Square-Rigged Ships

There must have been few more thrilling sights than a large square-rigged ship in full sail. These magnificent, engineless vessels once carried heavy cargoes of nitrate, coal, guano or grain, battling with the storms off Cape Horn or sailing gently in or out of harbours in a light breeze. While the days in which square-riggers routinely transported goods around the world has now passed, their allure continues to linger.

In this classic introduction, originally published in 1975 under the title Voyaging with the Wind, Alan Villiers offers a first-hand, practical overview of these fascinating ships and their design, of the routes they sailed, and of the specialist skills of men who worked on them. Relying on fifty years of personal experience at sea, he shows what it meant to`learn the ropes’ and shares his infectious enthusiasm for the joys and dangers of working with sail and wind.