Chesapeake Bay Schooners

The focus of this readable addition to the maritime history of the Chesapeake Bay is the evolution of a uniquely American vessel from its European origins to the shipyards and waters of the Bay where it was perfected. The story of the schooners and those who sailed them takes the reader from the handy colonial schooner through the search for speed that led eventually to the graceful Baltimore clipper. It follows a course of excitement and romance in which swift, sharp-built vessels of the Chesapeake gave rise to countless tales of high adventure. A major portion of the book is devoted to the history of the centerboarders that were the workhorses of the Bay in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.No other book has chronicled the entire history of the commercial schooner, including-its economic and social aspects. The authors have relied heavily upon those who sailed the last schooners to tell their own stories and have spent hours with maritime historians. Extensive research has yielded previously unpublished material and photographs to flesh out the history of this significant influence in Bay commercial enterprise.Snediker, Quentin is the author of 'Chesapeake Bay Schooners ', published 1992 under ISBN 9780870334351 and ISBN 0870334352.