Boatbuilding and maintenance Books

Book SynopsisThis manual takes both novice and experienced boatowner through minor to major repairs of electrical systems, engines, electronics, steering systems, generators, pumps, cookers, spars and rigging. When it was first published in 1990, the Boatowner''s Mechanical & Electrical Manual broke new ground. It was hailed as the first truly DIY manual for boatowners and has sold in its thousands ever since. There have been significant changes in boat systems since then, particularly electrical systems, and this fourth edition has been fully updated to reflect these developments and expand its predecessor''s worldwide popularity.''Probably the best technical reference and troubleshooting book in the world'' Yachting Monthly ''It deserves to come standard with every boat'' Yachting World Trade Review'A reference library book that'll solve or at least set you on the right track to solving almost any boat related problem' * Boat Mart *'A serious builder or owner, or a marine proffesional, will find it invaluable" * Sailing Magazine (March 2010) *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA fully revised and expanded edition of the only resource you''ll need for choosing, owning and maintaining a narrowboat. The UK has over 2000 miles of navigable canals and rivers which are home to an estimated 35,000 licensed boats. Although canal boats can look much the same to the novice, there are some very important differences to be aware of. If you''re new to boating you have some important choices to make.This comprehensive book examines the options available to different types of boaters. From those who choose to live aboard their boats and constant cruisers to fair-weather cruisers, hire boating and share boat syndicates each will need a different type of boat if they are to fully enjoy their time afloat. Packed with case studies and advice from real boaters with years of experience to share, this second edition has been thoroughly updated throughout and includes new information on liveaboard costs and considerations, eco-friendly boating options, sTrade ReviewThe Narrowboat Guide ... delivers a real depth of details – we learn which licence allows you to travel where on the network, what types of fuel suit your stove, the pros and cons of different stern glands and what you can reasonably expect to pay for and get on various types of mooring … What sets this book head and shoulders above other guides I’ve read is the attempt to give estimated costings, not just for the survey and the boat but for all aspects of life aboard and maintenance … If I were to single out one aspect of this book for specific praise it would be the use of text boxes offering diverse empirical accounts from boat owners, brokers and builders. -- Kathryn Smyth * Towpath Talk *Table of ContentsHow to buy a boat Trying it out: hire-boat holidays Boat features and fixtures Cost of owning a narrowboat Moorings The art of boating: out and about The art of boating: the great indoors Boat maintenance Liveaboard life Pets aboard Boat safety Resources

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen owning a narrow boat, or any engine-powered vessel, it is vital to ensure that the engine is kept in good working order. Narrow Boat Engine Maintenance and Repair is a practical guide to help keep your engine operational, and your boat moving. It also provides instruction on how to identify faults and, where possible, how to fix them. With its focus on diesel engine operation, and the systems found on most vessels, this is a useful resource for any boat owner. It provides practical guidance to undertake everyday maintenance on your diesel engine; it demonstrates how to complete a service and locate and resolve common faults; explains the theory required to understand each of the boat's main systems and shares the practical skills and techniques that engineers spend many years learning. Highly illustrated with 264 colour step-by-step photographs and 60 technical diagrams.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisWith its unparalleled level of visual information - paint schemes, models, line drawings and photographs - this book is simply the best reference for any modelmaker setting out to build one of these famous cruisers.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Boatyard Book is a practical, comprehensive reference manual that provides sensible, accessible advice for boatowners on planning and carrying out annual maintenance, repairs, upgrades and refits of sailing yachts and motorboats, up to 20 metres in length. Beginning with all the information owners will need to care for their boat, including how to budget and plan tasks to be done through the year, The Boatyard Book goes on to help them choose the best boatyard for their needs, then provides essential how-to reference material and ideas for a comprehensive range of projects large and small to be carried out ashore. There''s advice and tips from highly respected boatyard owners, specialists and surveyors, as well as from the author''s own 25 years'' experience of boat ownership, all fully illustrated with step-by-step photos and illustrations. Topics covered include:- laying up - hull and deck care - mast and rigging - sail care Trade ReviewThis well-presented volume is a guide to making the best use of boatyard time and facilities by careful planning and good organisation...his examples and explanations helped reduce the fear factor and should improve my conversations with professionals – or even my ability to have a go. * Yachting Monthly *Very readable… provides comprehensive schedules/logs detailing maintenance and ship’s inventory. * Cruising *Table of Contents1. Introduction Who is this book for? Part One 2. Boat care Boat ownership Boat care fundamentals Your boat’s history Keeping records Doing regular checks Research and advice Calling in the professionals Owners’ associations What does maintenance work involve? Repairing and refurbishing Refit The rewards of boat ownership 3. Planning, costs and budgeting Choosing a boatyard Boat survey Maintenance log Costs and budgeting 4. Laying up Lift out After lift out 5. Tools and spares Tools Spares Sealants, adhesives and adhesive sealants 6. Health and safety Protective clothing Dust creation Antifouling Shot/sandblasting Engine work and servicing Part Two 7. Hull Composite hulls Osmosis Steel and aluminium hulls Wooden hulls Antifouling Keel maintenance and repair Rudders and steering systems 8. Deck and superstructure Inspection Teak decks Winches Leaking decks 9. Mast and rigging Rig care Owner rig check Wooden masts and booms Running rigging 10. Sails Materials and construction Ultraviolet exposure Inspection Cleaning Storage Repairs 11. Engine and propulsion Know your engine How diesel engines work Electric motors and hybrid systems Outboard motors Diesel engine winterisation Other engine maintenance ashore Stern gear Overhauling an engine 12. Electrics Basic electrics Electrics inspection checklist Batteries Avoiding and identifying electrical problems Common electrical problems Rewiring a small yacht 13. Interior Cleaning Interior inspection and checks Plumbing Gas system Varnishing Interior painting 14. Fitting out and launching Essentials Other jobs Launch day Glossary Further reading Photo credits and Acknowledgements Index Specifications and Inventory

Read more less

Book SynopsisStress-Free Engine Maintenance is an accessible and practical guide to understanding what is going on with your boat's engine, how to look after it, spotting the signs when all is not well, and how to fix it. Learn how to change a filter and impeller, how to ensure the engine doesn't overheat, and much more.This visual and jargon-free book covers all the essentials for looking after your engine, in one place, including:- Basic principles of how an engine works- Fuel, cooling and air systems- Engine electrical systems- Gearboxes and drives- Checklists (e.g. before starting and once running)- Most common causes of breakdown- TroubleshootingLike the other titles in Duncan Wells' bestselling Stress-Free' series, the information is presented in an accessible, manageable way, with the use of diagrams, quick reference tables, box features, QR videos, clear explanations, top tips and checklists, making maintenance and basic repair of your engine straightforward, and with minimum stress.Trade Reviewdeservedly popular ... takes boatowners through all aspects of engine maintenance in a straightforward and jargon-free manner. * Practical Boat Owner *Table of ContentsPreface 1. Introduction and philosophy - Jonathan says 2. Principles of the engine - How does an engine work? - Types of engine - The fundamentals of a four-stroke engine - The fundamentals of a two-stroke engine - How does a four-stroke diesel engine work? - How does a four-stroke petrol engine work? - How to hand crank or turn over an engine - Turbos and superchargers - How a hybrid setup works 3. Gearboxes and drives - Shaft and propeller - Stern glands – Stuffing boxes, lip seals and face seals - Sail drive - Sterndrive - V drive - Pod systems - Other drives - Propeller pitch - Bow and stern thrusters - Modes of travel - Jonathan says 4. Fuel systems - How the fuel system works - Changing filters - Symptoms of fuel-system breakdowns - Fuel tanks and gauges - Jonathan says 5. Cooling systems - Raw-water system - Fresh-water and raw-water system - Common causes of overheating - Cooling system for an outboard engine - Exhaust systems - Jonathan says 6. Air systems - How does your engine access air? - Common causes of air system problems - Jonathan says 7. Lubrication system - Why lubricating is important - Camchains and cambelts - Gearbox lubrication - Look after your lubrication system - Changing an oil filter - Jonathan says 8. Electrical systems - The basic electrical system - Looking after the electrics - Common causes of electrical failure - 240-volt systems on board - Jonathan says - Engine instrumentation - Jonathan says 9. How to look after your engine - 1. Optimum temperature - 2. Optimum fuelling - 3. Cooling the engine down 10. Checks, servicing and winterisation - Everyday checks and checklists - Servicing - Winterising your boat 11. Cautionary tales - Jonathan says 12. How to troubleshoot a breakdown - Flow charts - Diagnosing common problems - Tips and secrets to reliability 13. Spares and tools - What spares to carry - Tools - Jonathan says Glossary Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisBoatbuilding has been a traditional skill in Cornwall for many hundreds of years. In the more sheltered waters of Carrick Roads, on the leeward side of the Lizard peninsula, this tradition has flourished almost since the dawn of time to the present day. Pasco's Boatyard at St Just in Roseland has been in the forefront of this tradition of boatbuilding, repairing, mooring and storing boats for well over a quarter of a millennium. So much so that it is part of the fabric of the south-west area of Cornwall. As a strong commercial fishing area, Carrick Roads has led the way in providing good quality seafood for the area and the wider nation as a whole. Then as the move to larger mechanised fishing methods gathered pace, the skills of the craftsmen at St Just were turned towards the ever growing leisure and sporting section of the sailing and boating community. Thanks to these skills and the enthusiasm of the craftsmen at Pasco's, this tradition looks set to continue for many decades to come.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPasco's Boatyard started in 1771. When it was sold to new owners Craig Brown and Chris De Glanville in 2013, one of their aims was to preserve the traditions of wooden boats in the St Just Creek, and to foster the shipwright skills required to build and maintain them. Under previous ownership, the thrust of the yard's activities had been towards mooring, wintering, and maintaining boats for their owners-it was now time to change. One of the first decisions of the new owners was to agree on a way of demonstrating those skills and traditions, so what better way than to design and build the first new Pasco's boat in over a decade? It would also demonstrate to the local community the yard's commitment to expanding maritime employment in the St Just area. There was no better man to lead the team than Bob Edwards, who was a well-established designer and builder of boats, as well as an enthusiastic owner of an earlier Pasco's P21 Motor Launch. A few discussions, and several nights of drawing plans and making calculations later, and the stage was set for the new P23 to become the next of the long line of Pasco's built boats. This book follows that build.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMetals have been used in boats for thousands of years, as components of the vessel's construction, as load-bearing parts of the rigging and steering systems, and for a wide variety of domestic and service duties. Due to misunderstandings of the properties of the metals used, and in some cases to questionable design and manufacture, there have been spectacular and sometimes tragic failures of boats' metalworking. These continue even today. This new book explains in layman's terms how a wide variety of metal alloys may best be selected, formed and manufactured to give optimum performance in the typical conditions of a sailing or powered vessel. Subjects as wide-ranging as anodes, batteries, hulls, skin fittings and rigging components are described in detail, enabling the boat owner to select the preferred material for his vessel.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume includes some very famous ships with tales of adventure and new trade routes, also sadness, the launch and then the loss of the largest sailing ship ever built in a British shipyard - the five-masted auxiliary sailing barque, Kobenhavn. It recounts the days when shipbuilding should have flourished and into the tough times of the Great Depression. It remains a testimony to the skill and determination of the people who built the ships and those who served on them. The fortunes of the three main shipyards are followed through good times to eventual closure or assimilation by the man who would open up the shipyard that took his name. Henry Robb Ltd, shipbuilders and engineers, began without a yard in which to build ships, but eventually took over firstly the old S&H Morton Shipyard, now occupied by Hawthorns & Co. Ltd. That gave Robb control of the Victoria Shipyard, and a few years later he would take over the Cran & Somerville yard, before acquiring the plant and goodwill of the Ramage & Ferguson Shipyard - the cream of the Leith shipyards. This last yard would always have a ship on one of its slipways; at the peak they had nine slips, and were pioneers in the building of diesel-powered coasters. Always innovative and with some of the best craftsmen in the industry, the shipyard of Henry Robb quickly acquired the reputation as builders of special ships. Leith Shipyards 1918-1939 continues the chronological story begun in Volume I and provides a fascinating illustrated story that reveals the remarkable and ongoing story of shipbuilding for which Scotland and the UK were renowned.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA handy, splash-proof, on-the-water reference guide containing all the essential information for when you need it most about keeping your boat electrics running. Covers formulae, tools, anodes, protection, multimeters, soldering, AC power, testing, wiring, batteries, connections and power consumption.Table of ContentsFormulae; Multimeters; Testing; Batteries; Circuit Protection; Tools; Soldering & Wiring; Connections; Faults; Anodes; AC Power; Charging; Power Consumption

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhether she is to be rowed or sailed independently, or will be the tender to a larger vessel, nothing feels or looks quite like a traditional clinker-built dinghy, ‘done right’. And those two words are the key to a boat which will truly grace the water, charm all who use or see her, and maintain her value. In Details of Dinghy Building Will Stirling painstakingly describes and illustrates the many arcane yet vital tasks which can daunt the beginning boatbuilder. Will has been building clinker dinghies professionally for many years and has made, and learned how to avoid, all the mistakes which lie in wait for the unwary. Take advantage of his experience, and some ‘tricks of the trade’, and draw ­inspiration from the many mouthwatering photographs of finished boats which punctuate the book. If you’re building a boat, this textual guide and photographic reference will pay for itself many times over in the time, frustration and embarrassment it will save you. If you’re not, you’ll find it a fascinating verbal and visual window into a time-honoured traditional craft.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSimple Boat Maintenance concentrates on the 67 most common boat maintenance jobs. Each is rated for difficulty on a scale of 1-5 and is explained in simple steps with lots of photos and diagrams. No special tools are required and no skill is assumed. Take this book in one hand, a spanner in the other and set to work. Learn how to: solve most engine problems; look after the gas, water, fuel and electrical systems; service pumps, winches, windlasses & sterngear; repair cracks & holes in fibreglass; find & cure leaks.Trade Review“Quite simply the best book I’ve ever read on ‘how to’. Why? Because it could not be more simply laid out. Every problem is broken down into very short categories: Why it needs to be done; When it should be done; Tools needed; Where to find it. Then follows a step-by-step guide on the task.” (Yachting Monthly) “This is the best-illustrated book ever produced on maintenance. Using very clear graphics and photographs, common maintenance tasks are broken down into simple step-by-step instructions. Even those that claim to have two left thumbs would be able to use this guide.” (Peter Chennell, Sea Safety Manager, RNLI Offshore News)Table of ContentsIntroduction; Engines: Cooling system; Engines: Fuel system; Engines: Electricity; Engines: Servicing; Engines: Other topics; Fuel system; Water system; Gas system; Electrical system; Heads; Bilge & water pumps; Seacocks; Stern gear; Steering; Anodes; Antifouling; Fibreglass; Deck hardware; Leaks; Winches; Windlasses; Inflatables

Read more less

Book SynopsisAnyone who owns a fibreglass boat (GRP or FRP, yacht or dinghy) knows that it can get damaged in the rough and tumble of everyday use. Sometimes the damage is serious enough to warrant a professional repair (which the insurance company will probably pay for). But at other times it is more minor, and you might want to repair it yourself. But how do you repair it, so you can’t see the repair – get that really professional-looking finish? If you’ve ever asked that question, then this is the book for you. Long-term boat repairer, Pete Vincent, shares the trade secrets of making a lasting, strong and invisible repair. Penni Vincent, who does not share Pete’s experience, got him to explain it to her and together they have created this book – written by an expert, but understandable by a novice. They take you through the equipment, tools and materials you need and then explain the 8 stages of a glass fibre repair job: from the vital initial preparation to the final polish. This is followed by a step-by-step guide to making different repairs including small nicks, scratches and scuffs, star-crazing and deeper areas requiring fibreglassing. They also cover repairing deck / hull joints, non-slip surfaces, moving fittings and leak testing and repair. Given that the first bit of advice is that you need to make the damage worse before repairing it, it is reassuring to be able to follow the steps that they outline, amply illustrated by many photographs and diagrams. Splash-proof and spiral bound – allowing you to lay it out flat beside your repair – this little book will be a valued companion as you set about repairing your boat.Trade Review“gives boat owners an idea about the basic principles of repairing GRP (fibreglass boats) making them sufficiently knowledgeable and confident to tackle small repairs as well as maintaining their boat in good condition.” (Afloat, October 2019)Table of ContentsIntroduction; What you need; Repair stages; Small Nicks; Scratches & scuffs; Non-slip surfaces; Star-crazing; Deck / hull joint; Deeper repairs; Moving fittings; Leak testing; Troubleshooting.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow to select a boat, plan your project, finish the job, and actually head for the water.Over the past thirty to forty years boat builders, large and small, have produced tens of thousands of fiberglass boats. Many now sit abandoned, waiting for some tender care to get back on the water where they belong. Fiberglass unlike many other types of boatbuilding materials does not rot, rust, or break down over the years. Many people have realized this, of course, and have started what they think will be an easy project. They were wrong, and many well-intentioned renovations sit abandoned.Whatever the reason for wanting to take on the restoration of a project boat, proper planning and organization can make the difference between success and failure. Fiberglass Boat Restoration is about how to plan, organize and successfully complete a project boat restoration. It will explain why it is important to put your efforts and resources into some areas and not others. It contains valuable information about what to look for when considering the purchase of a project boat. Although the focus of the book is fiberglass, the information will be useful to anyone undertaking the building or restoration of any boat.Trade Review"I have been through several major restoration projects over the years and should I undertake another, I am going to invite Capt. Wayne to join me. He goes through the process from a real hands-on, eyes open perspective and explains just what you are getting into and, for the most part, what you can expect. Clear and concise, these eight chapters and the indispensable end-of-book resources section will keep things in focus for you." —Capt. Ken Kreisler, author, Powerboating: Your First Book For Your First Boat"A must-read for anyone considering a boat restoration>"—Ensignmagazine"I have been through several major restoration projects over the years and should I undertake another, I am going to invite Capt. Wayne to join me. He goes through the process from a real hands-on, eyes open perspective and explains just what you are getting into and, for the most part, what you can expect. Clear and concise, these eight chapters and the indispensable end-of-book resources section will keep things in focus for you." —Capt. Ken Kreisler, author, Powerboating: Your First Book For Your First Boat"A must-read for anyone considering a boat restoration>"—Ensignmagazine

Read more less