reading(The Log of the "Cutty Sark"

I finished The Log of the "Cutty Sark" this afternoon, 14 days out from Start. First, let me explain, this isn't the actual log of the "Cutty". It is a romance that follows the clipper and her competition from construction to final berth. Not a romance of people, but a romance of sail and sea. It intersperses stories that aren't directly related to the "Cutty" with detailed descriptions of her voyages. The author has biases, for his subject ship, his empire, and his race. The first of these is tolerable and forgivable. The last two make this book feel all of its nearly 100 years.

This book is an excellent history lesson for anyone who isn't familiar with the time of the tea clippers and the transition from sail to steam. It gives an "on the waves" account of this transition, which covers the economics and the effects. It's also an education for anyone who wants to get thoroughly steeped in old nautical jargon. Not simply the jargon of sail plans, rigging, and parts of ships, but also the slang of the sailor. If there are seven different terms for a given thing or act, Basil Lubbock will not repeat after using six, but go the full measure. Sometimes the reader finds themselves on beam-ends and almost losing the number of their mess. I'm not sure how much of the content is historical novel embellishment. There are a lot of details in the descriptions of some of the voyages, but Lubbock did have the fortune of interviewing crew members.

Making a run of over 300 pages, this book isn't a undertaking for the inexperienced skipper. However, it does show a gallant balance of readability and educational content.

8. Basil Lubbock The Log of the "Cutty Sark"