Category: Small boats

Four Months in a Sneak Box – a small boat or dinghy cruising classic

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Nathaniel Bishop’s sneak box

Bill Serjeant’s recent editorial on the Melonseed skiff reminded me of Nathaniel H Bishop’s account of a 2600-mile voyage down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and along the Gulf of Mexico in a 12-ft sneak box, clearly a classic little duck hunting boat with a strong family resemblance to the Melonseed.

Titled Four Months in a Sneak-Box, it’s one of the classics of small boat sailing and can be read online here. Find out more about Nat Bishop and his amazing travels here.

It’s difficulty to guess how long this particular resource might remain available, so I’d suggest saving the text and drawings somewhere on your own computer – the home pages for this site are gone, which doesn’t bode at all well for the rest of the content.

Odd micro-curragh for sale on Ebay

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Thanks to Chris at Rowing for Pleasure for pointing that there’s a 12ft curragh for sale on Ebay. It makes quite a curiosity.

For more on curraghs at intheboatshed.net, click here.

Ginny’s Christmas list – reviews of books we would have liked, and some we would not

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Ginny Jones of Martha’s Vineyard has suggested I share her Annual Christmas list – a review of books she’s read this year, and a couple of other items she believes we could all benefit from knowing about. Well, it may be too late for Christmas, but maybe one or two can be found in time for the sailing season and those peaceful times when we’re waiting for the tide.

I should explain that Ginny is a seriously well-seasoned sailor, and through her company Firefox Consulting offers surveying and other services on and around Martha’s Vineyard. Most of the books she lists are likely to be available via www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk or ABE Books.

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‘My pile of maritime books for review this year contains an eclectic mix of practical and reference titles, books of photographs, cruising tales, maritime history, and some classics from the Golden Age of yachting. The criteria for a place on the pile, and on the list, is that the book must have a narrative which is engaging, with a bit of a spark and humour, it must have lasting interest and it has to have some real value as a source of information. Space on my library shelves is limited, so acquisitions are rigorously vetted and only rarely does the list include a book that I wouldn’t wish to own. Further, it will be a cold day in the Nether Regions before I ever step on a racing sail boat again so there will only be an occasional reference to books about round the world sail boat races and other endurance challenges. Here you will find books that provide pleasure and a different perspective during the winter months to the armchair sailor. And just as a lagniappe I’ve thrown in a few tools that will make the winter boat “to do” list go more smoothly. [A lagniappe is a bonus, such as the 13th bun in a baker’s dozen – ed. ]

‘On The Wind – The marine photography of Norman Fortier should be on everyone’s must-have list this year, and it will be a wonderful gift for anyone who Continue reading “Ginny’s Christmas list – reviews of books we would have liked, and some we would not”