Work Boat World

Sailing into the Past: Learning from Replica Ships

Baird Maritime
Editor: Jenny Bennett
Publisher: Naval Institute Press

From Baird Maritime:

Most readers of this review would have sailed on or at least inspected a replica of an ancient ship.

Your reviewer has had the pleasure and pain of rowing and sailing a Viking ship replica and sailing a replica oceanographic exploration vessel of the early nineteenth century. He has looked closely at many others. He unreservedly agrees with the author's claims of the ability and importance of such replicas.

Built to extant plans or using archaeological evidence, most replicas are very close in almost every respect to the vessels they reprise. These days about the only real differences comprise modern safety equipment, sometimes an auxiliary engine and, always, navigation lights.

Many important replica ships have been built over the last half century. Most of those have contributed significantly to the maritime culture of their home ports and the many ports they have called at.

A fascinating and very well presented collection of excellent essays and photographs.

Ordering information:

Naval Institute Press
Annapolis, USA

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