Sailing In Stitches

Sailing in Stitches relates the story of a circumnavigation in a 74 foot Yawl. Dr. John Cocker, a retired Family Physician and Publisher of STITCHES, the Journal of Medical Humour, decided at age 67 that he still had time for one more adventure. The book relates the planning and purchase of the vessel and then the adventures that happened along the way. A motley crew was assembeld and left Fort Lauderdale in November, 2000. Dr. Cocker, with 20,000 miles of blue water sailing experience, was the only one on board who had sailed out of sight of land before. Heading down the Caribbean to Trinidad and then the Panama Canal, Dr. Cocker relates stories of the sailing, along with anecdotes and incidents that occurred. The vast space of the Pacific, the 3,000 mile leg to the Marquises, when no other boat was seen for three weeks, and the events that occurred on scattered Pacific Islands, together with some natural history, economics and gossip make fascinating reading. From Australia, the voyage headed from Bali through the South China Seas, where they were boarded at night by pirates, then through 'Pirate Alley', the straights of Malacca and to Phucket. Next came the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Mediterreanean, and home across the Atlantic. Dr. Cocker's interest in foreign land, history, geography and people is evident, and his outspoken criticism of regimes and religions make fascinating reading for those of us who choose to stay at home and a guide for those of us who wish to sail.

Models of sailing ships, with their towering masts and billowing sails, have always held a special fascination for model makers because they capture all the romance of the sea, shipboard life, and a fighting spirit. However, many would-be modelers are discouraged by the inherent complexity of the subject – especially the masts and rigging, as well as the often-sumptuous decoration. Plastic kit manufacturers were quick to capitalize on this interest and produced kits that were advertised as easy and reasonably quick to assemble, featuring ready-made detail that is easily tackled by modelers of varying skills and ages with the promise of a good result. Plastic sailing ship kits are affordable, especially in comparison to wooden ship kits, and building a fleet of the most famous ships in history is easily achieved. Despite their ease of assembly, plastic models of sailing ships, like the ships themselves, remain complicated to build. Manufacturers devised several simplifications of the most difficult aspects, such as molding the lower, upper, and topmasts in one piece, offering preformed molded plastic shrouds and ratlines, or sails in vacuum-formed plastic. However, modelers have long complained that these simplifications, the physical limitations of injected plastic moldings, and the very medium of styrene plastic itself have resulted in often crudely detailed and unrealistic finished models. This book is the remedy. It describes and demonstrates techniques unique to plastic sailing ship models that overcome these limitations, allowing the construction of authentic and personally satisfying models. Each modeler has a different expectation for their model. Some will want a simple build with some straightforward refinements, whereas others will want a more detailed build that takes advantage of the many new aftermarket items, and there are those who seek the most accurate and detailed replica possible. Sailing Ships from Plastic Kits aims to give every modeler – regardless of skill and experience – a range of fundamental and advanced techniques to choose from when transforming a plastic kit into an authentic sailing ship model. Heavily illustrated in color throughout, this book is an ideal addition to the purchase of any plastic ship kit.

The Blank Knitting Graph Paper Notebook is a knitting paper, you can design your own new patterns. Our grid uses rectangular spaces rather than square to reflect the actual shape of knitting stitches. The 2:3 ratio means that 2 stitches measure the same length as 3 rows (20 stitches = 30 rows). Large size 8.5"x11," 120 pages. Order Blank Knitting Graph Paper Notebook today!

Celebrate life on a different plane as you stitch these cheery designs that will bring a smile to your face as you complete them. The smiles will continue as others see your finished projects. Bugs that aren't scary, birds that won't fly south for the winter and blooms that won't wilt or fade.

The perfect shipboard reference, this volume is packed with useful "hands-on" information: sailor's tools, basic knots, and useful hitches; handsewing and canvas work; dozens of other topics. Over 100 illustrations.

The Second Horatio Hornblower Tale of the Sea The nineteenth century dawns and the Napoleonic Wars rage as Horatio Hornblower is ordered to the Caribbean and dangerous waters. New Lieutenant Hornblower's latest ship is HMS Renown, a sound vessel whose captain is unfortunately of rather unsound mind. When ordered to attack a Spanish anchorage, the chain of command breaks down and it requires all of Hornblower's seafaring cunning to avert disaster. As cannons pound and splinters fly aboard their beleaguered vessel, and the men are forced to engage at close quarters, the young lieutenant knows that to save his ship and crew he must prove himself a master of the high seas . . . This is the second of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester's inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower. Featuring an exclusive introduction by Bernard Cornwell, creator of Sharpe 'One of the best. Everyone interested in war, or in human nature, should read this fascinating tale' The Times Literary Supplement