Books published by Boatswain Books

For more than 30 years, a collection of characters, curious situations and humorous bits and pieces washed across the desk of sailing magazine editor and columnist Bob Ross and published in Australian Sailing magazine in Bob Cranse's By the Way column.Running since 1976, now the best of them have been rescued and collected together into Flotsam and Jetsam: The Cranse Chronicles, published by Boatswain Books. This is the ideal short-read bunkside or bedside companion to restore a smile to the face at the end of a rough day on the water or on shore. Pick it up for a few laughs; put it down and save some for later.As well as hundreds of stories and yarns, Ross's photos enhance the text and bring to life many of the characters portrayed.Bob Ross has been employed in yachting media for most of his life, and in 1976 he co-founded Australian Sailing magazine, along with Ken McLachlan, which grew to become the leading competitive sailing magazine in Australia. When Bob was sailing correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald, he also wrote for the Sydney Sun, but under the pseudonym of Bob Cranse. The name followed him to Australian Sailing where his irreverent column, By the Way, became a regular highlight. Bob is now retired.

In his candid and often brutally honest autobiography, Colin Reed, remembers countless stories from his childhood in Southampton, his 10 years in the Royal Navy and then a 40 year career in the upstream oil and gas industry, including time spent on one of BP's most successful offshore production platforms, Forties Alpha.From joining the Junior Civil Defence in 1956 to serving onboard HMS Albion during the Borneo War, from working in Singapore, Dounreay in Scotland, Houston and Rio de Janeiro, and working for clients including Decca, Chevron, BP and Marathon Oil, and many more around the world, Reed brings his own introspective sense of humour to numerous occasions and experiences, all set against the background of his family life, which has been tempered with equal measures of tragedy and joy.

Austin 'Clarence' Farrar saw an opportunity for innovation in almost everything. Although not a well known public figure, he was known and respected by those who met him and worked with him. His work on dinghy design and building, and subsequently as one of the leading sailmakers of his day, stays with us today. His work on the design of spinnakers and wing rigs is still current and many of today's sailmakers learnt the trade under Austin.Coming from a family where invention was encouraged, Austin was fortunate to be yacht and dinghy racing in the heyday of the 1930s. He worked on the design of cutting edge offshore racers and developed torpedo nets to guard ships during the war. Later he was the most successful of the designers of the International 14 class and Seahorse Sails became synonymous with excellence and design development. This book tells the story of a fascinating man.