Iain Oughtred [Hardcover]

Nic Compton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 27, 2009

For decades, boat building has catered for the rich and the elite, and has been out of the reach of ordinary people both economically and culturally. Iain Oughtred has challenged this philosophy by designing beautiful yet inexpensive wooden boats ideal for amateur construction, often basing the designs on traditional local craft. Iain has a cult following around the world as a result of his exceptionally appealing yet easy to build small boat designs, and this compelling book shows just why. The photography showcases the beauty of Iain's boats, as well as the stunning Scottish landscape where he is based. Nic Compton's evocative text traces Iain's journey and the development of his designs, the growth of the woodenboat movement and the take-up of Iain's designs by mainstream boat builders all over the world. This is the only full colour, comprehensive book on this popular small boat designer, and will appeal to existing Iain Oughtred enthusiasts as well as the more general boat building market, attracted by the gorgeous photography and drawn by Iain's reputation and the philosophy of the wooden boat movement as a whole.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Iain has a cult following around the world as a result of his exceptionally appealing, yet easy to build small boat designs, and this compelling book shows just why." All at Sea (May 2009) "A comprehensive look at the philosophy and boat designs of Iain Oughtred." Boat Mart (June 2009) ' This book is to be devoured in a couple of sittings and then dipped into whenever life becomes too jaded, a source of inspiration for many years to come...this is a must-have volume ' Water Craft (July 2009) ' This book is a must for any builder or enthusiast of small boat design and build ' Classic Boat (July 2009) 'An unusual man very well described in this very high quality book.' Ausmarine (October 2009) 'Nice present for a sailor.' The Little Ship (Winter 2009) 'it is good to have a biography on one of the leading lights, especially such an enigmatic designer as Iain Oughtred.' Canoeist (December 2010)

About the Author

Nic Compton was deputy editor and then editor of Classic Boat from 1996 to 2000. Since then, he has travelled the world as a freelance writer/photographer. He was editor of the Official Book of the America's Cup Jubilee (Notre Voie, 2002) and has written three books: Sailing Solo, Sailboats and The Great Classic Yacht Revival.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Adlard Coles (May 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1408105152
• ISBN-13: 978-1408105153
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,914,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read for Oughtred Fans, July 3, 2009

By 

J. Thomas Hudson (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Iain Oughtred (Hardcover)

I came across Iain's designs several years ago when researching boat plans for my first home build. I saw a photo of his Eun Na Mara and fell in love with the beautiful lines of the boat. The more you look at his designs, the more you realize that Iain is a true artist. If you've ever purchased any of his plans, you can see the artistry in the detailed hand drawn blueprints. I have built one of his designs, and plan on at least a couple more.

This book details his life and his boat designs in a great personal style. For me at least, it was a book I couldn't put down, finishing it in a couple of days, but going back over it again and again to look at the beautiful photos of his designs, and consulting the design catalog in the appendix. Compton has done a great job in presenting Iain's life in a way that makes you feel like you know Iain personally.

Iain is a fascinating man and this book offers insight into him and his designs. A must have for any of his fans, and possibly this book could make quite a few more fans from readers who haven't heard of him. If you've ever admired the shear of a boat, or felt a tingle following the graceful curves of a lapstrake boat, this is a book you'll definitely enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Master boat designer biography, May 17, 2010

By 

William Purcell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Iain Oughtred: A Life in Wooden Boats (Hardcover)

This book is a biography of Iain and I couldn't put it down. I have just finished building my first wooden boat- a Wee Rob. Maybe I have a particular affinity formed by the long hours in the shed at night placing my trust in Iain's plans. For me this book was a great way to cap off my project. I found the small study plans useful to understand Iain's other boat designs, and also his naming system.

I have heard said of this book " it's not just the ply that's tortured" and that, I'm afraid is the essence of Iain.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A biography not a boat design book, March 31, 2010

By 

Captain Pea "captain_pea" (Southern United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Iain Oughtred: A Life in Wooden Boats (Hardcover)

This is a biography of one of the most influential boat designers in Britain today. Iain Oughtred's designs have won him world renown as a designer that produces beautiful boats with traditional roots that may be made by amateurs using modern techniques. It outlines his early life in Australia, his move to England, his experiences in the USA, finding his spiritual roots in Scotland, and, despite being one of the most successful designers of modern times, living a somewhat lonely life in what almost amounts to apparent squalor and poverty. It is an interesting life, but the biographer teases us into wanting a little more. Oughtred appears to be a private character and through the narrative there is the feeling that there is more to know, although some of the questions are resolved in the final epilogue.
The book contains two extensive appendices.
The first is a simple list of Oughtred's designs: name, length, type of craft, and a few notes eg. whether built and who commissioned it.
Appendix 2 is an selection of his designs with examples of plans. It is organised into prams (2); canoes, rowing and riverboats (5); traditional dinghies (4); sailing dinghies (3); dories (2); double enders (5); faerings (2); and cruising yachts (4). Unfortunately, although the plans give a general idea of the boats, they are printed at too small a scale to be examined in detail. There are also few pictures of the boats except as they may occur to accompany the biography section. This is a major failing. However some of the photos that do occur are very well executed and evocative of place.There are also many photos of Iain's life, but it would have been so nice to have a more compehensive pictoral overview of his designs and their evolution.
This is a good informative read for those interested in modern wooden boatbuilding and the man behind the designs, but fails to make it to five stars because of the poor reproduction of the plans, lack of a comprehensive photo record of the boat designs, and a somewhat unengaged biographical style.