Online Catalogue last updated 17th of September 2023
This is a unique book in that Robert Carter had the rare opportunity to acquire first hand information about the last of the wind driven ships from the final generation of sailing ship sailors. It reveals to today's generation the events, happenings and real life stories from the final fifty years in the life of the last commercial sailing ships. This era ended in 1959.
The book is beautifully illustrated with forty-one of Robert Carter's beautiful and detailed paintings. These paintings are not just illustrations of ships but each, with its own description reveals yet another story from the days of sail. We are also given a good insight into the various reasons why commercial sail lost the battle against powered vessels, how it was able to exist until half way through the 20th century.
In recent years there has been a proliferation of restorations and the building of new traditional sailing vessels, for the purpose of sail training and adventure type excursions in so called 'tall ships'. Every major maritime nation now possesses at least one sail training ship along with a plethora of other vessels engaged in charter work, together with stationary museum ships.
51 colour plates, 35 photographs.
Code No. 011598, 304 pages, ISBN 1877058041, $59.95