Boatbuilding Books

I have a 1987 Catalina 30 sailboat with a diesel engine. I wish I had purchased a copy of this book six years ago when I bought my boat. I might have saved hundreds and maybe even thousands of dollars in yard bills by doing more of the work myself with the help of this book. I have the 2nd Edition published in 1995. I think it is well organized, well written, and I find the illustrations to be clear. A friend of mine purchased the 3rd Edition, which has updated information, particularly on electronics. However I am extremely satisfied with the 2nd Edition for my needs.

No this is not a book for inland gas boats! This is a book for ocean going vessels. Both power and sail. I have cruised on a 28' Columbia (outboard) and a 41' Islander Freeport (perkins). It was a *must have* with the Cruising Handbook in 4 years of full time cruising. [...] Fairwinds!

This is the second Nigel Calder book I own, and I am even more impressed. I am an ASA-certified instructor qualified to teach through bareboat chartering and coastal navigation. I have sailed on all sorts of boats, have owned a cruising style boat for six years, have heard boat owners and students complain about various problems, have read dozens of books, and through all of this have experienced so many mysteries related to corrosion, electrical problems, equipment problems, and issues with various boat systems. For the first time, I feel I have a single reference manual specific to boat systems that not only provides clear troubleshooting steps but goes beyond troubleshooting to clearly explain the mechanical and physical principles that demystify why things go wrong and how the troubelshooting steps systematically work through problems. The explanations are understandable, the instructions and safety tips are effective, and the diagrams and photos are valuable. It has already helped me deal with a grounding problem that was causing our main cirvruit breaker to trip!

I'm redesigning the electrical system for my boat and portions of this book has given me the knowledge to make informed decisions, with an understanding of the trade offs, about what features and capabilities I would like my new system to have. It has also provided information to allow me to make intelligent decisions about selecting new components to achieve my electrical system goals efficiently (save money by not buying things I don't need). I would recommend this book for the person with a basic knowledge of electricity who wants to understand either how their current electrical system works or how they might change it to make it better.

This is a great book. I love the extensive coverage of electrical systems, as it seems so many boaters have problems with electrical. I was a little surprised that the engine section only covers diesel engines. No big deal, as most of the other stuff applies to gas too (impellers, transmission, etc), but I wanted to know a little about a head overhaul and there's not much there for the gas engine owner.
Still, I'd highly recommend this book to any boat owner who also has the gumption to do the work themselves.

I was expecting some good, useful information from this book. Oh yes, it has that and much more, with an eye toward stout, functional and practical boats and building methods. What surprised me was the wit and excellent humor while the author spins the occasional yarm or tale about this or that method and why he will or will not use them, a few sea stories and history through his eyes. Hillarious, informative and immensely practical. I'd have it on my shelf even if I never touched a boat.

RadioRay ..._ ._
s/v Milenka
Virginia - USA

Buehler's Backyard Boatbuilding is a magnificent guide to thinking about the craft of boatbuilding, and a paen to the days of self sufficiency. There's a gleeful contrarian bent to this book, and Buehler's muscular 'sticktoitiveness' is nothing short of infectious. Halfway through the book I was levitating off the couch shouting, "You gotta believe!"

Buehler is a delightful pain in the arse. He recounts the various sins of modern boat designers, who, in the pursuit of creating a "boat for everybody" succeed in designing breakdown-prone 'hangar queens' that cost a fortune and satisfy very few. Buehler believes in designing them stone-simple and rock-solid. In his engine spaces you will actually have space to replace a secondary fuel filter in a seaway--try that in a modern production boat! A Buehler boat is built around the people (usually a couple) who will actually sail and use it. Buehler has harsh words for designers who compromise their interior spaces to fit around the visiting Hendersons and Joneses.

His designs, by his own admission, lack polish. I would more charitably say that he asks prospective builders to re-imagine polish. Yes, he uses loads of plywood and hot-dipped galvanized steel and home-grade lumber. This isn't "polished" in the traditional sense. But it does harken to the days of wooden ships that got their crews of iron men home safe in greasy weather, fresh winds, and foul tides. Survivability, maintainability, mean times between failure--those are elements of performance. Performance is its own polish!

I can't recommend Buehler enough. I've read and re-read this book and it's fueled more than one fantasy boat. For my money, this is the best money you can spend. Even if you don't buy into his particular designs, you'll be armed with a whole new attitude and know what to look for when you build someone else's boat.

The content of "Buehler's Backyard Boatbuilding" provides a structured, step by step, method for the construction of a single-chine workboat. The construction methods tend to focus on less expensive materials and methods for builders with relatively little experience. It effectively outlines virtually all elements of construction, from laying a keel and casting a concrete ballast, to rigging and wiring. The book provides an extremely important reference material to any boat builder; even, to a lesser extent, those constructing round-bilge boats. With a multitude of pros, excellently identified in the other reviews posted here, I will address some of the shortcomings I encountered with the materials.

Mr. Buehler included an in-depth treatment of concrete cast ballasts, however, he did not introduce other techniques, namely lead casting, in any significant detail. For the majority of his designs and builders, concrete ballasts work just fine, however, this may not carry through for some builders, other non-Buehler designs, and those using this book as a reference material.

I noted a few examples of his boats posted for sale and noted, as pointed out in other posts, that the boats do not appear to sell for much more than the cost of their materials. While you should not expect a valuable yacht quality result, their design employs massive timbers and does produce an extremely sturdy vessel.

He addresses the lofting process in an incredibly simple and brief manner. It provides an excellent introduction to the process and, unlike most other treatments, won't scare a first time builder. Unfortunately, the description does leave out a lot of advanced techniques. For the projection of the transom, frame curves, and bearding lines, etc. turn to Howard Chapelle's more difficult treatment in "Boatbuilding", as Mr. Buehler suggests.

The single most significant shortcoming I find in Mr. Buehler's work involves the exclusion of smaller boats. He includes plans for a 28' and 35.5' cutter, a 43' schooner, a 42' marconi cutter, 34' basic powerboat, 30.333' powerboat, 50' 3 or 1 mast sailboat, and finally a 55.333' powerboat.

He provides excellent and complete, although small, plans for all of these vessels; an outstanding value. Unfortunately, many builders turn to Mr. Buehler's book for a simple and straightforward construction method because of amateur/intermediate experience. The large boat designs frequently run directly counter to this. While Mr. Buehler does an excellent job of encouraging builders, many newer builders cannot justify an expenditure of several thousands of dollars on something without near certain success. A simple remedy for this would include a simple 15-20' design, allowing builders to hone their skills and make their mistakes on something far less expensive.

This said, he does include a full set of building plans, complete enough for a first time builder, for the "Happy Camper of Pogo Pogo" a beautiful 16' schooner on his site. Unfortunately, a recent, massive increase in their price, from $195 to $395, will likely place them out of reach of many first time builders.

While I focused primarily on the few shortcomings in "Buehler's Backyard Boatbuilding", I believe that all, but the most advanced builders will find the information invaluable. The inability to find lower priced plans for a 15-20', chine, heavy displacement boat might force a newer boatbuilder to some of the instant, keel-less, light displacement boat designs promoted by Harold Payson and, in particular, Jim Michalak.

This book is just what it says a book on building a boat at home yourself. If your interested in building a boat you need this book. He directs most of this book towards large boats 30 to 60 feet but you can apply alot of this to smaller craft. He explains how you can build cheap and substitue materials to save money.

This is fine reading and a must for all considering building your own boat. As we say in the Elevator Trade, "That man know more tricks than a two-dollar ho!", ho ho Merry Christmas. Book is full of useful info and the book list in back is also how I found Harold "Dynamite" Payson's book 'Boat Modeling'...for building small versions from any plans using real boat building techniques. Buehler is a winner.

If my wife read this book, she would divorce me instantly, as she would understand why a Nautically Obsessed person will never change, and will get worse as time goes by.....

Honestly, this book made me realize there are others like me that can't stop thinking about boats and the ocean! It feeds the fire burning in your soul and loads you up with all kinds of facts, concepts, and the author's experience to send you off to the drawing board, the boat show, or maybe West Marine. Great writing and a flow of information that will make you not want to let it down until you've committed to memory. While you're at it, get "Elements of Boat Strength" also. Highly recommended!

Great book for all the same reasons listed by all the other reviews. However I have one to add. At a party, try reading the section titles out loud in a somewhat suggestive tone. It will astound you how almost every single section title can be read literally or perverted. Whether or not the author meant this to be the case he accomplished it quite well as there are many- many sections.

I love books on how things work, and I love books on boats. This one is a great combination of both. It covers a lot of naval architecture subjects and all in just the right depth for the interested novice.

The book begins with a review of different types of hulls and their advantages and disadvantages. That is followed by my favorite section which is the one on the theory of naval architecture - the parameters and how they affect the problem space. After that there is another good section about how to understand a drawing of a hull and relate that to performance characteristics of the boat. Engineers love to talk about tradeoffs and this book covers that really well, including topics like stability and roll resistance, hull strength versus shape and many others.

There is a lot more, but I don't want to spoil the ending, so I will just say that if you are interested in boats as an engineer, sailor or purchaser, then you need to read this book.

Subtitled Insights and Esoterica for the Nautically Obsessed, this book is a direct hit on its intended audience. Read it once through quickly, then enjoy it over and over again like a favorite song, and you will learn an amazing amount about every sort of boat an individual is likely to own or dream about. Gerr covers design and construction, sails and motors, and boats from homemade paddleboat to liveaboard oceangoing cruiser either motor and/or sail, and everything in between. He covers more about boats than you could imagine he would, and writes wonderfully.
It is difficult to say in a few words how useful, or how enjoyable, this book is. I love it.

Love the book. It is full of "Rules of Thumb" that can save tons of time when trying to design a boat or solve a problem. The techniques shown are great for practical application. The author has an uncanny ability to teach complex subjects in a down to earth easy to understand manner. Highly recommended for boatman, yacht designers, marine engineers and naval architects.

A very informative book. I plan to build a stripper in the near future and this book supplied me with the information that I was needing and also clear step by step instructions.
Very fast delivery time to receive the book also.

This is the first book to get before all other boatbuilding texts. Ted and Merilyn have so clearly illustrated,both in words and pictures building a stripper, someone with ten thumbs will produce a thing of beauty.

I have build the Redbird canoe. The book was almost perfect to help me building. Some minor details were left to my own fantasy. It was very hard to understand the special terminology and translate it (I talk and think in dutch). The result is great however. I can advise everybody who is thinking about building a strip canoe to read this book first. All issues , possible problems, step by step plans, measurements etc. are adequately handled in this book.

Canoecraft provides a wide variety canoe designs for building. Historical pictures show canoe shops with proud workers. Warning: I've used the strongback as suggested in this book and ended up with a slightly warped, but paddleable boat.

I have built the PROSPECTOR and the REDBIRD. The information in this book is accurate and easy to understand. I researched books before selecting CANOECRAFT and have found it the best source of information and guidance. Several times I have been stopped by people who are interested in my canoes. When they ask where I got my plans and instructions, I tell them about CANOECRAFT by Moores and Mohr. Thank you Ted and Merilyn.

If you're a fan of nature or outdoors writing, especially the sort that provides a good deal of local color, you'll probably enjoy this book. It reminded me of William W. Warner's wonderful little book, Beautiful Swimmers, which was about the blue crab and other fisherman of the Chesapeake Bay. (By the way, I can highly recommend Warner's book as it is not as well known as it should be, but it is a much loved classic among those who do. Try reading the reviews here on it and you'll see what I mean. They're practically all rave reviews).

But getting back to White's book, White recounts the life of a Georgia small boat builder and waterman from his earliest childhood to his more mature years. White was practically born building small boats, and it shows, as his knowledge of small boat building and craftsmanship is as broad and deep as the waters he has plied for decades in his homemade canoes.

But the book isn't all about boat building, as White is a first-rate raconteur and tells many funny stories and anecdotes along the way, in addition to giving you his down-home philosophy about people, boats, and life in general. Overall an enjoyable read and if you follow other authors in the genre, like Randy Wayne White, you'll probably want to try Robb White (no relation as far as I know) too.

Robb White's descriptions of growing up along the Florida Panhandle sets the stage for one of the funniest, most entertaining books I have read in years. Beginning with a gang of kids, toddlers in diapers to gawky teenagers, who wandered shallow bays and sandy beaches from dawn to dark, White moves on to his Navy years in Puerto Rico, where he spent his off hours (and there were a lot of off them) watching local boat builders, and finally beginning his own boat building business. Stateside, he followed the boat-building trade as best he could, struggling to earn a bare living, with long periods of cash-money work such as crewing aboard tugboats which pushed oil-laden barges around the Gulf Coast and up tiny tidal waterways. I practically rolled on the floor laughing at his accounts of life aboard the tugs, which included ritual trading of tattered "porn" magazines and a crewmate who literally "gutted" an annoying tug captain. Interspersed through lively, often hysterical, accounts of his travels and travails, are delightful chapters about small boats and boating: jury rigging ancient outboard motors, building classic fishing skiffs and featherweight sailing canoes, capturing and cooking the sealife of the Gulf. I couldn't put the "Tin Canoe" down, read it through without stopping and loved every page!

In this slim but tugid volume, Robb White, heretofor known only to a narrow audience of small-boat nuts, introduces the wide world to his native waters, the Florida Gulf Coast, just like Mark Twain did for his, the Mississippi. This is no idle comparison: Like Twain, he has played with and piloted all kinds of boats upon his waters, met all life's characters there, and kept his eyes wide open all the time. If you think his language can't be as pungent, his characers as rich, his stories as deceptively simple -- well, don't judge till you read him. Then you might agree, Huck Finn ain't got nuthin' on ol' Robb White.

I got this from the library as I am a canoe nut. Turned out more of a continuing "autobiography"(?) in the McManus tradition (THEY SHOOT CANOES. DON'T THEY?)only this is all in the deep south. It is funny, informative and best of all highly irreverant. This guy was corrupted by some of the same forces that did me six decades ago. I am ordering it now for a keeper.

Robb White writes of his wild childhood and wild boating life. And he gets away with it because he's so good! This is candid, uproarious writing of the best sort. It's specific. And you know he knows what he's talking about because he's been there. What a tonic! His work reminds me of Jack Saunders. : ) --A fellow folk writer who hasn't gotten his break yet. Robb's is rough'n'tumble family storytelling, yet it's gentle. It's personal...and it's general. Just the right stuff. More! ...OK, I have to let the cat out of the bag: if you want more, subscribe to the thrifty, friendly little magazine "Messing About In Boats" right now. Robb has been writing biweekly columns for it for years now. What great good times! And fiesty, helpful boating (and living) info, too. (Did you know that Robb is the world's best bass fisherman? He'll tell you why sometime...)

If you want to build your plywood boat right then this is the book for you.

If you are going to build a plywood boat or dreaming of it, you really should read this book first. It helps you to understand the technique, choose right materials and ways to work. There are also very good health and safety instructions, which are often forgotten or not cared during the work.

Even you'd be an experienced boatbuilder or just a beginner, you can always learn new things from this book. If you buy boat plans or design them by yourself, there are always very important desicions made in construction and then there are also those very important "little things", which may be missing on instructions or you just don't notice them. This book presents all the phases, big and little things very clearly and the all the decisions are based on long time real-life experience. It also explains the terminology of boatbuilding and function of different parts of the boat's hull with photos and drawings.

The text is very easy to read, instructions are clear and everything is explained well. The book will give answer to all your questions concerning the basic builind process during the project. It also helps you to do things right in first time. More than worth of money. If you are not searching information about building a plywood boat, then maybe you should try to find something else.

If you are going to build a plywood boat or dreaming of it, you really should read this book first. It helps you to understand the technique, choose right materials and ways to work. There are also very good health and safety instructions, which are often forgotten or not cared during the work.

Even you'd be an experienced boatbuilder or just a beginner, you can always learn new things from this book. If you buy boat plans or design them by yourself, there are always very important desicions made in construction and then there are also those very important "little things", which may be missing on instructions or you just don't notice them. This book presents all the phases, big and little things very clearly and the all the decisions are based on long time real-life experience. It also explains the terminology of boatbuilding and function of different parts of the boat's hull with photos and drawings.

The text is very easy to read, instructions are clear and everything is explained well. The book will give answer to all your questions concerning the basic builind process during the project. It also helps you to do things right in first time. More than worth of money. If you are not searching information about building a plywood boat, then maybe you should try to find something else.

This is a great book to use if you have bought the Glen-L or Clark Craft plywood boat Plans. As a matter of fact I could not see how you would build any of their designs without this book. Very comprehensive and very well written. Good simpel straight foreward explanations. Definitely worth the investment for the amateur boatbuilder. No beginner should be without it. I know that sounds cliche but with this book it is true. Buy it if you plan on building a plywood boat.

Truly a remarkable book if (and ONLY if) you have decided that you wish to use plywood as a construction material. It is often an overlooked, and certainly misunderstood material. To be brief on that note, I am not a plywood boatbuilder. I have used and am impressed with its versatility, but prefer the more tedious and traditonal methods. However, it must be understood that plywood hulls can be made round and smooth and strong. It is not a material to be dismissed lightly.

Many other 'survey books' are available to discuss the merits and pitfalls of any given material. Once the builder has been convinced that plywood (hull or deck) construction is a possibility, this book is indispensable. I would never attempt to build a plywood craft without the wealth of knowledge and wisdom Witt offers about a material he has utilized himself, in so many of his plans.

After acquiring a pretty vast library of boat building literature- this is still the most used to reference back to. It is definitely tailored to their processes but these too should be used as models of how the plans should be done also. Cheers

I have followed Bruce's career for over 30 years. In that time he has changed from a naval architect who sells hand-drawn boat plans to a designer using the most sophisticated technology to produce first rate boat plans and kits for the perceptive buyer. This revision of Metal Boats has built on that excellent work and explores all current knowledge about steel, aluminum and copper-nickel boatbuilding. I think that the book lives up to Bruce's promise to "turn a welder into a boatbuilder."

As The "Complete Guide to METAL BOATS" is about to be re-printed I thought this a good time to write an 'Author's review'. Over the past few months I have received hundreds of emails from customers expressing favourable comment on my book. When an author writes a book much of the content is usually 'researched' material ... In this case most of what you read in MB came out of my personal knowledge and experiance in designing and building metal boats. I personally find MB a great reference for the the researched material and the many pieces of information that occasionally 'slips ones mind' If you are planning to build or own a metal boat I can recommend this book without reservation. MB will NOT teach you how to weld but it WILL teach a welder how to build and maintain a metal boat. Regards, Bruce Roberts-Goodson

I waited with interest for the new edition as was advertised on www.bruceroberts.com website, and talked with the folks at Bruce Roberts, who explained that the whole book was being updated. They were quite helpful, and quite correct.

The book explains the "mysteries" and answers most questions regarding building a metal boat whether building from scratch and plans or from a computer cut kit. It explains the differences in the various materials with no great bias and plainly spells out the pluses & minuses of each. Welding techniques and materials are outlined as are methods for fitting out and installing systems.

Mr. Roberts-Goodson's writing style is down-to-earth, explaining items in plain English which makes it very easy to understand. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone considering building or buying a metal boat. Additionally metal boats owners would enjoy this book and would use it as a resource for repair and maintenance.

I brought this book because I was planning to build a kit (plasma cut boat).
The information in this book is valuable and to the point.
He also makes some important points about buying a steel boat.
However, in common with most boat building books it needs a whole chapter on costing and time to build to make it complete.
To get a handle on costing I would recommend:-
1) "Steel Away" by Smith and Moir
2) "the Cruising Life" by Jim Trefethen (I keep on rereading this book).
3) "Insider's Guide to Buying a Powerboat" by J.P. Lamy

this book is a good mix of history and details about building any number of small craft. Nicely written and worth the price.

This is a classic book about a classic form of boat: the dory. John Gardner's expertise and enthusiasm are clearly communicated with great writing and illustrations. It's a wonderful history of American small craft as well as an excellent guide on how to build them.

This book has a wealth of information, for those interested in building dories. Clear and consise explanations, as well as a great how to build chapter, were excellent. I have begun building a swampscott dory, and would be lost without this book. Anyone interested in building wooden dories would be wise to have this book in their collection.

Excellent book with a wealth of information on the building of dory's. A little inconsistant with the plans from boat to boat, but overall, a great book to have and to use.

I picked up a copy of THE DORY BOOK in 1993. I wanted to build a rowing/sailing craft that would be relatively stable in weather. I read Gardner's book cover to cover, decided that there was enough detailed information to guide a first-time boat builder through the construction of almost any of the boats described, and started building the Dion Swampscott dory in my basement that December. With the book open on my work bench, I slowly turned a pile of oak and northern white pine lumber into a 17' dory that has served me well in a variety of settings, from Lake Champlain to Penobscot Bay to the waters off Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. My only regret is that I never got to take John Gardner's boat building course at Mystic Seaport. The book will guide anyone with reasonable woodworking skills through the almost mystical experience of building a classic small craft. If you have any interest in boat building, this book belongs in your library, if not on your work bench.

The authors deserve a big "Thank You" from the yachting community for undertaking this huge effort. The results are spectacular. A "must" for anybody interested in yachts and yacht design. (In the spirit of full disclosure my wife and I were one of the many sponsors of this work and we are very happy we signed on to help make this happen. The results were well worth it!)

A Truly magnificent book, all the photos and drawings a boat enthusiast could ever want. I nice broad range of vessel types covered from racing multihulls to powerboats to keel boats and gaff rigged schooners.

This book is very impressive and the years of extensive work to create and publish this book is amazing! A great conversation piece on a coffee-table. Anyone who enjoys yachts would enjoy this book, whether you have an interest in yacht designing or not. Or maybe I'm just a little partial, as my Dad, William H. Shaw, is one of the yacht designers written about in this book and I'm very proud of him.

An instant classic. This is an indispensable resource that has been too long in coming. The research is amazingly put together and the depth of entries is impressive. I was particularly interested in the research on Walter Pinaud and the yachting activity around Cape Breton at the turn of the century. Also, of less importance than the material in the book but still notable is the appearance of the book. It is a very attractive volume and the price on Amazon can't be beat.

Long awaited, this magisterial reference work by Lucia Knight and Dan McNaughten about the world's yacht designers will rapidly become a must have book for anyone with an interest in boats, sailing, yacht racing and racing rules, the evolution of yacht design, and many other facets of the maritime world. It's stunning, authoritative and comprehensive.

Great boat for really simple very small boats. This is an excellent reference book for someone who has never build any kind of a boat. I had hoped for more larger stitch and glue boats, like in the 15 to 19 foot range such as the Diablo and Diablo Grande.

I don't know of any pleasure greater than enjoying an outing in a vehicle that you built with your own hands. A boat is one of the few vehicles that most people can actually build from readily available materials and without years of training and a treasure trove of specialized tools. Unfortunately, too many would-be boat builders jump in too deep, too soon. Mr. Atkin teaches us that anyone can build a boat and provides a perfect entry point for anyone thinking about leaving terra firma in a craft of their own making. Not only does he include many free, easy-to-build designs, but he teaches through clear, comprehensive text and illustrations, the basic skills and techniques that apply not only to build the designs in the book, but to future projects beyond the book. If you're planning a boat project with kids this is THE book. As an added bonus, Mr. Atkin invites us to join his discussion group, where we can share tips and tales with the author and others who have built and enjoyed his designs. Ultrasimple Boat Building is not only a great starting point for newbies, it's a great launching point for future hard core builders.

This book belongs on the shelf of anyone who is contemplating building their own boat. This book was a special treat for me because there is a picture of a boat I built in it.
The prospect of building a boat can be very overwhelming. It is a process of figuring out your needs and then deciding on an appropriate design. This is followed by determining if you have the tools, money, space, skill, and time to see a project go from a pile of wood to a pleasant afternoon sailing on a local lake with your family. If you are like me you begin this process by reading as much as you possibly can prior to actually creating sawdust.
Gavin Atkin's book is divided into two parts. The first part deals with the "how" to build a boat. Although you may supplement this information with additional material from other sources, Atkin gives enough practical information to actually build a boat. Atkin makes building a boat for someone who has never done it seem very doable, even fun. The second part of the book is filled with designs to whet the appetite of anyone who
is in the process of trying to decide what would would be the right boat for them. Mr. Atkin includes complete plans for seventeen of his own designs, all very doable, plus he reviews designs done by other popular designers.
My boat recently succumbed to dry rot and was hauled to the dump. I am now in the process of deciding which is the "right" boat to build and Gavin Atkin's book, "Ultrasimple Boatbuilding", has renewed my interest in building my own boat again.

Gavin Atkin has been designing boats and distributing those plans for free on the web for many years with his main enjoyment being the photos and letters he received from builders. I built his flying mouse and found it to be wonderfully stable boat in a short and light package, not a normal combination. His book is a must-have addition to his plans for the extra instruction and advice he gives. He also has all sorts of different boatplans in this book to choose from for your build. Finally, you not only get the book but Gavin is readily available and responsive through the mouseboats yahoo group to answer any questions you might have during the build.

Excellent example boats in the well written boat. The author explains his choices - of boat types and construction types - very well. Inspires me to try and build a boat better than one he would build. Well at least with a nicer finish, "better" is open for dicussion. And I would not mind discussing better with the author, I would gladly pay for the for pint.