Nautical Dictionaries

[BillyBudd]

Some pros and cons, suggestions, condemnations, and so forth on various nautical dictionaires would be a help. I'd like one to cover the waterfront of things to do with sailing, and to aid in reading nautical novels. Not too arcane, but is that possible or even desireable?

[JimD]

I use The Sailor's Illustrated Dictionary by Thompson Lenfestey with Captain Thompson Lenfestey Jr. Full Explanations of More Than 8,500 Terms and Prases Used by Sailors, Boaters, and Seamen. John G Rogers' Origin of Sea Terms makes an interesting adjunct.

[Hal Forsen]

I have an older copy of the second edition of Rene' de Kerchove's International Maritime Dictionary published by Van Nostrand Reinhold and it's pretty comprehensive.
I haven't seen any others that come close as far content.

HF

[outofthenorm]

There are a few classic ones:
" A Naval Expositor - 1750" by Blanckley, but it's very expensive.
"Falconer's Marine Dictionary" also published as "The Old Wooden Walls in about 1930". An original is expensive, but you can get a reprint copy from DN Goodchild for about $35 IIRC.

They are both a little old and not really comprehensive. Their value is that they are contemporary reference works.

But this is one of the best, especially if 19th century or earlier fiction is of interest.


www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=50551&cat=1,46096,46100

[Tom Galyen]

If some of the books you are planning are reading are of the Patrick O'Brian series then I would recommend "A Sea of Words" 2nd Edition by Dean King. It is subtitled "A Lexicon and Companion For Patrick O'Brian's Seafaring Tales" It carries translations of the French quotes used in the books as well.

Tom G. (Seaweed)

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

.
Here is a series of links to on-line maritime dictionaries in English and other languages that you might find useful.

Mike

[BillyBudd]

Hmmmm, online sounds just dandy. Thanks!