Steel Boatbuilding Review

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(More customer reviews)Steel boatbuilding isn't magic preformed with a wand. It is a very doable process achieved with cutting torch, grinder, and welder and Tom Colvin explains in exacting detail how to employ these tools and more in that process. If the devil is in the details, this is truely one hell of a book because it is filled with details. (Everything from how to select designers and plans to the types of paint to use and when and how to apply them. This book, which uses the construction of a 52 foot sailboat by a single person as it's model, was recommended to me by a man who has built more than a dozen offshore (50 feet or larger) fishing boats for service in the North Atlantic and still claims it is his bible. I am now working on my second steel boat under 35' and I am a believer.

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How to Build the Shellback Dinghy Review

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(More customer reviews)If you have never built a boat and are afraid to get in over your head, this "How To" book offers the perfect beginner's project. The 11' 6" Shellback Dinghy is a great boat for kids or adults who want to get out and do some exploring or fishing in protected waters--good for rowing and sailing. You can build it from scratch or buy the kit which comes with a jig and pre-cut pieces; so you don't need an elaborate shop. (...)

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Construct this 11' 2" dinghy following the step-by-step instructions of builder Eric Dow. This is a modern classic that rows, tows, and sails beautifully.

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Boats with an Open Mind: Seventy-Five Unconventional Designs and Concepts Review

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(More customer reviews)Congratulations! You have arrived! If you dream practical dreams--if you dream of building a boat--and if you haven't discovered Bolger, prepare yourself, for you are about to be set free! Bolger THINKS. He thinks of what you need in your boat, and he designs them in. The details are all there. He considers engines, ground tackle, comforts. He considers place. Where is the boat going to be used. Where will it be stored. Will it need to fit under low bridges. He considers limitations, specifically those of the home builder. No fancy custom bronze castings here; his fittings you can build from stock items, and they work. Bolger is one of a kind. He is the Master. His boats can be beautiful (Nord Koster) practical (Diablo) extraordinary (Steel Singlehander) and all of the above (Sainte Valery). This book is aptly titled; it WILL open your mind. Welcome fellow boat dreamer and builder, to the world of Phil Bolger & Friends. You're gonna like it here.....

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The Modern Cruising Sailboat: A Complete Guide to its Design, Construction, and Outfitting Review

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(More customer reviews)I wish this had been the first book I bought when I started researching live aboard cruisers. This book is a great overview that will help you codify what type of boat you want and need. There is very little in the book that I haven't read in other places, but I haven't found any other book that puts all of the information in one nice reference like this. The recommended reading list is worth the price of the book!
I only wish that his boat reviews in the back had included more boats in the live aboard size range rather than concentrating on so many smaller boats.
That being said, you won't go wrong buying this book.

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A comprehensive guide to help you identify and equip the boat that best suits your needs

Well-known boating writer Charles Doane unravelsthe complexity of cruising sailboat design and explains the fundamentals and the ramifications of each design decision. In easy-to-understand terms, Doane explains theoreticalaspects of design, pragmatic issues like keel shapeand berth configuration, pros and cons of variousconstruction methods and materials, outfitting, propulsion,rigging and much more.

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Practical Junk Rig Review

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(More customer reviews)The theory and relevant illustrations along with specific commentary make this a unique and mandatory Must Read for anyone considering serious sailing conditions in a junk rig sailboat. If you are going to design your own rig, you've still hit the jackpot. This book will save you about a hundred years of costly mistakes, serious wallet aches, and may even save your life. The Junk rig is fantastic , but like any rig you need knowledge to use it correctly and safely. By the way, I'll take the Junk Rig over anything out there today, it is forgiving, inexpensive, more durable than dirt, and usable in heavy weather as well as sunset cruises on a smooth day. With so little pressure on any point of the sail, they just don't rip. You could shoot holes in it with a shotgun and you wouldn't affect performance much. Try that with a western rig, and the pressure would rip it apart. I can't give this book anything but 5 stars.

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The authoritative handbook on designing and using junk rigs.Includes useful technical information on designing your own junk rig.Includes all the content of the prior editions, rearranged for readability, plus an added half dozen junk rig design study plans.

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Building The Weekend Skiff Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is designed for those who want a start in boat building or those looking for an inexpensive way to build a row boat or small sail boat. I have built the skiff in this book as part of a class at Buffalo State College with John Montague, the author. The directions are excellent and very easy to follow. My wife helped build the row boat and she has no prior woodworking skills. We enjoy the row boat very much and have had it now 2 years. The cost is around $250 for the row boat the sail boat is a little more due to the cost of a sail. I have built 2 more for a summer camp with high school age kids and they enjoyed it very much. A great book for the boating enthusiest looking to build thier own boat.

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Offers detailed plans and instructions for building a simple boat at low cost with easily obtainable materials and basic hand tools, the skiff in this manual is 15 feet in length, can hold two adults or several children, and is adaptable for oars, sail, or a small outboard engine. A fun way to spend a weekend and get an excellent small boat easily and inexpensively, it is a great family project, ideal for introductory boat-building courses and for community and school-based boat-building experiences.

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