Boatbuilding & Boating

The real powerboat Bible by Sid Stapleton starts with the perfectly written introductory part, while the main part of the book is divided into several chapters addressing choosing a boat, handling a boat, communication and navigation issues, making necessary preparations for the voyage, emergency preparedness, cruising life etc. There are also six appendixes, their titles are - Powerboat Hull Forms; Marine Diesel Engines; Recommended Medical Supplies; Spare Parts & Supplies; The Cruising Tool Kit and, finally, Resources.

In this book the readers will first get the basic information, followed with the recommendations on selecting a proper functional layout and right basic systems, they will know how to determine what it is all would to cost, and find the cruiser of their dreams, they will also know how to negotiate the purchase; taking into account that all of this represents the contents of the first chapter, you may now imagine the amount of useful information in the whole book, which shall be considered one of the most successful and complete guides to selection of the boat, seamanship techniques and cruising itself. Read this book carefully, it is really worth spending some time on it, we guarantee that.

The refinishing of the boat is one of the most important improvements and one of the most difficult tasks in the whole process of maintenance. Proper refinishing will definitely have a very dramatic impact on the appearance. Exposure to the wondrous powers of paint began for most of us with a yellow and green box of crayons. More recent experience is likely to involve rollers and walls.

Almost everyone has some painting experience. Whether your training is experienced or limited, if you select the right product and take a deliberate and careful approach to applying it to your boat, you are definitely certain to be happy with the results. This book by Don Casey is a perfect source of useful information - it clearly indicates what exactly is necessary to have on hand in order to be able to re-do a boat. For novices this book will be useful thanks to the amount of information, while for professionals it will be equally useful since it will help them bring their knowledge up-to-date with the latest developments in sailboat finishing.

By the way, it has so many common points with another popular book by same author - This Old Boat, which we also do recommend. In short, this publication contains nearly everything the boat refinisher needs to know.

Another bestseller from Ed Sherman, whose widely recognized expertise in boat electrical systems makes him the best choice to train the newcomers. This is a perfect and easily understandable resource for all boaters - very comprehensive and covering nearly all wiring aspects.

Particularly recommended for beginner- and intermediate-level boaters. The training materials chosen for this cover the subject very well but still not get to the point where it would become too technical and therefore difficult to understand for non-professionals. Such approach made this guidebook very handy reference for everyone. The theoretical part is supplemented with a number of very useful practical shortcuts and tips - however, the author did his best to avoid using too much of technical terminology and jargon words. Everyone will find some right guidance and sound advice in this publication.

The readers will learn how to draw up correct wiring diagrams for their boats, how to identify and locate various wiring and electrical circuit components, there are instructions on using multimeters and proper maintenance if batteries, etc. - this book is really full of useful info including troubleshooting various problems with starting and battery charging, installation of AC/DC marine equipment and accessories.

Here is the complete reference to the navigation suitable for both beginners and experts. The book will lead the reader through all practical aspects of navigation in a very logical manner. The author has used a truly unique combination of traditional and modern technical disciplines. As a result, the readers do not experience any lack in knowledge and will get to know how to operate their boats safely. You will find all necessary basic information inside. That is why we would consider this book as the good training source at the very first stage, i.e. before you proceed to the actual on-the-job training,

The material provided in this publication will make you get some basics and understand what that is all about. As it was mentioned by one of the reviewers, this publication is another piece of a very large puzzle, and this is actually how it shall be treated. The popularity of the book is the result of the effort and time spent by the author.

Some practical tips provided inside, may also be useful not only to the novices but even to the professional and experienced navigators. It is a very useful practical companion for the sailors of today preparing to navigate through the seas since it explains both traditional and electronic methods of navigation.

The present handbook breaks down such complicated concepts of torque, acceleration, fluid mechanics, speed, and surface physics; it provides a very useful and informative introduction to the basics of the sailing science. Apart from that, the book illustrates the various ways physics could be used to understand how a scientific understanding of the boat, water, and wind can lead to better and safer sailing, as well as the basic principles of sailboat propulsion.

The way the present publication has been arranged allows readers to avoid any unnecessary formalisms that could make reading this book boring and, as a result, useless. The author of this book, John Kimball from the University of Albany, New York, United States, applied the fluid mechanics principles to sailboat technology and to the art of sailing. We would advice the readers to spend some of their time with this book. You will see how it helps you become a much more knowledgeable sailor.

here is a sailing terms glossary in this book for ready reference and easier understanding of the contents. At the end of the day, we all understand that there can be no truly safe and effective sailing without proper and thorough understanding of the fundamental principles.

The publication sets the standards for a very easy-to-follow and clearly written primer describing the basics of the engine troubleshooting, care and repair, as stated in the title. It features the full coverage of the four-stroke diesel engines, provides necessary information on both conventional electronic and direct fuel injection systems, etc.

It will be ideal for boat owners and operators since the author, Ed Sherman, who is also the author of this volume, covered every major engine brand presented at the market, with the power from 2 to 300 hp. We would treat this book as the complete guide on how to maintain your own outboard. The intention of the author was to fill the existing gap between the owner's manuals supplied with the engines, and full workshop manuals. Thus, we would recommend this book to everyone owning and involved in the maintenance or repair an overboard engine.

This clear, easy-to-understand step-by-step instruction book prepared by  the veteran sailor and, later, professional journalist Brian Gilbert guides the readers through the every single phase of the boat restoration process, starting from repairing the boat hull and keels, re-constructing and renewing the cabins and ports, to painting, sealing and wiring. They will learn how to deal with evaluation, repair and replacement of the hardware, canvaswork and upholstery.

The appendices provided at the end of the publication and supplemented with so vivid and informative illustrations, will make you understand the tasks as well as the costs and labour involves in the boat restoration projects. Everyone will enjoy this book since it provides you with so necessary and important confidence to restore the boats you can afford to own and to sail. It gives so many practical and helpful instructions the people need in order to properly restore their boats.

Moreover, it contains pictures detailing each of the steps of the boat refurbishing process, including guidance on proper selection and use of the tools. Note that the book was written for regular people without lots of cash but with some skills.

Since this book is very easy to read, it is highly recommended to anyone fairly new to the construction or repair of the fiberglass boats. However, it will also be very useful for those people who are experienced since reading it will definitely increase their confidence, and this is important. This book has already helped a lot of people with their fiberglass boatbuilding and boat repair projects due to the numerous useful and practical instructions provided by the author.

Just try to follow the suggestions and instructions in this book and you will see that any difficult project may become much easier for you. Subject instructions are supplemented with a number of full colour and step-by-step image sequences as well as line drawings which were included to present readers with the very basics in a digested form.

The readers will learn how to work with different sorts of materials, e.g. fiberglass, carbon fiber, epoxy, polyester etc., improve the safety, value and appearance of their boats, save time and money when performing the repairs, fix the leaks and cracks happening to the hulls etc. and even fabricate some new components. Some other activities like restoring the gelcoat have also been discussed. This is a really nice entry-level guidance.