Book recommendations

[Graeme0723]

Hello all!
I'm gearing up to buy a boat for the first time, and although I've been pottering about on the internet for about a year I was wondering if anyone could point me towards a good book to tell a newcomer about buying and owning a wooden boat.

 

[martinaskey]

suspect you are going to struggle to find a book that tells you about the buying and owning of a wooden boat. There are lots of books about wooden boats (design, history etc.) and lots of technical books / articles about how to solve specific problems / make improvements. But I suspect you want something that advises on which to choose and what it might be like to live with which is a bit more tricky as that's so personal and depends on you and the boat.

I've always wanted a wooden boat for emotional / romantic reasons so there was never any debate about comparing to plastic - wooden or nothing for me ! First one was a Folkboat and I would highly recommend them. Sound boats, lovely design, good to sail and perfect for learning about wooden boat maintenance without taking on an expensive risky project. Lots of them around and fairly cheap. So you should be able to pick up a good one (don't go for a full restoration of a rotting hulk !).

As far as the owning experience is concerned I think there's a lot of myth surrounding wooden boats. If you pick something with major problems it could be a nightmare. But my current boat (1966 S&S 36) isn't much trouble to look after. Definitely more work than plastic but so long as you consider maintenance to be part of the overall experience that's fine. Everyone looks at the varnished hull a says how much work it must be but, in reality, keeping a plastic hull cleaned and polished would be very similar. Read a very good article once saying that buying any boat is irrational and that if a wooden boat makes your heart sing then just get on with it - life is too short to not do these things. One caution would be budget - I suspect lots of boat problems (not just wooden) have their roots in running out of money. Neglecting any boat is a problem but wooden boats do deteriorate faster in these circumstance. A folkboat is pretty cheap to buy and work on, in my experience cost of maintenance goes up by the cube of the length !

 

[chinita]

Hello all!
I'm gearing up to buy a boat for the first time, and although I've been pottering about on the internet for about a year I was wondering if anyone could point me towards a good book to tell a newcomer about buying and owning a wooden boat.

With respect, if you have been pottering about on the internet for a year and still not found what you are looking for you are unlikely to find the answer in one good book. Although there are lots of good books, as alluded to by martinaskey above, there is nothing, IME, which provides all the information probably feel you need.

Where have you been looking? I suggest a few evenings reading the Wooden Boat Forum may be of some benefit.

 

[burgundyben]

John Scarlett's repair book is pretty good. Metal Corrosion in boats is worth having.

Start with something cheap and small to see how you get on.

The biggest thing I have learnt is that there's a massive massive massive difference between ongoing maintenance and a rebuild. Be very clear about that point.

 

[jamie N]

WOODEN BOAT RESTORATION, by Thomas Larsson. ISBN-10: 1-62087-051-7.
It's more like wooden boat porn in truth, but there's a huge amount of very good information in it.

 

[jamie N]

A folkboat is pretty cheap to buy and work on!

My wife is interested in the Folkboat that you describe, rather than the one that we have!

 

[JumbleDuck]

Hello all!
I'm gearing up to buy a boat for the first time, and although I've been pottering about on the internet for about a year I was wondering if anyone could point me towards a good book to tell a newcomer about buying and owning a wooden boat.

 

[Graeme0723]

Thanks for the replies! All taken on board.
Chinita, you're spot on, I do have an idea but I have no idea really if it's just a romantic dream. I want a motorsailer which would be used under power for the most part.
BurgundyBen, it'll be in good shape when I buy it. I could do simple carpentry topside but I wouldn't attempt anything that could let water in!