Customer Reviews

Boatbuilding: A Complete Handbook of Wooden Boat Construction

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Pure and simple.

I'm a professional, doing repairs on wooden workboats and I do refer to it whenever I'm stumped. Not the easiest read, not completely user-friendly.....well, I'll let you in on a little secret; neither is boatbuilding.

Some have whinged about the terms, some have groused about the old-style construction methods. Well, there are certain terms that are used for certain things and you are not knowledgeable unless you can use and understand them. Learning them is part of learning the trade. Study!

Tremendous detail, wide variety of different methods covered. Chapelle was a NA/ME and a skilled designer in his own right and it too shows. Highly recommended.

A classic in every sense of the word. Howard I. Chapelle covers nearly every aspect of the design and construction of small, traditional, wooden craft. There is much insight to be gained, and the illustrations and plans included are priceless bits of our marine heritage. Worth a read, even if you don't plan on building a boat yourself.

As the editorial review from Book News clearly states, this is a reprint of a book from 1941. As such it is not written or illustrated like a modern how-to book. It is, however, packed with information about traditional methods of boat construction. There are certainly more appropriate choices for a first book on boatbuilding, or for someone who wants step-by-step guidance to building a particular design, but this book is is a classic that belongs in the library of anyone with a strong interest in the craft.

Don't let my three star rating turn you away from this book. It is well written, complete in every sense of the word and well illustrated. I gave it three stars because I found other books on this subject to be more readable and easier to use as a guide and reference. This is a text book style work and it has a great place in all the books on boatbuilding. It is a fine work, but then, I must ask you, how many fine books can there be? What if I said that this was yet another fine boat building book...then what? This book makes a wonderful reference. It makes an excellent text book. It is useful if you have more than two people working on a hull (one to read aloud and the other to work). But it is not an easy, cook book on boat building. I recommend it, But there are other books out there that are better sources of information for the home builder.

This is a classic book for those interested in traditional boatbuilding techniques and old-fashioned robust design. Plywood and epoxy was not an issue in 1941 and the author assumes the reader has some common knowledge on woodworking, joinery and how boats are put together. This is a "handbook" only if you want to build a historic craft. For the rest of us it is a great book to read again and again while we compare old and modern styles and methods.

A classic work from a legendary author. Provides background and instruction in boat building [in 1941]. If you want to learn about traditional boat building methods, this is a wonderful addition to your library; if you want to throw together something in plywood and epoxy in a week, find another book (although this still might be a handy addition to your library). The author does assume that if you are building a boat, you know what one is and doesn't define or explain nautical terms, like bow, stern, gunwales, etc.

I agree with the other (positive) reviewers--not an easy read, but well worth the investment in time. My favorite part of the book, though, has not been mentioned. Mr. Chapelle includes a number of sample designs--wonderful classics from a rowing peapod to a large commercial fishing boat. If you have some solid boat building experience, the plans are complete enough to build from, with a little eyestrain. For historical purposes, these designs complement those in American Small Sailing Craft, another worthwhile book by H.I. Chapelle. There is also an interesting, though too brief, section on choosing a design.

This is a classic book for those interested in traditional boatbuilding techniques and old-fashioned robust design. Plywood and epoxy was not an issue in 1941 and the author assumes the reader has some common knowledge on woodworking, joinery and how boats are put together. This is a "handbook" only if you want to build a historic craft. For the rest of us it is a great book to read again and again while we compare old and modern styles and methods.

I think this book has a place in a complete boatbuilding library but, as a beginner, it uses terms that are unknown to most newbies. I think this book will be more helpful when you are further along in boatbuilding and perhaps have built a simple boat or two. It does have some classical appeal to it being written by a legend in the boating commmunity and therefore I feel it is a good purchase, just don't buy it as a newbie thinking your going to learn how to construct a boat cold turkey with this book as a guide.

I bought and read this book first, then bought and read most of the boatbuilding books on the current market over the last five years. This book clearly provided a trusted foundation for many of the others. Six decades later it is still an extremely useful and trusted foundation that probably should form the core of a very serious boatbuilder's library. Although fiberglass and epoxy have transformed amateur boatbuilding, this is still the 'go to' book for many fundamentals like lofting. Get this book and supplement it with others more specifically focused on the particular type of boat you want would be excellent advice.
It is worth noting that this book contains sets of plans for a range of boats that would cost many times what the book sells for if boought separately. With this,his "American Small Sailing Craft" (lines plans and tables of offsets for traditional craft), John Gardner's books (lines and offsets for classics such as dories, peapods and whitehalls with building procedures) and "The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction" (for fiberglass work)one would have a championship foundation library, already stocked with a wealth of plans for solid, beautiful boats.