Books published by publisher Wooden Boat Publications

Meet a little rowboat and his friends who work and play on the coast of Maine. Told by Helen Sylvester, with wonderful illustrations in watercolor by Chris Gray, which show Yellow Boatie's friends and workmates, including seals, mackies, seagulls, a family of mice, and their barn cat friend Haylee. The book takes you through the Maine seasons, as well as a rescue mission with John and his lobsterboat Magic Carpet. The watercolors bring out some of the everyday details of Maine life... the lobster buoys hanging in the barn, the grand old retired dory, Dorgan, how seagulls open mussel shells, the running of the mackerel, the call of the loons, and the all-important first signs of spring.

This is a basic primer of using line, rope, twine, string and shoelaces. Think of it as an enjoyable course in making line work for you-tying up a hammock, tying down a tarpaulin, cleating down a dockline or lashing on a cartop canoe. As a gift for a line-challenged mate or a ready reference for your own bookshelf, this practical but beguiling how-to is a must-have. It is an essential introduction to the craft of cordage, illustrated in Adkins' stylish but clear detail, written with wit and enthusiasm.

As a kid, Will Ansel would spend hours rowing the creeks around Annapolis, Maryland. From his boat he could look down on the wrecks of Chesapeake skipjacks, and watch the turtles sun themselves on deckbeams and the tops of centerboard trunks. He found other types of Chesapeake boats there too, including the old "log" boats. Years later, Will built scaled-down skipjacks, wrote about them, and eventually went to work at Mystic Seaport as a ships' carpenter and boatbuilder. Will now lives in Georgetown, Maine, in an old house built at the water's edge, with a small shop and dock. The inventory of boats and kayaks is currently seven. Besides keeping up, using, and adding to these, he does some writing and painting, and work around a cabin in the woods.

The almost forgotten craft of shifting large weights with brains instead of engines. Beginning with practical rules for moving like Get the Ming vase out of the Room. All the way out, and What goes up comes down heavier. This is a fascinating description of applied physics in the real world. If you move engine blocks, concrete mooring sinkers, or nothing heavier than this book from table to lap, you'll enjoy the encouraging narrative and the precise drawings. Not everyone moves coffins with marbles or sheet steel with baseballs, but you might very well find an idea to help you move Uncle Harry's monstrous bathtub out of the basement, or a reluctant oak stump out of the yard.

A perennial favorite, reprinted for a new generation. Jan Adkins' young adult novel sends a spunky but alienated teenager back through time in "a storm without rain" to his New England home town in 1904, where he becomes the best friend, shipmate and co-conspirator to his own grandfather at his age. More than a fantasy, the town and times and most of the people the boys meet are factual. The textures, smells, sounds and sights of a vanished era return in this compelling narrative. What a young man learns about family, love and the march of time might just affect you as well.

Jan Adkins' "Wooden Ship" is the chronicle of a ship's birth; from the need and idea of a new vessel we see her abuilding in the mind of her designer, in the timbers of her ribs, in the tools and skills of her workmen. We follow her as she grows, as she disappears out to sea in search of whales and riches, and beyond. "Wooden Ship" reaches back to the year 1868 and brings to us a vision of life and vitality woven around the mythical whaleship "Ulysses." We see the workmen and their work as if caught in amber, demonstrating their crafts, shaping a great world-cruising ship that bears away their arts, New Bedford's hopes and our imaginations.

A charming and intricate fable. Its powerful story-line unfolds in the depth of winter, among the islands of the Maine archipelago. A boy and his father-both cut loose from the familiar comforts of city and friends-make a bitter journey in a cold season. They are given a solstice gift of rescue, welcome, warmth and joy. Together, they realize a profound lesson in family love through an odd collection of unforgettable Yankee characters. Solstice will speak to both young adults and parents. It's a gift book that will bring delight and reflection.

A tale of the sea without varnish and polished brass. The characters in this miniature narrative are the rough and purpose-built workboats that live with the weather and the hard realities of the water. A boatyard owner's concern for a lost fisherman reverberates through the working community of watermen, giving us an insider's glimpse of the vessels and seafolk that work the sea for a living. This is a read-aloud book with a wealth of "I see" details that will call for as much parent-child sharing as reading. Bound to be a favorite for years.