Anything beyond was not capable of giving the sail performance he talks of(he designed a few boats himself and a few were built).

Interestingly, one chapter was on "cruising". Cruising then to him(40's, 50's), was the type of coastal sailing he was doing. This was before the start of the "cruising" I'm more accustomed to today which is long term onboard in comparison. I believe this newer cruising really took off in the 60's like other life style escapes of the time where as Brace was an old school "recreational" extension of the working watermen of the day. He prided himself on all the hard work people did (like hauling their own boats with tractors or oxen on homebuilt cradles) and a few still do in remote areas I'm sure.

I think some of these skills like sailing engineless boats have partially disappeared, but I don't think driving oxen as opposed to travelifts is too sorely missed. But even oxen hauling can be relearned, somebody will do it no doubt. The place between Wind and Water he spoke of is still there.