Best books for Boat Maintenance and Repair?

AleCiotti

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Hi guys i was wondering in your opinion what are the best books for boat maintenance and repair?

I've read some of Nigel Calder's books and I've found them truly amazing, I wanted to also check out Charlie Wing books, what do you think?
 

lustyd

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+1 for the Internet, especially Facebook groups. If my engine goes wrong I ask on the Volvo Penta group, electronics may be the NMEA group, Victron group for electrics, or the SO36.2 group for anything I need to know about my boat, especially useful for measurements when I'm not on board.
If Facebook fails I ask here and get some excellent but usually more generic advice that's way more in depth than any book I've ever seen.
 

lustyd

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Also to get you started:
  1. Buy a new tool
  2. Buy a second copy of that new tool that you left at home when going to the boat to do the job
  3. Wonder why the tool doesn't fit your gubbins
  4. Buy correct new tool
  5. ...
 

V1701

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One should always be wary of experts though, an expert knows more and more about less and less until they know absolutely everything about nothing...
 

Refueler

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I have a few ... obviously some pre-internet / Youtube ...

But one that is very good and does not batter the head with technical crap ...

The Glassfibre Boat Manual

ISBN : 0-356-12357-X

For Electrical ... even though its a touch dated ... part of the PBO / YBW Library and really knocks such as 12v Bible into the bin where it belongs ...

Alastair Garrods : Electrics Afloat

ISBN : 0-7136-6149-6
 

thinwater

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I haven’t bought a ‘how to’ book since the internet was invented.
You know, there are a lot of dumb shits on the internet. We'll give you a free answer, which is worth what you paid for it! No review or vetting process. Lying is free and easy.

The best answer, in my not humble opinion, is both combined. Books for first principles and complete discussion, and the internet for details and flogging ideas.
 

Sandy

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Hi guys i was wondering in your opinion what are the best books for boat maintenance and repair?

I've read some of Nigel Calder's books and I've found them truly amazing, I wanted to also check out Charlie Wing books, what do you think?
Calder every time as your base text, if you want something specific then use the Interweb, but make sure you quadruple check your sources as there is a lot of twaddle, old wives tales and much misinformation; bit like this forum. ;)
 

vyv_cox

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Calder every time as your base text, if you want something specific then use the Interweb, but make sure you quadruple check your sources as there is a lot of twaddle, old wives tales and much misinformation; bit like this forum. ;)
Calder is thorough about what is installed and maybe how it works. Pretty thin on maintenance and almost non-existent on fault finding.
 

lustyd

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You know, there are a lot of dumb shits on the internet. We'll give you a free answer, which is worth what you paid for it! No review or vetting process. Lying is free and easy.

The best answer, in my not humble opinion, is both combined. Books for first principles and complete discussion, and the internet for details and flogging ideas.
You're making a lot of assumptions about the quality of books and editing. I've found a lot of books to be far from complete, and I've found the Internet useful for getting multiple people inputting to a question. That way I'm not trusting someone just because they chose to write "author" on their business card. I'd estimate maybe 1 in 10 boat related books has been useful for me over the years, or even of a quality I'd consider adequate. As with many mediums, most are there as filler to make money.
At least on YouTube I can see them doing the thing I want to do to the thing I need to do it to and judge how clever their approach seems!
 

Refueler

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"At least on YouTube I can see them doing the thing I want to do to the thing I need to do it to and judge how clever their approach seems!"

And some are just downright hilarious !! There's one guy and his pal who make lots of vids about the Range Rover they have ...

I watch a lot RR vids - not that I need the knowledge - but out of interest. Those two - I am totally amazed that the RR ever runs at all after their antics with it !! Lots of : If I remove this screw here .. OH SH** .... wasn't supposed to do that !
 

Fr J Hackett

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If you know how it works you know how to maintain and fault find. Perhaps my skill set and experience is different to most.
In which case you don't need a book. I agree it's down to the individuals skill set though and no amount of books will teach or give you the skills, they may tell you how to do it though.
 
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