Books for a Learner

[peterblackadder]

I am currently considering buying a wooden boat and would like to educate myself before I take the plunge. Can anyone recommend some good reading material to give me a feel of what I may be taking on?

 

[Peterduck]

There are so many to choose from that you would have to be more specific about what kind of boat and boating you want to do. It's no good buying something about cruising yachts if you like small clinker dinghies. Get your hands on to as many issues of "WoodenBoat Magazine" as you can, and you'll begin to get the flavour of it. Join the VWBA if you are in the UK. Welcome to the wonderful world of wooden boats!
Peter.

 

[Mirelle]

Yes, there are mountains of books. I agree with the advice to subscribe to Wooden Boat magazine - and buy a lot of back issues if you can. It is very well worth while looking round secondhand booksellers - books written when wooden boats were the only type often contain good advice.

 

[Guest]

I quite like the Complete Book of Yacht Care by Michael Verney; it's wide-ranging and basic, a good starter with its simple chapters on painting, varnishing and dealing with resin.
Then there's the Collins Complete Woodworker's Manual, which discusses wood working from first principles and has excellent chapters on choosing and using tools for timber. It's not specific to boats though.
Don't forget CB's extensive archive of all wooden boat matters, from pulling a keel bolt though to caulking and rigging. We have an excellent index of all the articles ever produced on anything the magazine has done in 16 years of publishing.

 

[Goosey]

I agree with the other replies on books and magazines, the recommendation I have is for a mammoth of a book. Larry Pardey's "Details of classic boat construction". The books author descibes how he built his boat 'Talesin'. I have seen it recommended in various articles where poeple have used it as a guide to restoration work. It is quite detailed book, but the pictures and narrative make the subject clear to understand and easy to follow.
(IBSN 0-9646036-8-3)

Good luck