boatbuilding for beginners (and beyond)

This book takes the complete novice, armed only with a gleam in the eye and a basic knowledge of hammer, saw and screwdriver, and walks him or her through the process of building a boat. The only materials needed are easily available from any lumberyard: plywood, 2x4s, nails and wood glue. The process is simple, the result is extraordinary: your own boat, ready to sail, in just a week or two, for a fraction of the cost of buying a factory-built (boring!) boat…And the sense of accomplishment is beyond compare. The main focus of the book is on building the 14-foot sailing/rowing skiff called “Mayfly.” Full plans and detailed step-by step instructions are given, with numerous line drawings and photographs. Those instructions can then be applied to the other full plans included: for a dinghy, a motorboat, a rowboat, a canoe and two other sailboats. The only other book to compare is Harold Payson’s venerable Build the New Instant Boats. Chapters on making your own oars, making kick-up rudders, pivoting leeboards, sails, flotation compartments, water ballast, hatches and tips for cartopping and trailering your boat and much more. It is an introductory book that will continue to be pored over as the beginner transforms himself or herself into an experienced boatbuilder. Also included are a catalog of twenty other boat plans for dreaming over, a guide to boatbuilding sites on the web, a guide to materials suppliers and a bibliography of further reading.