The Media Store is a showcase of recommended books, videos, music and magazines to complement building and sailing our boats.  Members have recommended them as noted.  In association with Amazon.com, links are provided to their listings.  If you buy after clicking on one of these links, it helps support Weekender Boatbuilding and our eventual goal of buying our own URL.  But even if you don't like buying online, take advantage of their reviews and information.  And for those of you who just wish to contribute towards our own URL for both sites, just click on the "Click to Pay" banner up above.  Amazon.com will collect the donation for us (your privacy is protected with Amazon.com's secure servers.)

Categories:  Non-fiction Books   Fiction     Videos   Music     Magazines

Non-fiction

The Gaff Rig Handbook, by John Leather.  This was suggested as the best resource out there on the gaff rig, and after a long wait while Amazon.com obtained this book from England, I can report that it is everything people say it is.  Great text, clear illustrations, and quite a bit of information not found elsewhere makes this my favorite of the books listed.  It was pricey, however, at about $32.  Amazon.com is now offering the newest edition, available November 2001, at $8 off the suggested price for those that pre-order it.  The Amazon.com listing provides the ISBN number if you want to order it from your favorite bookseller (but if you order it from this link, it helps support the Weekender Boatbuilding site and my eventual goal of buying our own URL instead of going through MSN.)  I've included several of the illustrations on the Gaff Rig Page Detail Pages for your browsing pleasure.  A scan of the table of contents is here.  If you are serious about gaff rigs, this is the book to have.  If you can only afford one, this is the one.  Recommended by member Frank Hagan.

Knowing the Ropes, by Roger C. Taylor, is a great resource for the essiential things you need to know about tying knots, anchor rodes, and even a bit on the gaff rig.  Chapter 15 includes information on attaching the gaff, mast hoops, bending and hoisting sail, trimming the main sail, amount of purchase required for your peak and throat halyards, and fitting a bridle to your gaff for the peak halyard.  Roger also gives some great information you don't see everywhere:  how to rig gaff vangs and preventer backstays for the gaff rig.  I used his 4 part main sheet featured in our Modifications album.  Good stuff.  Recommended by member Frank Hagan.

Hand Reef and Steer, by Tom Cunliffe.  When looking for this book, make sure you note the author, and the subtitle, which should read "Traditional Sailing Skills for Classic Boats."  An out of print book with the same name is not gaff-rig specific. Click on the link to go to Amazon.com's entry for the correct Hand Reef and Steer.  I purchased this one from Amazon.com, and find it full of useful information.  At first glance, there seems to be a lot of historical information, but what Cunliffe has done is describe nearly every imaginable type of craft using a gaff rig.  Then, selecting the gaff cutter, he continues on to describe the rigging details of every aspect of that sail plan. Because the cutter has every rigging feature the other types  have, you immediately identify those rigging features you need to consider if you are planning on obtaining more information than in our plans on using a gaff rig.  This deals with the gaff rig exclusively, and contains many details not found in Knowing the Ropes.  Cunliffe also includes sail trimming and sailing tips, with a dose of humor.  Recommended by member Frank Hagan.

The Rigger's Apprentice, by Brion Toss, falls into the category of general knowledge about all rigging (and knots, and ropes, and ...) with some information on the gaff rig just because Brion seems to like it.  Brion is a master rigger, author, public speaker and a pretty nice guy.  His web bulletin board, Spar Talk. is a great resource when you're trying to come up with rigging details.  Along with Brion's home page, www.briontoss.com,  this book and Spar Talk make a powerful resource.  Recommended by member Frank Hagan.

The Arts of the Sailor by Hervey Garrett Smith.  The paperbound edition was last published in 1990, a reprint of this 1953 classic.  Smith writes in a 50's style, so you think you may have tuned into an episode of Leave It To Beaver if the Beave had built a boat.  Because the gaff rig was still popular in 1953, this books contains some details of rigging.  But much of it is dated also, as most of us won't be using hemp rope.  Like Knowing the Ropes, above, this book is very interesting, and much for the novice to consider.  A good general resource that won't break the bank to buy!  Recommended by member Frank Hagan.

Brightwork by Rebecca J. Whitman.  This could be a "coffee table" book as the artful photos of wooden boats are worth the price alone. But it is so much more: a complete text on finishing wood using many methods, written in a light style that is delightful to read. Wittman is a professional refinisher and makes concrete recommendations on products from her favorite power tools to the best brands of sandpapers to preferred makers of varnishes and oils. She even includes a chapter on the history of varnish. All in all, this book is a total delight. Recommended by member Eric.

Sails by Jeremy Howard-Williams.  The greatest ever treatise of the sail. As one progresses in sailing, the appreciation for this text grows as deeply as those sailing moments and the fine vessels of their experience. My copy was obtained from the dusty shelve of my local boatyard's supply counter. (Turner Marine at the mouth of the Dog River on the northwestern shore of Mobile Bay.)  The text is 409 pages is dedicated solely to the science, design, and fitting of sails, as well as their management in vessel locomotion in all the varied sea and wind conditions encountered by a seaman.  [Editor's Note:  Amazon.com reports this book is currently out of print, but provides links to used copies available.]  Recommended by member Peridot.

Sailing Alone Around the World, by Joshua Slocum.  If you haven't read Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum, it's a must read. He's the first to sail alone around the world, and in a boat he built (re-built) by hand. His book is easy to read and an interesting take on what goes thru the mind of a single handed sailor at sea. His adventures around Cape Horn are amazing (including having to rebuild a mast). Naturally his boat Spray was a gaff rig.  Recommended by member John Henry.

In the Heart of the Sea, by Nathaniel Philbrick.  A great true-life story that inspired Melville's Moby Dick, about the first known instance where a sperm whale attacked a ship, the Essex.  Philbrick has done a great job bringing the daily life of the people of Nantucket, and the harrowing adventures of the crew of the Essex as they sailed first from Nantucket across the Atlantic, then south to the coast of South America and around into the Pacific.  Recommended by member Frank Hagan.

The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger.  You've seen the movie, now read the book. There is a great amount of meterological information in the book, and reading how the storm surprised the best in that field is truly fascinating.  It really gives you an appreciation for the power of Mother Nature, and the courage of the Air National Guard rescue units and the Coast Guard rescue swimmers.  Reviewed by member Frank Hagan.

Fiction
The King's Commission, Dewey Lambdin.  [See review below, under Master and Commander]  Recommended by member Bill.

Master and Commander, Patrick Obrian. [For the best fiction category,]  I like the Patrik O'brian series, or the Dewey Lambdin series [link above.] Recommended by member Bill.

Every Man Will Do His Duty, Anthology  [This is] an anthology of stories from sailors back in the days of tall ships.  Recommended by member Dave R.

Swallows and Amazons, by Arthur Ransome.  [For children 10 to 90]  Kept my daughter (9) entranced for weeks of evening reading sessions. 1 of a series of books written in the 30's about sailing friends growing up in England. After reading the first book, we attended the local boat show, and while touring large sailing yachts, she was rattling off the correct names of every space, hatch, and fitting aboard. The salesman was suitably impressed. All the terminology she gleaned from our readings. Recommended by member Pastor Jim.

Videos
 
 

Music

Reckoning, live CD by The Grateful Dead.  "Reckoning" is a great introduction to the Grateful Dead if you have never paid attention to them. You may be surprised at the mellow overall tone and the easy skill displayed here.  Recently I followed Frank Hagan's hollow birds-eye mast instructions and sanded its original eight sides to a smooth round spar. After the power sanding was over, I enjoyed the final rounding with sandpaper while my favorite CD reminded me how much fun I was having.  Recommended by member Eric.

Songs You Know by Heart, CD by Jimmy Buffett.  Now what would a sailing / boatbuilding site be without homage being paid to the master of sailing music, Jimmy Buffett?  This multi-CD set is a great addition for Parrot Heads everywhere.  Recommended by member Frank Hagan.

Boats, Beaches, Bars and Ballads, CD, Jimmy Buffett.  Want to spend less than $60 but still get Buffett's take on our favorite subjects?  This single CD is a good introduction.  Recommended by member Frank Hagan.
 

Magazines

Wooden Boat Magazine.  This is my all-time favorite boating magazine.  Great tips for boat builders and those that love traditional wooden boats.  I saw the Weekender ad in Wooden Boat Magazine, and that started all of this ... Recommended by member Frank Hagan.

Boatbuilder Magazine.  This is a small circulation magazine specifically for boat designers and builders, with great information for amateur and home builders as well as the pro.  They don't have a web site, so the link provides an email address for subscription information.  As a small circulation journal, their rates are fairly high ($30 a year for six issues), but worth it if you are planning on building or designing more than just your Stevenson Projects boat.  Recommended by member Frank Hagan.