Well-known as the editor of the best-selling annual Mariner's Book of Days, Peter Spectre lives in Spruce Head, Maine.

Now in its 13th year, The Mariner's Book of Days is an ever-growing encyclopedia of nautical fact, fiction and folklore. On each right-hand page is a week of days, with the nautical significance of each explored in brief. On each left-hand page is a collection of nautical miscellany evoking the rich traditions of the sea, illustrated with a variety of etchings, engravings, sketches and watercolours. The Mariner's Book of Days takes readers on a 365-day voyage through history.

For new boating enthusiasts--even if they've been at it awhile--there are scores of burning questions. If one boat has a round bottom and another's is veed, what difference does it make in the way they perform? What are the advantages of a cutter rig over a sloop? Why does one sailor swear by a full keel, while others won't have anything but a fin keel? Why does one powerboat have more flare in its topsides than another? And what is flare? Why do some hull shapes look "right"? How big an engine and propeller will it take to move that powerboat? What elements make a boat safe, or comfortable? Understanding Boat Design has been the place to look for quick, uncomplicated answers since 1971. Founder of the Yacht Design Institute, a highly respected designer for more than 30 years, and a frequent contributor to SAIL, Cruising World, and other magazines, Ted Brewer has again revised his classic primer. This new volume has been greatly expanded and contains information on many aspects of design that were not even thought of twenty years ago. Understanding Boat Design has eased tens of thousands of readers into the complex world of small-craft design. It is the ideal introduction for backyard boatbuilders, students of boat design, or someone looking to buy a first boat. "This tight little book should be required reading."--Soundings "A natural for those embarking on a first purchase, or the amateur builder."--Sailing "One of the cleanest and clearest expositions on the elements of yacht design ever published . . . by a naval architect who knows what he is talking about."--WoodenBoat

The dory has seen duty as a fishing boat, lumberman's batteau, lifeboat, recreational rowing boat, and racing sailboat. The most comprehensive book about dories ever published, this is at once a history of the dory, a practical handbook on dory building, and a compendium of 23 dory designs with full construction details. The author, a longtime contributor to National Fisherman, and the illustrator, Sam Manning, are perhaps the foremost experts on the subject. A steady stream of letters and photographs to the late John Gardner from successful dory builders worldwide has been testimony to the widespread popularity and influence of this book.

"This book is intended to be a practical and concise presentation of some of the operations involved in designing yachts of all types. Cumbersome and impractical methods which are so often found in more pretentious works on naval architecture have been avoided. Those presented have been in everyday use by the author." Thus wrote Norman L. Skene in the preface to the fifth edition of Elements of Yacht Design. Skene's is one of the most famous books on yacht design ever written. First published in 1904, Skene did several revisions, the last of which was published in 1938 and is reprinted here in its original form. In 1962, the book was completely revised by Francis S. Kinney and republished as Skene's Elements of Yacht Design. Kinney's last version was published in 1973 and it is long out of print. While the experts are divided on the relative merits of the different editions, it appears that there is strong demand for Skene's original work. At last the book is again available to the many boatbuilders, aspiring naval architects, and sailors who need it for frequent reference. The index has been completely revised and expanded to make it more useful for today's readers.

As a child, John Brooks loved to build models and sail with his grandfather. When most teenagers were at the prom, John was changing jibs in the Indian Ocean, halfway through a 35,000-mile, two-year cruise. He began building boats in commercial yards at 19, while studying boat design and building his own boats. John worked for many years honing his craftsmanship on fine yachts, small boats, custom furniture, and a harpsichord. He has been a instructor at the WoodenBoat School in Maine since the mid-1990s, teaching glued-lapstrake boatbuilding, fine interior joinery, and carving. Ruth Ann Hill grew up on the coast of Maine. A writer, boatbuilding assistant, naturalist, and graphic artist, Ruth is the author of Discovering Old Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park: An Unconventional Guide and a contributing editor for Maine Boats & Harbors magazine. John and Ruth started their business, Brooks Boats, in 1991. They design and build glued-lapstrake boats in West Brooklin, Maine-and get out to enjoy their handiwork in its proper element whenever they can.