Building A Fiberglass Boat

Rating:
Summary: Never the Catamarans
Review: After third time reading, purely in the angle of fact finding, couldn't help to add this view. In chapter 19, too much assumption is made on the similarity of monohull and catamarans, when it's not. With the growing popularity of catamarans, many beginner and small builder will attempt to cash in on this idea, DON'T EVER! The complexity of a catamaran is way beyond the scope of this chapter. When the hulls split their own way in the mercyless sea, no amount of investigation, debate, and effort can bring the death alive. DO NOT attempt a catamaran without formal training. This chapter should not be written at all! This chapter do not deserve any star rating at all, but there isn't such option in the review.

Rating:
Summary: superficial book for boat building
Review: I have recently read (and bought) few books about boatbuilding and desing and this book has been most fruitless so far. First of all
it is VERY short for the topics it covers (only a bit over 200 very, very short pages) and hence none of the topics are discussed in detail. Anyone who is considering of building his/hers own boat will probably want to read all books of the subject, since there aren't too many.
There is however much better books for this subject. From early 80's there is "Fiberglass Boatbuilding For Amateurs" By Ken Hankinson which is much more profound text of fiberglass boatbuilding. It is out of the print (I think) so you need to find it used.
This book is only one that is in print and covers fb boat building in practice (at least only one that i know). So If you can't find Ken Hankinsons book, this works as poor substitute.

Rating:
Summary: Lack of pictorial illustration
Review: Most of the process are described in writing. Lack of pictorial illustration make this book ineffective. Poor introduction causes disorientation in the first few chapters. Not recommended for beginners. Good facts book for apprentice and small scale boat building workshop with some basic knownledge. Lots of "pointers" and "how to" but not really clear enough to build a boat.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference tool
Review: This book will give the information needed to build a quality boat but the craftsman must have basic knowledge and good skills. I have been a shipwright for more than 40 years and still learned from this book. I don't believe it is, or was even intended to be, the last word on boat building but it is well worth reading regardless of your talents. Add this to Mr. Edmunds Designing Power & Sail and the reader will be well on the way to a complete understanding of design and construction.

For a potential boat buyer the bonus is learning what makes a well or poorly constructed boat.