For over fifty years Maurice Griffiths cruised in a variety of small yachts amongst the rivers and creeks of the Thames Estuary and round the coasts of Suffolk, Essex and Kent. In this classic book he tells of the boats he owned in that time, and shows how the experience gained with these small craft helped to turn him into a dedicated yacht designer. There is more than an echo here of the magic the author found amongst his beloved swatchways, so although this book contains much lore and advice for the yacht designer, discerning owner and builder, it is also a book of delightful reminiscences.

Famed yacht designer and author L. Francis Herreshoff takes us on family style cruises in American waters, during which all sorts of boats and boating skills are explained while they are used. He tells about the adventures of the crews of the catboat Piscator, the ketch Viator, and the engineless whaleboat-style ketch Rozinante. There are anecdotes and examples and a wide variety of boat lore in each chapter, as well as adventures, races and coastwide cruises and historical harbors to visit.