Conference unifix::sailing

    There are many good books now available on Wooden Boatbuilding. The
    best come from either International Marine Publishing in Camden Maine,
    or from WoodBoat Publishing in Maine. I will make a short list and post
    it here later.

  
    A start at a list
    
    	HOW TO BUILD A WOODEN BOAT  Davic C. "Bub" McIntosh 
    	Wooden Boat Publications ISBN 0-937822-10-8
    
    	THE GOUGEON BROTHERS ON BOAT CONSTRUCTION
    	ISBN 79-87812-166-8
    
    There are many more these two were sitting on the top of the boating
    pile of books.
    
    
    Forrest

    
    	I took a list a friend made up and mailed it to the submitter of
    the base note.  If folks would like it I can add it here I cannot
    comment on the choices I have not read any of the books on the list.  A
    few have me curious enough to consider adding them to my buy list.
    
    Forrest

    I've had to deliberately prevent myself from buying Wooden Boat
    magazine .... they must use the same photographers as the Australian
    Women's weekly cook books.  Every time I read one I get an urge to
    build a wooden boat.  If you can control the urge, it is a wealth of
    knowledge and sources for plans, material etc. the only thing they dont
    have is a psychiatrists reference !
    
    Come to think of it one time I read an article that showed that wooden
    boats were cheaper to own than fiberglass ..... those are the kind of
    dollars that I dont need to save though!

    
	Some more possible books to add to the potential home builders list.  
The list came from a friend who has worked his way through several of them.  He
made a list up a few years back and has added and deleted some books over time. 
He tries to get through one a quarter and is less than half way through.  all
the books listed are available from:

	Boatbuilder Books
	PO Box 540638
	Merritt Island, FL 32954
	(407) 459 1558

	I have no connection in any way with Boatbuilder Books in fact I have
never dealt with them.  The prices listed with the books is the price my friend
was quoted by Boatbuilder books.  Enjoy and hope this helps.


THE NATURE OF BOATS, by Dave Gerr 
288 pages 150 illustrations, 7"x10" hard cover $29.95
Cover how to size wire rigging, how to determine correct thickness of 
Fiberglas hull, etc.


ULTRALIGHT BOATBUILDING, by Thomas Hill
144 pages, 140 illustrations, 8�"x11" soft cover $17.95
Presents a technique for using epoxy and lapstrake plywood construction to build
light durable boats.


BUEHLERS'S BACKYARD BOAT BUILDING, by George Buehler
320 pages, 150 illustrations, 7"x10" soft cover $24.95
A do it yourself boat builder shop manual.


GO BUILD YOUR OWN BOAT, by Harold H. "Dynamite" Payson
128 pages, 180 illustrations, 8�"x11" soft cover $19.95
Comprehensive guide to boat design to construction.
    
    
INSTANT BOATS, Harold H "Dynamite" Payson
136 pages, 48 illustrations, 7"x10" soft cover $14.95
Includes plans and building details for a line of small boats that can be
quickly built using plywood.
    

BOATBUILDING MANUAL, Third Edition, by Robert M Steward
256 pages, 145 illustrations, 7"x10" hard cover $29.95
A good reference on traditional boat construction in all materials.


C-FLEX CONSTRUCTION MANUAL, by Barry Kennedy
91 pages, 113 illustrations, 8�"x11" soft cover $10.95
Shop guide to using C-FLEX published by the manufacturer.


FINE BOAT FINISHES, By Paul and Marya Buttler
160 pages, 20 color photos, 118 drawings 7"x10" soft cover $14.95
Once you build you need to know how to paint it to show off your fine
construction.


LOFTING, by Allan Vaitses
150 pages, 123 drawings, 10"x7" spiralbound $21.95
You really need to be able to loft it in order to build it.


BOATBUILDING WITH PLYWOOD, by Glen-L Witt
302 pages, 230 photos, 8�"x11" hard cover $25.95
Covers all aspects of using plywood in boat construction.


MORE BUILDING CLASSIC SMALL CRAFT, John Gardner
241 pages, 190 illustrations 8�"x11" soft cover $19.50
Contains complete plans and construction details for 23 traditional small
craft.


THE NEW COLD-MOLDED BOATBUILDING, by Reuel B. Parker
320 pages, 73/8"x9�" soft cover $19.50
Covers all aspects of choosing a design, selecting material etc.
    

    Re: .4
    
    I restored and maintained a 14.5' wooden boat for many years. The
    amount of work is equivalent to maintaining my house which is
    1,450 square feet. So my rule of thumb is - one foot of wooden
    boat length equals 100 sqft of house.
    
    I believe a REAL wooden boat is far more work than a fiberglass boat.
    "Real" means planks, seams, caulking cotton, paint inside and out, etc. 
    Since most wooden boats constructed today are built with epoxy and 
    most fiberglass boats are balsa core, the difference is getting slim.
    
    Paul  

    I have a 47 year old WOODEN boat, (yup the real kind) complete with
    cotton, caulking, and the whole bit.  It is 17' feet long.  The first
    winter after I bought it the work on it consumed the Winter.
    
    The next Winter took less time, and THIS Winter I havn't touched it.
    In the Spring it will get a quick clean up and into the water.
    
    I had an Al boat before and although the Al was minimum maintenance
    it had NO class IMO.  The wooden boat woos you so the 'work' doesn't
    seem like work.  Just like a woman, right?
    
    But what is best, there is virtually NOTHING I can't do myself to
    repair the wooden boat.  Fiberglass and Al require more exotic
    equipment to repair.  An aluminum boat is, IMO beyond the scope of
    the do it yourselfer to repair in a home shop if there is significant
    work to be done (hole in hull, big dents etc.) because of the lack
    of proper equipment.
    
    I diagree with the ratio of work between a wood house and boat.  I
    assume that was a tongue in cheek comparison.  Actually, its more
    like .1 to 1 rather than 100 to 1, no, just kidding.
    
    There IS good literature out there on how to maintain/repair wooden
    boats... see the earlier notes in this string.
    
    Jeff

    >>			The wooden boat woos you so the 'work' doesn't
    >>    seem like work.  Just like a woman, right?
    
    or, for that matter, a man.  ;-)
    
    I had an old 16-foot wooden Townie, back when I was young and had lots
    of time and energy.  Every winter we rebuilt something,  sometimes a
    lot of things - but we always made her prettier, trading rotted-out
    painted pine for mahogany brightwork.  It didn't seem like work.  I still 
    miss that boat.  We took it all over the Sheepscot River and over to
    Penobscot Bay.  It taught me to sail - sometimes the hard way!
    
    Lois

    WOW! one of my favorie rat holes!! Wood boats vs 'frozen snot'.
    
    One must carefully separate RESTORATION of an old wooden boat from
    MAINTENANCE of one in good condition. Restoration obviously can be
    major work, but normal maintenance is not such a problem. The WOODBOAT
    article refered to a couple notes back, was careful to talk about
    maintenance, and when you consider the total picture- maintaing things
    like engines, rig, electrical etc, the hull material is not a factor. 
    
    A wood boat does not require to re-caulked or even re-painted every
    year.
    
    I also agree with the ease of repair of wood. In addition, a fiberglass
    boat when repaired for serious damage is only a patch glued into the
    hole, no matter how well its glued ( and there are many issues related
    to successful bonding to old material). A wood boat, with a new plank
    or a new frame is exactly as strong as originally built.
    
    As the sign says "IF GOD MEANT THERE TO BE FIBERGLASS BOATS HE WOULD
    HAVE PLANTED FIBERGLASS TREES"

    .........just like a woman.  Lois, I thought I probably wouldn't get away
    with that crack.  Smile.  And I didn't.
    
    But, as you know thats a sort of traditional statement to associate
    with wooden boats because they have such personalities.  I guess that
    there are no two identical wood boats because each is basically hand
    made even if from the same plans as a sister boat.  Maybe that adds
    to the class.
    
    I agree with the comment about the difference between restoration vs.
    maintenance.  I restored my boat the first winter, now am maintaining
    it.  One MUST pay attention to certain details with a wood boat if you
    want it to last, such as:
    
    Not letting fresh water collect and stand in the bilges for extended
    periods.
    
    Not letting standing bilge water freeze.
    
    Not properly covering and ventilating the boat during Winter lay up.
    
    There certainly ARE details which a wooden boat demands you pay
    attention to for it to last, which in some areas is unlike synthetic
    boats which you can let go and get away with alot.
    
    And, yes, I agree if God had wanted fiberglass and Al boats he would
    have created fiberglas and aluminum trees.  (That comment got a good
    laugh out of me).
    
    Keep sawing.
    
    Jeff