Sometimes there's nothing more relaxing than a good read when you settle into your anchorage for the night. In fact, it's a great time to reach for Peter Jeans Seafaring Lore and Legend. Published in 2007 by International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press, it is a book that lets you sample the array of sea stories and legends that are out there – kind of the boater's equivalent to 1001 Arabian Nights.

Learn about odd nautical customs, such as flogging a dead horse, and marine terminology. Check out the stories about pirates, sea captains, ghost ships and mutinies. Read up on the gods of the sea – the well known gods, such as Neptune and Poseidon, as well as the more obscure Maui, Portuna, etc. Get the skinny about the origins of the British Royal Navy or bone up on nautical superstitions and taboos. Truly, there's a little something for every boater contained in this nearly 400-page reference/anthology.

Seafaring Lore and Legend is available at Amazon.com or through your local book retailer.

- Linda Hoff