Wood, Water, and Light: Classic Wooden Boats

One of the earlier books available on the renaissance of wooden boats. Beautiful lighting, boats and water. There is a foreword by an editor of Wooden Boat magazine, and introductions by author Joel White, and photographer Ben Mendolwitz. Both highly respected in their field, Mr. White has since passed away.Each chapter includes a line drawing by Kathy Bray, the vessel's dimensions, an interior drawing, and a description of the boat's creation, use, and current owners. There are usually half a dozen but not more than ten photos and a brief essay detailing what makes this boat or yacht unique from the author's perspective. The book is twenty five years old now and better photography equipment exists but you will not be disappointed with either the photos or the prose. There are two dozen boats in this collection from a yacht tender to a coasting schooner, racing power boats, to cabin cruisers, knockabouts and a racing 12 meter. Beetle cats, peapods, lobster boats, and sardine carriers alternate with Herreshoff's, S&S's and Aldens.The wide variety will not disappoint and if sipped with Scotch at the end of the day you might get inspired to buy or rebuild your own dream.

Don't ever forget that trees were used for boats, before paper. There is something special about the way wooden boats look. To be sure, many coats of varnish, carefully applied to a nicely grained wood, is a sight to behold. But beyond that, wood can dictate the shape of the hull. Wood can be bent, but it prefers gentle bends, and those lines tend to be pleasing to the eye. "Wood, Water and Light" is just that. Lovely boats, photographed in their element. Photographs can't exist without light, and the photographer uses it to show off his subjects in their best.....uh, light. The boats are very nice - some unique, even. The text is just sufficient to give us a bit of history about the boats - when, where and why they were concieved and built. We also learn what they are up to nowadays. Well, not exactly. The book is fairly priced, but was produced in 1988...so when we are told that, regretfully, a boat has been put up for sale, we can rest assured that the deal was consumated years ago, and the new owners have enjoyed many wonderful years on the water in their lovely wooden boat.

Someone took excellent care to send this book so that it arrived in excellent condition. Very pleased.

This is not just a good picture book of sailboats. The photographs are by the best current maritime photographer alive today and many of the boats are designed and built by the best os the best. E.B. White and his son Joel White both lived at the Brookline Boatyard in Maine and Joel's energy and beautifully written words make for a special insight into the lives those who make life on the water an art for all times.

What a beautiful book. This is a book of dreams. I you love wooden boats and if you lament the passing of Kodachrome you will love this book. I am going to look for more books with photography by Benjamin Mendlowitz.

Beautiful. My used version had a broken spine, so the middle four pages were not connected to the spine.

Beautiful book , like opening a time capsule of Wooden Boats. The narrative on each one is priceless

This is a lovely testament to boat building and sailing as an artform.