Building Classic Small Craft : Complete Plans and Instructions for 47 Boats

Rating:
Summary: not for beginners
Review: I find the book to be a good general guide to the various boat designs covered - but, only for the previosuly experienced boat builder. It is not a good book for the beginner to learn basic shipwright skills and does not cover the more specific aspects of construction (such as a beginner would need) and the plans are a bit difficult to read at times. In summary, a good book for the seasoned boatbuilder who wishes to expand his horizons. Beginners be cautioned.

Rating:
Summary: NOT for the beginner
Review: If you're interested in learning how to build wooden boats but have NO wooden boat building experience whatsoever this book is NOT the book for you. The Duck Trap Press how-to books might be a better place to start. This book appears to contain a wealth of information from a very experienced author. There's a ton of good historical information contained within. Unfortunately without knowing how to 'read' wooden boat plans and drawings and understand the terminology that the author uses this book did not meet my expecations at all.

Rating:
Summary: Review of Building Classic Small Craft
Review: It is very difficult to find a book that presents buildable plans of elegant traditional American working boats. Anyone suffering from this frustration will be delighted by Gardner's work. You can leaf through the book and when you see something you like, you are in a position to build it instead of sending off for hundreds of dollars worth of plans. I built a one-meter long model from the "alpha dory" plans in the book, using the table of offsets to loft the plan by hand. I noticed that one measurement in the offset table was way off, but that was obvious and caused no difficulty. I built the model following Gardner's masterful instructions for building the real thing and everyone who sees the model is very impressed by the beauty of the result. It was an easy and rewarding project. The book is not intended to be a newbie introduction, but reading one other book like Macintosh's Building Wooden Boats or John Leather's Clinker Boatbuilding will provide more than sufficient background.

Rating:
Summary: good book, poor binding
Review: It's a good book, but it has a cheap "perfect" binding.
After reading it a few times, pages started coming loose.

Rating:
Summary: Ultra-Classic written by a Classy Guy
Review: John Gardner has rightfully been called the "Father of Small Craft" in The U.S.. The fellow knew more about small boats - how to design them, build them and enjoy them - than just about anybody in the late 20th Century. This book combines two of his classic works into one. Now don't expect to start building your first boat a day after this book comes in the mail. Although the plans and construction notes are very good, John assumed that you knew how to carve a rabbet and lay a plank. I don't. And yet this book lives in my bathroom where I can open it to just about any page and be inspired in a minute or less. His description of what makes the right kind of rowboat got me to build my first row boat. I've been hooked on rowing and building since. Thank You Mr. Gardner!

Rating:
Summary: Ultra-Classic written by a Classy Guy
Review: John Gardner has rightfully been called the "Father of Small Craft" in The U.S.. The fellow knew more about small boats - how to design them, build them and enjoy them - than just about anybody in the late 20th Century. This book combines two of his classic works into one. Now don't expect to start building your first boat a day after this book comes in the mail. Although the plans and construction notes are very good, John assumed that you knew how to carve a rabbet and lay a plank. I don't. And yet this book lives in my bathroom where I can open it to just about any page and be inspired in a minute or less. His description of what makes the right kind of rowboat got me to build my first row boat. I've been hooked on rowing and building since. Thank You Mr. Gardner!

Rating:
Summary: Ultra-Classic written by a Classy Guy
Review: John Gardner has rightfully been called the "Father of Small Craft" in The U.S.. The fellow knew more about small boats - how to design them, build them and enjoy them - than just about anybody in the late 20th Century. This book combines two of his classic works into one. Now don't expect to start building your first boat a day after this book comes in the mail. Although the plans and construction notes are very good, John assumed that you knew how to carve a rabbet and lay a plank. I don't. And yet this book lives in my bathroom where I can open it to just about any page and be inspired in a minute or less. His description of what makes the right kind of rowboat got me to build my first row boat. I've been hooked on rowing and building since. Thank You Mr. Gardner!

Rating:
Summary: Another Great John Gardner Book
Review: This book (actually a collection of two earlier books) is full of great boats with their histories and the plans and instructions to build them. It covers a range of tradional small craft with and emphasis on New England work boats. A variety of construction techniques are discussed. It's a compelling read whether you're looking for a boat to build or just love boats. I couldn't put it down.

Rating:
Summary: Another Great John Gardner Book
Review: This book (actually a collection of two earlier books) is full of great boats with their histories and the plans and instructions to build them. It covers a range of tradional small craft with and emphasis on New England work boats. A variety of construction techniques are discussed. It's a compelling read whether you're looking for a boat to build or just love boats. I couldn't put it down.

Rating:
Summary: Required Reading
Review: This collection of complete boat plans, instructions, and boat-building tips is simply wonderful. Mr. Gardner was a man with the common touch and the ability to communicate clearly--all of these boats are aimed at the "amateur" builder. He has no axes to grind; his designs include all of the traditional construction techniques plus glued plywood and taped seam plywood; there are rowboats, sailboats, and powerboats. The articles are also sprinkled with historical and editorial commentary. I'm reading it for the fourth (or is it fifth?) time. When I finish my canoe...