Customer Reviews

Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats: A Step-By-Step Guide for Buyers and Owners

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

 

 

Read this book and you can evaluate boats and surveyors. This in turn will make you feel more comfortable when you hire a surveyor to meet an insurance requirement or to evaluate things you don't feel competent to do yourself.

This book does a great job explaining how glass is laid up, the different types of glass, mat, roving, etc, and where they should be used. Common problems found in fiberglass boats such as blistering are discussed with lots of surprising information.

I've found that my personal experiences confirmed many of the points made by the author. Like the myth that fresh water boats are better than salt water. Contrasted with fresh water boats are more likely to have blister problems than saltwater.

Today, many people come to me with questions about boats. As I write this review, I realize that many of the answers I give out come out of information I found in this book.

I don't believe you have to have a survey on a boat to make an intelligent purchase decision. In part, because some of the surveyors are only interested in your money, and do not look boats over thoroughly. A properly educated individual can do most or all of his, or her, own survey.

Some surveyors are very good, and some are very bad. How can you tell if someone is good or not?

To become a surveyor some certifying organizations only require a couple of sample copies of surveys done and that you have a few books on your bookshelf. What a joke!

I personally know of a real case, which happened in 1999, where an old survey was pulled up, the date changed and it was reused without any a new survey being actually done. This is a good reason to choose your own surveyor and not the one recommended by the seller.

Going aloft and checking the rigging on a boat is not easy. Is it not surprising that important steps like these get skipped.

Some surveyor's haven't read this book--so how good can they be? Contrast this with someone who has taken a 8 week course on surveying, holds a USCG license, and grew up on boats. This is the kind of person you want for a surveyor.

It is up to you to be knowledgeable enough to make your own decisions-including choosing a surveyor if you feel you need one. This book will help you do that.

Educate yourself. Being able to look a boat over to evaluate it for purchase is an important skill. This book is a good starting point. It is cheap insurance and worth the price.

Mustin gives a lot of good information in doing your own survey for that boat you have your eye on. I would never recommend not having a professional survey, but this book guides you through a lot of information with good pictures and sketches. Read this book before you go boat searching to eliminate the dogs. Then use this book to hire a really good surveyor and be able to talk intelligently to him. Good luck. Would I buy again. Yes

I used this and another, more detailed book, to complete my own survey on an inexpensive boat with a measure of confidence. I felt that I could gauge the safety and useability of all the major systems of the boat within reason..is it safe, does it work properly, etc.

I didn't always understand the why behind some analyses, but the average person can easily use the book to a) perform a basic survey on an inexpensive boat, or b) winnow the acceptable from the unaccptable before paying a professional to complete a thorough survey.

Henry does it in one 3 1/2 hour setting - completely. I now feel confident in my search for 'Das Boot'. I drove a 27 foot Tartan for years, decided it was time for a 40 and didn't know how to proceed in my next move. Now I do. Well written, factual and even mentions, not-unfavorably, some names. I do not believe you could go wrong with this purchase, if, you are on the same quest as I. Retirement, with dive charters in the Caribbe... Buenas Suertes, y'all.

Mr. Mustin explains fiberglass boat construction in very detailed laymans terms. His real world experience dealing with the problems of fiberglass boats and his discuss of what is a real problem and what is something you can live with/expect was informative. The last chapters on the trade of surveying boats for a living were excellent.

Books like this are great for scaring one away from the idea of boat ownership. Much alarm is raised regarding blisters, osmotic or otherwise. It's not clear to me why they're considered an emergency, so perhaps they're more of a resale cosmetic / FUD issue than anything else. This book is perhaps most useful for the rarified crowd of people already surveying other types of boats, or with heaps of experience with fiberglass laminates. Much here is above and beyond what a typical boat owner/buyer would realistically be able to do on their own, and assumptions are made about the knowledge and skills of the reader.

This has to be the "bible" of sailboat repair and maintenance. Haven't seen anything in one volume like it. From hull repairs to engine and electrical system things are spelled out clearly. I would strongly recommend this to anyone who owns a sailboat. If nothing else as you read it and feel like you should be calling someone, you'll know you should be calling someone.

I purchased this book to help me while looking at boats to purchase. I was a first time boat buyer and felt lost. If I had taken the time to read this all the way through I am sure it would have helped me to make a very informed decision, but I was only able to skim it minuets before I went to look at the boat I eventually bought. That being said, the skimming I was able to do did help me to see a few flaws that I used to bring the price down. This book is chocked full of info, but I would not recommend this to a first time boat buyer like myself. This book is better suited for someone with a boat that is in need of restoration and does not know where to start. This book will help you evaluate the true condition of any boat and help to lay out a plan for repairs. For those of you that want to perform those repairs yourself you should look at "This Old Boat" by Don Casey.