by Francis B. Cooke
with 83 drawings in the text by Archie White
From the Introduction: Necessity is the mother of invention” says the proverb, and it is one peculiarly applicable to the average small yacht-owner, who devotes a good deal of thought to devising gadgets that will tend to make his craft more comfortable to live in and convenient to handle when under way. When it is remembered that the cabin of such a vessel is, as a rule, only about 7 ft. square, with from 4 ft. to 5 ft. headroom, and usually has to accommodate two or more people and the innumerable articles that constitute a cruising yacht’s equipment, it is obvious that there is considerable scope for ingenuity in that respect. In most cases the gadgets devised by amateurs are really practical and valuable, although it is true that one occasionally sees fitments rather suggestive of a Heath Robinson drawing. But if these examples of misguided ingenuity serve no useful purpose they probably gave their inventors a good deal of pleasure and certainly hurt no one. A surprisingly contemporary work for its original publication date of 1902 and certainly applicable today. The needs of the cruiser for accomodation and comfort have not changed and never will, and the solutions presented in this competent and entertaining work are very useful.
HOME PAGE
