The Rigger's Apprentice is not just another knot book, even though the knots a sailor needs are all here. Nor is it a survey of rigs, for the subject is rigging itself: its principles and procedures. Seizings, lashings, double sheet bends, grommets, wire splices, handybillies, all these are traditional techniques whose usefulness is valid even on modern, high-tech boats. Toss tells how to replace an entire gang of rigging, measuring, choosing appropriate wire, turning soft eyes, leathering, and serving. And if you are a bluewater voyager, you'll feel secure in the knowledge that, should a shroud carry away far at sea, you'll be able to repair it.