Customer Reviews

The Complete Guide to Metal Boats: Building, Maintenance, and Repair

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As The "Complete Guide to METAL BOATS" is about to be re-printed I thought this a good time to write an 'Author's review'. Over the past few months I have received hundreds of emails from customers expressing favourable comment on my book. When an author writes a book much of the content is usually 'researched' material ... In this case most of what you read in MB came out of my personal knowledge and experiance in designing and building metal boats. I personally find MB a great reference for the the researched material and the many pieces of information that occasionally 'slips ones mind' If you are planning to build or own a metal boat I can recommend this book without reservation. MB will NOT teach you how to weld but it WILL teach a welder how to build and maintain a metal boat. Regards, Bruce Roberts-Goodson

I waited with interest for the new edition as was advertised on www.bruceroberts.com website, and talked with the folks at Bruce Roberts, who explained that the whole book was being updated. They were quite helpful, and quite correct.

The book explains the "mysteries" and answers most questions regarding building a metal boat whether building from scratch and plans or from a computer cut kit. It explains the differences in the various materials with no great bias and plainly spells out the pluses & minuses of each. Welding techniques and materials are outlined as are methods for fitting out and installing systems.

Mr. Roberts-Goodson's writing style is down-to-earth, explaining items in plain English which makes it very easy to understand. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone considering building or buying a metal boat. Additionally metal boats owners would enjoy this book and would use it as a resource for repair and maintenance.

I brought this book because I was planning to build a kit (plasma cut boat).
The information in this book is valuable and to the point.
He also makes some important points about buying a steel boat.
However, in common with most boat building books it needs a whole chapter on costing and time to build to make it complete.
To get a handle on costing I would recommend:-
1) "Steel Away" by Smith and Moir
2) "the Cruising Life" by Jim Trefethen (I keep on rereading this book).
3) "Insider's Guide to Buying a Powerboat" by J.P. Lamy

After acquiring a pretty vast library of boat building literature- this is still the most used to reference back to. It is definitely tailored to their processes but these too should be used as models of how the plans should be done also. Cheers

This is the most comprehensive book to date on all aspects of designing, building and maintaining a metal boat. A must for all existing and future metal boat owners. Thoroughly recommended reading, something for everyone !

I have followed Bruce's career for over 30 years. In that time he has changed from a naval architect who sells hand-drawn boat plans to a designer using the most sophisticated technology to produce first rate boat plans and kits for the perceptive buyer. This revision of Metal Boats has built on that excellent work and explores all current knowledge about steel, aluminum and copper-nickel boatbuilding. I think that the book lives up to Bruce's promise to "turn a welder into a boatbuilder."