Sloop: Restoring My Family's Wooden Sailboat--An Adventure in Old-Fashioned Values

Now in paperback, Daniel Robb’s Sloop proves he “is a craftsman… with words as well as with a hammer, as he constructs a charming tale that both details the technical nature of boatbuilding and captures the essence of the past, present, and future of a New England maritime community” (Publishers Weekly).

• Interest in the environment and ecology: Daniel robb decided to restore his family’s well-worn wooden sailboat in appreciation for its craftsmanship and out of respect for the environment for which it was intended. Sloop’s tribute to the simple life and one’s environment will resonate with sailing enthusiasts and anyone who appreciates fine craftsmanship.

• Timeless values: robb voices an ethic in which things are valued and appreciated, especially well-designed objects that still have years of useful life in them. While die-hard sailors or woodworking fanatics will love this book, robb’s skill as a writer also makes this a fascinating read for anyone. His humorous account of his on-the-job learning experience and of the eccentric characters who share his values and helped him will delight readers.

“Robb writes of his painstaking restoration of a rotted 12½- foot herreshoff that had floated on memory and emotion, and finally again on water.…a gem.” —David Mehegan, The Boston Globe

“Whether you’re an old-time boat builder, a wooden boat enthusiast, or simply someone who appreciates words woven together masterfully, you’ll enjoy Sloop.” —Kathleen Szmit, Barnstable Patriot

Author of Crossing the Water, Daniel Robb has been an editor of academic journals, a teacher, a political consultant on a congressional campaign, and a proprietor of a literary services business. He has also worked at sea on schooners, taught sailing, and raced in national competitions. Robb lives in Pelham, Massachusetts.