“Nobody captures the magic of sail or conveys the lessons of seamanship like Tom. He’s one of sailing’s great raconteurs.” David Glenn, Editor, Yachting World Tom Cunliffe, star of BBC TV’s The Boats That Built Britain , is also Britain’s leading sailing writer. Here he shares a collection of his most entertaining, outspoken and instructive writing. Sailing, Yachts and Yarns is a selection of his funniest, wisest and most thought-provoking writing from the pages of Yachting Monthly. Tom’s regular column for this premier sailing magazine gives him free reign to explore a wide range of topics. His love of language and sense of humour shine through as he recalls the wealth of sinners and saints he has met on docksides from Southampton to South America, Greenwich to Greenland and Newtown to New York. Tom has a gift for capturing the magic of sail and finding pearls of practical wisdom in the most unlikely nautical adventures. He is also a great champion for all those who love the freedom of the seas and refuses to mince his words as he stands up to the bullies and bureaucrats that might clog the water with rules and red tape. Sailing, Yachts and Yarns is a lively miscellany of a wit, wisdom and wonder. It will make you laugh and make you think – and make you want to cast off to enjoy the delights of life afloat. Tom Cunliffe is a worldwide authority on sailing instruction and an expert on traditional craft. He is the author of more than 25 books and writes for Yachting Monthly, Yachting World and SAIL magazines. Holy Cow “These honest sons of the sea were cruising home, mending their nets, when a large cow fell from the sky, plunged through the deck before their astonished gaze, continued past the fish hold and out through the hull. When they were finally pulled from the water, nobody believed their story. Weeks later, the truth was leaked by the Russian Air Ministry…” On Watch for Eddies “… she sailed by like a ghost from another life, but she brought two things to mind. A fine boat has many incarnations – very likely she has good times as well as bad just as we do. The second thought was that it’s a big mistake to prejudge people you meet around the waterfront until you’re alongside them one stormy night when friends are hard to find.” Good, Bad, or Just Unlucky? “A boat is a lively thing which, if left alone, will drift free. She’s a wild spirit, given half a chance, and as such, individuality is never far away. To refer to a yacht as ‘it’ is tacitly to deny this, and it robs us of some of the joy of ownership. Government bureaucrats may have decreed a few years back that all ships are to be called ‘it’. Nelson’s men knew better. So should we.” Wrestling with Modernity “Diving down the steps, I found the cook clinging grimly to the nozzle, apparently possessed of a demon. The hose was flicking her around the cabin like a rag doll while jetting hundreds of gallons of Iceland’s purest water over the cushions, books, charts and everything else in reach.” Tom Cunliffe Learned to Sail the Hard Way. He crossed oceans in simple boats without engines or electrons and voyaged to both sides of the Atlantic from Brazil to Iceland and from the Caribbean to Russia. He has cruised the coast of America and Canada and logged thousands of miles exploring both sides of the English Channel. Tom’s nautical career has seen him serve as mate on a merchant ship, captain on gentlemen‘s yachts and skipper f racing craft. His private passion is classic sailing boats and he has owned a series of traditional gaff-rigged vessels that have taken him and his family on countless adventures from tropical rainforests to frozen fjords. When family commitments led to more shore time and the opportunity to write and lecture, Tom’s forceful personality, ready wit and carefully crafted prose made him a hit in the pages of the yachting press and a series of best-selling books followed. He has also written about his adventures crossing America on a motocycle. Tom has been a Yachtmaster Examiner since 1978 and has a gift for sharing his knowledge with good humour and an endless supply of tales of the sea. www.tomcunliffe.com “Nobody Captures the Magic of Sail or Conveys the Lessons of Seamanship Like Tom. He’s One of Sailing’s Great Raconteurs.” – David Glenn, Editor, Yachting World Tom Cinliffe , star of BBC TV’s The Boats That Built Britain , is also Britain’s leading sailing writer. Sailing, Yachts and Yarns is a selection of his most entertaining, outspoken and instructive writing from the pages of Yachting Monthly . Tom’s regular column for this leading sailing magazine gives him free reign to explore a wide range of topics. He has a gift for capturing the magic of sail and finding pearls of practical wisdom in the most unlikely nautical adventures. Sailing, Yachts and Yarns is a wonderful miscellany if wit, wisdom and wonder. It will make you laugh and make you think – and make you want to cast off to enjoy the delights of life