The Magic of the Swatchways

Book excerpt: The Magic of the Swatchways was Maurice Griffiths' favourite book. In the words of John Leather, 'few sailing books become classics like this one', and since first publication in 1932 it has lost none of that fresh charm which has endeared it to so many generations of sailing. The book tells of cruising in a 6-ton cutter, a lean hulled 7-ton yawl, a converted smack, a sloop-rigged converted ships' lifeboat, a small barge yacht and a centreboard sloop in the heart of Maurice's beloved East Coast shoal waters, and all infused with the Griffiths' trademark evocative charm. The Magic of the Swatchways will enthrall anyone who is entranced by the peace and solitude of the creeks at night and the moan of the sea on the sands. It provides a fascinating insight into a unique area which may never again be the same.