Boats, Boffins and Bowlines: The Stories of Sailing Inventors and Innovations

Publisher: Sutton Publishing, £14.99

Publication Date: 2005

We are given many facts and explanations about the development of sailing, seamanship and the devices that we use, fulfilling the subtitle's promise. Written in light-hearted style with line-drawings, black and white illustrations and intercalated snippets, the book could be read straight through; or browsed, or specific answers sought via the index - although not found for the origin of the name "CQR", and "bowline" appears only in the glossary. There is a substantial appendix of suggested further reading, both general and arranged by chapter.One barrier to wholehearted recommendation of this book is my antipathy to the author's gratuitously snide implications in his lists "Infamous yachting incidents" and "Yachtsmen lost at sea", and his summing up of the loss of Eric Tabarly. The dust cover cites "praise for [his] previous book Gardeners, Gurus and Grubs". - JT