The definitive bible of every knot seafarers need to know, packed with step-by-step diagrams and photography.Featuring all the knots, hitches, bends, splices, whipping and decorative knotwork that you would find on a boat, this comprehensive guide will help sailors, climbers, anglers and all those who regularly use knotwork master essential skills.Over 200 knots are scored for strength, reliability, ease of tying (and untying) and usefulness. Step by step p...

The rhythmic lullaby of ‘North Utsire, South Utsire’ has been lulling the nation’s insomniacs to sleep for over 90 years. It has inspired songs, poetry and imaginations across the globe – as well as providing a very real service for the nation’s seafarers who might fall prey to storms and gales. It has inspired everyone from Seamus Heaney to Radiohead, and from Radio 4 announcers to the writers of Keeping Up Appearances. In 1995, a plan to move the late-night broadcast by just 12 minutes c...

Confined in a small space for months on end, subject to ship's discipline and living on limited food supplies, many sailors of old lost their minds – and no wonder. Many still do.The result in some instances was bloodthirsty mutinies, such as the whaleboat Sharon whose captain was butchered and fed to the ship's pigs in a crazed attack in the Pacific. Or mob violence, such as the 147 survivors on the raft of the Medusa, who slaughtered each other in a two-week org...

Bloomsbury presents Titanic on Trial by Nic Compton, read by Peter Altschuler.Capturing the disbelief, the chaos and the terror of the fateful night the Titanic sank 100 years ago, Titanic on Trial brings to life the tragedy through the voices of those who survived it. Stories about the sinking have becomelegendary – how the band played to the end, how lifeboats were lowered half-empty – but amongst the films, novels and academic arguments, only those who were there can sepa...

An encyclopedic compendium of every element of a yacht, this book contains a wealth of information for the aficionado as well as the newcomer, taking apart the sailboat to explore every part of it in depth. Gloriously illustrated with beautiful photography and explanatory diagrams, each page is packed with fascinating and satisfying detail.Looking first at the history of yachting and boatbuilding techniques, the book arms the reader with the knowledge to understand the lineage and ...

Former Classic Boat editor Nic Compton has spent over 20 years sailing and photographing classic yachts, and this is the culmination of his decades-long passion - a stunning collection showcasing the 20 most beautiful and fascinating classic boats still sailing today.They include:Bona Fide - the original fin-keeler that was 70 years ahead of her timeInward Bound - a 35ft cutter built in Argentina using salvaged timber from the General ...

This beautifully produced compendium gives you a knot challenge for every day of the year. With hundreds to choose from, all colour coded by use, you can work through the book from start to finish, gradually building on your knowledge as you go, or alternatively dipping in and out for your daily knotting fix.Covers:- all the essential knots- useful hitches, bends, whippings and splices- handy knots for making outdoor items: plant hangers, harnesses, tree swings...

Why will a sailor never go to sea on Friday 13th?Why are boats always referred to as 'she'?How do you navigate the ocean without a compass?Does the Bermuda Triangle really exist?Why do sailors wear earrings?Did Blackbeard actually exist?Did Nelson really say 'Kiss me, Hardy'?What's the correct way to bury a body at sea?Why is a rope never called a rope?This fascinating collection of maritime folklore and trivia delves into the...

Its an urban jungle out there, and if its not the survival of the fittest, its certainly the survival of the most practical. But hows a boy or girl supposed to learn lifes essential practicalities in these days of hustle, bustle, and laid-back parenting? How to Avoid Being Struck By Lightning is the solution. Its a mentor, a tutor, a driving instructor, a mom, a dad, a grandparent, a scout instructor, and a coach rolled into one. Dividing life into four sections, and then subdividing its c...

*SHORTLISTED for Cricket Book of the Year at The British Sports Book Awards 2024*FOREWORD BY ALASTAIR COOKWho ever hoped like a cricketer?Nick Compton has an incredible sporting ancestry. A literal golden boy, his grandfather Denis Compton played cricket for England and football for Arsenal.Honed at an elite English boarding school, with a telegenic profile perfectly suited to the modern media environment, Nick appe...

Powerful memoir of cricket, family and depression by former England cricketer Nick Compton.Nick Compton had it all. A literal golden boy, to many observers it would seem that he was born to be a great in the sporting arena coming as he did from an incredible sporting ancestry. HIs grandfather Sir Denis Compton played cricket for England and football for Arsenal.Honed at an elite English boarding school, with a telegenic profile perfectly suited to the modern media environmen...

It's 1955 and the Pallas Players, an all-female theatre company, are putting on a play: Whisky Galore.They transport us back to 1943 on the Scottish islands of Great and Little Todday, where the whisky supply has dried up because of the war, leaving tensions running high. Relief seems to be at hand when a ship carrying 50,000 bottles of whisky is wrecked just offshore. Then it's every thirsty man for himself as the islanders try to rescue as many bottles as possible before...