Have you ever been caught in the doldrums? Can you spot the difference between a ketch and a yawl? Do you know when you are ready to jibe or whether one "fakes" or "flakes" aline? Nautical language is a richly diverse blend of terms and idioms that reflect generations of experience and enterprise on the high seas. Some of the oldest phrases stili retain their originai definitions from long before Shakespeare/s day; others have subtly shifted in meaning over the years. Stili others, brand-new and freshly coined from laptop computers, are just making their way into the vernacular. Here, in The Sailor’s Illustrated Dictionary, Thompson Lenfestey presents the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and accurate reference of its kind to appear in over forty years . The book gathers more than 8/500 definitions and covers an ocean of information from supertankers to dinghies, from naval warfare to pleasure yachting, and from sai I to oar. Written in clear, accessi bi e language The Sailor’s Illustrated Dictionary includes not only definitions, but also parts of speech, cross references, unusual pronunciations, and-when necessaryexampIes of appropriate usage. It aIso indudes iIIustrations showing subjects as wide ranging ' as knots, doud formation , navigation lights, and siIhouettes of sai! and power vesseIs. It's an essentiaI book for every yachter, Naval buff, historian, or anyone who Ioves the sea, and belongs on every nauticaI bookshelf.