When I first thought about building a boat the idea seemed quite an undertaking to say the least. As in most cases when I know very little about a subject, I buy a book. In this case, I bought over 25 books. My wife began to think I was actually going to construct my boat out of book material. Needless to say, I now have more information than most professional yacht builders need, let alone a lowly Vacationer home boatbuilder.
     I must admit that I have consulted each of these books at least once during my construction phase, but one of these books has been the most valuable for me. Boat Joinery and Cabinetmaking Simplified is a paperback book jam packed with useful construction information for the amateur boat builder. Formerly Practical Yacht Joinery published in 1983, this updated 1993 edition written by an "old-time boatbuilder" includes 17 chapters outlining the basic tools needed and some of the best ways to use them for boatbuilding. He uses a nice combination of simple explanations peppered with personal experience from his own boat construction with illustrations.
     Part One starts with the first 4 chapters which discuss tools ranging from basic hand tools used for centuries to stationary power tools. An introduction to the basic maintenance and proper use of these tools is included. For those of you wondering how you can get by with less, this book and its illustrations give several suggestions to simplify your tool budget. The next two chapters address additional tools and jigs you can construct to make your life easier and help avoid costly mistakes. In addition, a well rounded discussion of basic supplies such as wood, glues, and fasteners is provided.
     Part Two starts with 19 useful joints and how to make them. It has an easy to understand description of several ways to make your boat stronger with less material and how to laminate woods together. The next chapter gives examples of putting all the information together to tie various parts of the boat together. This includes alternative ways for deck, portlight, and cabin construction.
     For those of you industrious enough to want to beef up the cabin interior with personal build-in ice chests or modify cockpit seating or hatch covers, this book gives several thoughtful illustrations and professional techniques to enhance your boat detail and brightwork. Keep in mind, many of these techniques will add considerable time to your home project. I used several of the ideas from this section to modify my Vacationer cockpit and cabin. This probably added 2 months or more to my "construction phase". Lastly, detailed instruction in building solid or hollow wooden spars, traditional toerails, and floor grating along with jigs to speed this process along are easy to understand and put to practical use.
     If your eyes aren’t bloodshot from absorbing the first 2 sections, Part Three , or the last 2 chapters, are nice bonuses to finish off the book. Chapter 16 includes random information on how to construct bookshelves, bedside table and treasure chests for the home or garage if you have been banished there by now. This is my least favorite chapter but you can always skip to the end. The last Chapter includes simple plans for a plywood stitch and glue micro-sloop dinghy which might be your next project!
     As you might guess, many of the frequently asked questions on the BYYB can be answered by this book. Hopefully even the old experienced salts will find a few useful tricks of the trade for there next boatbuildng experience.

The book is available from Amazon.com for $19.96 plus shipping.

     Top of Page