"Spirit of Sail: On Board the World's Great Sailing Ships" (used book)

Spirit of Sail: On Board the World's Great Sailing Ships

by John Dyson

photographs by Peter Christopher

About the Book

Used Book. Hardcover. Dust jacket included. Good condition. Some creasing to the dust jaket.

-- From the dust jacket

A promise of high adventure, a harmonious sweep of hemp, timber, and canvas, a nostalgic journey to a time of romance and daring – a sailing ship is all these and more.

Spirit of Sail takes us on a voyage out where the spray flies and the sails crack full of wind. There, the sailing ship is in her element, and the sailor fines his true calling – a life of back-breaking labour and constant danger but also pride, joy, and camaraderie – the true spirit of sail.

Peter Christopher’s full-color photographs capture the lofty beauty of a stately parade of sail and the dizzy swoop of the view form the topgallant yard high above the sea. He takes us on spray-whipped decks where young men and women face the centuries-old test of a sailor’s skill.

John Dyson’s evocative text traces the story of sail from its glorious past when clipper ships raced home from the Orient laden with cargoes of tea, through the era of the mighty windjammers that battled storms off Cape Horn, to the new age of Tall Ships, the modern sail-training vessels on which character-building is the goal and goodwill the cargo. Special feature sections discuss sailing knowledge and skill, from the proper names for ropes and rigging to navigation and ocean racing, and offer facts and figures on the Tall Ships from class recognition to a complete listing of ships still in commission. Additional historical photographs document life aboard the great ships of yesteryear, and clear black-and-white diagrams illustrate sail plans and sailing techniques.

Come aboard Spirit of Sail and discover the call of the sea and the exaltation sailors know as they brave wind and wave. It will be a voyage you’ll cherish for years to come.