John Harland was born in the great shipbuilding city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, but after his medical training he emigrated to Canada. Although the area of British Columbia where he now lives is far from the sea, he never lost his childhood interest in the sea and ships, devoting most of his spare time to their study. He is a highly active member of the Society for Nautical Research and contributes to its prestige journal The Mariner's Mirror on a wide range of topics. Virtually a life's work, this book has become the standard reference on the subject, proving invaluable to captains and crew of tall ships and maritime historians alike.
