A photographic tour of the interiors of cruising yachts, ranging from the comfortably modest to the hideously ostentatious. "There is something special about a classic yacht-something that captures the imagination of sailor and landsman alike. The crisp silhouette of a sloop in the red-gold path of the sun, or the low purr of a motor yacht dissolving into a morning's fog invites the dreamer to come aboard, to imagine the exotic lands lying just beyond the mind's horizon. Down Below provides a full-color tour of the interiors of these classic yachts. They were built all over the world and have bee owned by the famous and the infamous. Their ports of call include the most idyllic spots known to man. The degree of opulence of the interiors is often determine by the use to which the yacht is put: some are charter boats; others live-aboards; a number have had a variety of exciting careers. Each yacht reveals the designer's taste and priorities: some were built to be comfortable; some to be fast; and a few are palatial. Matthew Walker has traveled to fourteen countries to photograph these yachts and to gather their histories, the stories of their design, and their various adventures. The result is the first book ever on yacht interiors, a chance for everyone to get a good look Down Below." - from the dj. The yachts, in alphabetical order: Alicante - Netherlands, 70-foot traditional Friesland "tjalk,"originally Vrouwe Sophia); Anglea (England, 147-foot motoryacht); Antares (South Africa, 90-foot gaff schooner); Black Pearl (U.S.A., 51-foot "hermaphrodite brig"); Blue Peter (U.S.A., 90-foot motoryacht); Cherokee (U.S.A., 26-foot fishing motorboat); Condor (Italy, 50-foot sloop, formerly yawl Tioga); Congar (U.S.A., 43-foot motorsailer cutter); Cyclade (Belgium, 39-meter "peniche" cargo barge, motorized canal boat); Dauntless (U.S.A., 61-footstaysail schooner); Dorade (U.S.A., 52-foot yawl); Doxa I and Irene (Greec e, semi-traditional motorsailers, 23- and 20-meters, respectively); Dulcidry (Italy, 11-meter racing sloop); Eilean (Scotland, 72-foot ketch); Fair Sarae ( England, 103-foot schooner, formerly named White Bitch, Eros II ); Gaucho (Argentina, 50-foot ketch); Groote Beer (Netherlands, 52-foot "botterjach," traditional North Sea sailing-freighter); Hawaita (England, 62-foot gaff schooner); Jacaranda (Spain, 23-meter high-speed motoryacht); Javeline -England, 23-meter gaff ketch); Lindo (Sweden, 92-foot three-masted gaff schooner); Lyra; Clearwater (U.S.A., 76-foot gaff sloop); Marie von Altona (Denmark, 20-meter Ostee-Galeasse ketch); Ming-Hai (Hong Kon, 50-foot Chinesejunk); Navita (U.S.A., 64-foot motorsailer ketch); Nuovo Aiuto di Dio (Ita ly, 15-meter lateen rigged "liuto"); Pretantaine (France, 16-meter gaff schooner); Roseway (U.S.A., 112-foot gaff schooner); Sea Cloud (Germany, 96-Meter four masted squarerigged barque); Selini (Greece, 15-meter "caique perama," semi-traditional sloop); Selkie (U.S.A.-25-foot Friendship Sloop); Sfizio and Stradivari (Italy, racing sloops, 7.7 meters and 10.3 meters respectively); Sirocco (U.S.A., 75-foot cutter, formerly ketch Karenita); SolariaToo (France, 26-meter high-speed motoryacht); Sonja Elar (Norway, 49-foot converted fishing boat, now ketch-rigged live-aboard); Strovili (Greece, 30-meter gaff schooner, originally named Pandora); Sunrise (U.S.A., 38-foot "pinky" ketch); Taihoa (Canada, 38-foot gaff cutter); Tern IV (England, 62-foot gaff cutter, formerly gaff yawl); Ticonderoga (U.S.A, 92-foot ketch); Unicorn (Finland, 96-foot two-masted brig, formerly cargo schooner); Wild Goose (U.S.A., 136-foot converted U.S. Navy minesweeper); Xebec -England, 115-foot fantail steamyacht, originally named Madeline);. Zivio! (Germany, 42-foot yawl, formerly named Esprit IV);Zorra (Italy, 73-foot racing yawl, originally Hermitage).