Have reread all of Stan's intro. A lot of useful information brought together, but there's also a lot of disjointed thought, supposition and opinion. We could use this as a basis for continued discussion if there is enough interest. Even Alan Villiers who wrote his foreword was essentially a latecomer to sailing ships, and like Stan, one of the last in a rapidly dying trade. His singing of chanties was a revival not dissimilar to the current folk revival. He was a journo in his native Oz before following his lifelong ambition and his crews largely consisted of young lads from Sweden.