With the introduction of stearn and the developrnent of early paddle stearners, or 'flappers' as the Arnericans called thern, new problerns of ship handling were encountered which required a specialised forrn of searnanship. This highly original book seeks to discover, principally by the exarnination of the evidence in Iogs of several ocean-going stearners, just how the owners and searnen of the day contrived to rnake these vessels seaworthy and weatherly. In extrerne conditions, paddle wheeI propulsion was often found inadequate and control of the ship only rnaintained with the help of her sails. Sails also instilled passenger confidence, for breakdowns did occur, and were in fact vital to the success of the voyage by reducing fuel consurnption and increasing speed. Masts and yards did, however, sIow the stearner in strong headwinds and extra crew were needed to handle the canvas. Furtherrnore, by the end of the passage, paddle wheel irnrnersion was Iess efficient and the reduced stability adversely affected sailing performance. The solutions to all these problerns form the core of this book, and the author's text and illustrations provide a vivid picture of how the well-established traditions of the sailing ship were adapted to promote the developrnent of the paddle ships and early screw vessels on the inhospitable seas of the North Atlantic.