pages: 208
Illus: Approx. 115 b/w and line drawings plus approx. 16 color
photographs.
Jacket: 4-colors
Click
Here to Look Inside this Book!
What
do you do when an old favorite is sold out? In the case of Catboats,
the author decided to start from scratch on an entirely new
book. Cape Cod Catboats is the result. This book presents
the latest results of the author's years of research into the
history and development of America's most unique and enduring
sailing craft.
The
book includes an in-depth look at the catboat as both a work
boat and a yacht, examines the rise, decline, and resurgence
of the catboat, traces the catboat's complex origin and development,
and provides practical advice on catboat sailing. Although
the focus is on the Cape Cod cat, there is very important new
material on catboat development in New York/New Jersey, Long
Island's Great South Bay, and Rhode Island.
Three
entire chapters are devoted to post World War Two catboats.
These include a chapter on the catboat's role in the development
of fiberglass construction during the late '40s/early '50s,
a chapter on production daysailors, and a chapter on modern,
production cruising catboats. The latter two chapters include
results of owner surveys, advice on how different brands compare,
and how they can be improved. In addition, the author shares
his thoughts on the state of catboat preservation by individuals
and museums
Compared
to Catboats , this new title will be more lavish.
It will feature a larger page size, hard-cover rather than
soft-cover binding, and 16 pages of color photographs, all
for a price that is just five dollars more!
About the Author: Stan
Grayson has researched catboats for 25 years and has sailed catboats
on the coast of New England and in Barnegat Bay.
Table
of Contents:
Introduction
Prologue: The Harbor in Time
Part I: The Old Days (circa 1840 - 1940)
Part II: Rebirth (1948 - 2002)
Chapter 1- A Sail in the Mist (explores catboat origins)
Chapter 2- Workboat (discusses catboats used for fishing, freighting,
and passenger carrying)
Chapter 3- Yacht (discusses the rise of the catboat as a cruising
and racing yacht in the early 1880s, the Golden Age -- 1885 - 1895
-- and subsequent developments)
Chapter 4- The Artists (C. C. Hanley, Gilbert Smith, Archibald
Cary Smith)
Chapter 5- Rig (details of the cat rig and an in-depth look at
why some boats were fitted with bowsprits and jibs.)
Chapter 6- Decline and Renewal (reasons for catboat's decline in
popularity and the reasons for its modest resurgence between World
War One and World War Two)
Chapter
7-: Carl Beetle and the Fiberglass Pioneers (how a small group
of forward-looking boat builders in the New Bedford area introduced
fiberglass as a boat-building material in the years just after
World War Two)
Chapter 8-: Daysailors (from the wonderful, wooden Beetle Cat to
today's crop of fiberglass daysailors, a look at development, specifications,
and appeal)
Chapter 9- Cruisers (a survey of currently available fiberglass
catboats equipped with cabins)
Chapter 10: The Enduring Catboat (stories of people who have built
or own unique catboats today: a cold-molded daysailor, a recreated
25' Crosby, a restored 21' Crosby, the first Marshall 22, and the
only survinvg D-Class racing catboat)
Appendix A: Where Have all the Catboats Gone? (thoughts on the
historic preservation of catboats)
Appendix
B: Practical Matters (q and a on everything from a winter cover,
to selection, to sailing advice)
WHAT
THE REVIEWERS SAY...
"It
details specific boats and the design variations…With
this offering, Grayson presents a collection of information
that is an easy read, full of photos, illustrations of
the construction, and a rare history of a rare craft." -- Barnstable
Patriot, September 2002
"A short,
almost poetic prologue, "The Harbor in Time,"
puts you aboard a working catboat…sections and chapters
stand on their own so that the reader can spring off in almost
any direction…With almost one illustration for every
two pages of text, Cape Cod Catboats is a graphic
smorgasbord." -- WoodenBoat , June 2003 |
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