The Guide to Wooden Power Boats [Hardcover]

Maynard Bray (Author), Benjamin Mendlowitz (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1998

A beautiful and indispensable guide to wooden power boats by America's preeminent photographer of wooden boats.

This small, elegant book of the most gorgeous wooden powerboats in the world is divided into five categories — launches, runabouts and racers, power cruisers, motor yachts, and work boats. Among the magnificent vessels included are Kittywake, a 100-year-old British steam launch, and Jessica, a legendary 75-foot motor yacht built in 1930 whose early years were spent as a fast commute to New York City through Long Island Sound. Also presented here are converted shrimp boats, tugboats, gold cup racers, and the stunning Principia, a gleaming 96-foot power yacht and favorite among enthusiasts.

Editorial Reviews

Review

An intelligent selection of subjects, hard-core color photography, and informative commentary makes this more than just a field guide. -- Woodenboat Review, March/April 1999

About the Author

Benjamin Mendlowitz is America's premier photographer of wooden boats. He has produced the Calendar of Wooden Boats® since 1983. He lives in Brooklin, Maine.

Marine historian Maynard Bray has provided text for each Calendar of Wooden Boats®, as well as for six books featuring Benjamin Mendlowitz’s boat photography. He lives in Brooklin, Maine.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 164 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1st edition (October 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393046605
• ISBN-13: 978-0393046601
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,320,714 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful small book, but misleading title, not a guide, November 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Guide to Wooden Power Boats (Hardcover)

Excellent book and beautiful photography, but this is not a guide to help you find a particular model or type, it is a composite of various photographs (beautiful) of individual owner boats categorized by style and type. Great book, but if you are looking for a guide book, this is not it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty pics, but NOT a guide, September 9, 2007

By 

Roger M. Jahn "wooden boats need love too, (a... (N. KY Ohio River) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Guide to Wooden Power Boats (Hardcover)

One can tell that the pictures were beautifully done, but there is only one pic per boat and sometimes did not show the best side of the vessel...the Chris "barrel back" had the rear covered by spray ! A brief paragraph with year, builder/ designer, length and beam was about it on the description. Not exhaustive, not very informative. A minature coffee table book of a very few wooden powerboats. Pics; 5 stars, organization; 5 stars, information/ completeness; 2 stars.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the Sears Catalog of Wood Boat Types, September 5, 2000

By 

Vance Jochim "vjochim" (Mount Dora, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Guide to Wooden Power Boats (Hardcover)

There are just a few facts and a paragraph of text for each boat on a single page, but cruise thru the chapters to select the next type of boat you, as a woodie fan, wants to move up to. I like the 30's commuters and the runabouts (I own a 1941 Chris) so this book sits in the living room and gets reviewed periodically when time permits. The ultimate woodie wishlist book. Vance Jochim, webmaster for www.coolwoodies.com - homeport for two ACBS chapters.