The Making of a Sailor or Sea Life Aboard a Yankee Square-Rigger

by Frederick Pease Harlow

Exciting firsthand account of sailor's life in the 1870 working the ship in rough weather, pleasures of shore leave, exotic lands and native girls, more. Enhanced with period illustrations of stately clippers, bustling New England harbors and picturesque ports of call.

377 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1928

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reprint of 1928 publication based on a diary, "Making of A Sailor" details a young man's first experiences going to sea in square-rigged sailing ships in the 1870s. Describing his first coasting voyage on a schooner from Boston to Philadelphia, and a subsequent 'deep water' voyage on the packet Akabar to Austraila and Java, Harlow offers a vivid recounting of his experiences. Replete with detail about daily life on board, working the sails, managing personal relations among the crew and officers, customs and superstitions, how chantey singing helped create teamwork while raising the anchor, loading, and unloading cargo and other hard tasks. It's not all about the work though, Harlow includes many incidents of rivalries among the crew, harsh discipline, strong friendships, the excitement of shore leave in foreign ports and a hair-raising rescue of a man gone overboard in a storm! A fine introduction to the life of the sailor!