Scott Rosen
08-11-2004, 06:02 PM
I was going through some boxes of old stuff, and I found a 1958 edition of Chapman's Piloting, Seamanship and Small Boat Handling.
It was my dad's. He got it when we got our first boat, way back when.
It's a fun read. There's a chapter on "yachting etiquette" (which includes a section on table manners and the proper way to address a lady) and a chapter on acceptable dress for yachtsmen. Apparently that was a topic of hot debate in the '50's--whether or not to wear a recognized yachting uniform. Wearing shorts and collarless shirts was frowned upon, except for the owners of "small" yachts who couldn't afford a crew and had to perform all of the menial tasks like pumping the bilge and washing the decks themselves.
Even the choice of a hat was scrutinized. A proper yachting cap had a patent leather bill and an insignia that indicated your status on the yacht. White hat must be worn with white uniform; navy blue with navy blue. Sailors, while sailing, were allowed to wear the equivalent of a Tilley hat--white canvas with an all-around brim, green underneath.
Wearing a swordfish bill hat (a/k/a baseball cap) would mark you as a "salt", which was a bad thing. Only lowly charter fishing captians wore those.
There was an entire chapter on the care and selection of rope, as it only dealt with manilla and other natural fiber rope. I've never considered that rope could rot, but it was a big problem before nylon.
I was surprised to learn that Loran has been in service since the 1940's.
How things have changed.
It was my dad's. He got it when we got our first boat, way back when.
It's a fun read. There's a chapter on "yachting etiquette" (which includes a section on table manners and the proper way to address a lady) and a chapter on acceptable dress for yachtsmen. Apparently that was a topic of hot debate in the '50's--whether or not to wear a recognized yachting uniform. Wearing shorts and collarless shirts was frowned upon, except for the owners of "small" yachts who couldn't afford a crew and had to perform all of the menial tasks like pumping the bilge and washing the decks themselves.
Even the choice of a hat was scrutinized. A proper yachting cap had a patent leather bill and an insignia that indicated your status on the yacht. White hat must be worn with white uniform; navy blue with navy blue. Sailors, while sailing, were allowed to wear the equivalent of a Tilley hat--white canvas with an all-around brim, green underneath.
Wearing a swordfish bill hat (a/k/a baseball cap) would mark you as a "salt", which was a bad thing. Only lowly charter fishing captians wore those.
There was an entire chapter on the care and selection of rope, as it only dealt with manilla and other natural fiber rope. I've never considered that rope could rot, but it was a big problem before nylon.
I was surprised to learn that Loran has been in service since the 1940's.
How things have changed.