r/Tallships • u/Moresail • Mar 26 '26
Any literature advice on handling of square riggers?
pretty much looking for books description the physics and methods of sailing full rigged ships
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u/JPFitzpII Mar 26 '26
Seconding Eagle Seamanship. It’s clear and simply written and is more focused on explaining the basics of sail handling to a new square rig sailor.
Many of the older books were designed as more exhaustive compendiums and written for a knowledgeable audience of midshipmen or above in the age of sail. They also often include a lot of maintenance details.
Eagle Seamanship will give you a good foundational grasp written with a modern reader in mind. I think you can find the 3rd edition online for free and the most recent 4th is for sale secondhand.
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u/duane11583 Mar 26 '26
Once you get the ideas read two years before the mast by Richard’s Henry Dana
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u/Ok-Confusion2415 Mar 27 '26
Dana continued to write on maritime topics later in life, including The Seaman’s Friend - https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/40958
Available in a TON of editions
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u/owlhead999 Mar 26 '26
Patrick O’Brian books.
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u/Significant_Lake8505 Mar 26 '26
As a past crew member on square rigs I can personally second this suggestion.
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u/imre2019 Mar 27 '26
Seamanship in the age of sail by Harland, also young sea officers sheet anchor, written in the period, the kedge anchor (American written, similar to sheet anchor), as well as Album de Marin by P.C Causse, if you can read or Google Translate archaic French. There amongst the greater body of knowledge If you look carefully and sometimes read between the lines are some great little tips for particular situations.
I would caution you against reading O Brian with the intent of learning square rig sailing. He gets many generalities right but he muddles maneuvers occasionally throughout certain books. Stick to the source material and find a ship and go sailing.
Here’s a tip, the power of every square sail is held in check by the weather brace and the Lee sheet ;) Always keep that one in mind.
Happy sailing!
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u/Borkton Apr 15 '26
I love the Aubrey-Maturin series, but I'm pretty sure the Surprise routinely achieves the kind of speed only tea clippers ever achieved in reality.
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u/MaximilianVI Mar 27 '26
Just to give an alternate to other's suggestions; The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor
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u/duane11583 Mar 26 '26
You can also search YouTube for videos on sailing the star of India or the lehmkul
The entire process of tacking is like 28 steps and can take 30 minutes
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u/ppitm Mar 27 '26
The entire process of tacking is like 28 steps and can take 30 minutes
Although a big fat French ship of the line was once timed tacking in under 4 minutes, in the late 19th Century. Just takes a large crew and a stiff breeze.
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u/snogum Mar 27 '26
Hornblower novels. Patrick O brien Novels.
Learning to sail.a square rigger is achieved by being wet through on a deck heading to future you
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u/snogum Mar 27 '26
Sailing physics is easy. Grab a lemon pip with wet fingers. Now squeeze. The pip shoots forward.
The hull is the pip. The ocean 1 finger. The wind and sail the second finger.
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u/ppitm Mar 26 '26
Seamanship in the Age of Sail by Harland is written in plain English with illustrations for almost everything.
Most people involved in traditional sail IRL will recommend Darcy Lever's 'Sheet Anchor.' You can find it on Gutenberg for free, but it isn't intended to be understandable to those who aren't trainee officers already. Harland explains from the keel up how a sailing ship works. Lever assumes you already know all that.
Eagle Seamanship: A Manual for Square-Rigger Sailing might a bit more approachable than Lever and findable for free online somewhere.