Sailors have used ditty bags to carry sewing equipment, toiletries, and other small items for centuries, and now The Ditty Bag Book teaches modern-day sailors the art form of hand-making ditty bags to use on their own seaward travels. Master sailor Frank Rosenow provides complete, step-by-step instructions in the making of a ditty bag—from cutting material to size to decorative touches—and emphasizes the proper maintenance of rigging and sails using the items stowed in the ditty bag. Included in this handy, portable guide is additional information about the essential tools any sailor should have aboard ship, such as a clasp knife, a hand-seeming palm, beeswax, and a serving mallet. Rosenow also offers an array of advice on repairing sails, splicing, palm-and-needle whippings, chafing gear, and much more! Complete with hand drawings by the author, The Ditty Bag Book is essential for any modern-day sailor.

2012 Reprint of 1952 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. "Knowledge of marlinspike seamanship is what distinguishes the true seaman from the man who merely ventures upon the water. No one can become a skipper, or should aspire to that distinction, who has not mastered knots, palm and needle work, and the making of small objects on board as necessary. In fact the few required knots, hitches or bends should be so well known that they can be tied blindfolded or in the dark....The greatest single value of this work is the amazing clarity he achieves in his drawings. He has set a new standard for all time. Rope is a difficult subject to draw. Like the sea itself, it changes its appearance constantly"-From the Forward.