Customer Reviews

This Old Boat

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

 

 

I don't know where to begin thanking Casey and recommending him at the same time. A feeble attempt follows:

This is the MOST valuable of my 80 or 90 boatbuilding books, hands-down. It doesn't matter what construction material you are using, or what your level of expertise. At the very least, it is a fun, witty, and motivating book. Even if you come out of it with no more knowledge than when you started (I guarantee that will not happen), it will give you the necessary wisdom and motivation to stay the course. It was the first 'boat building' book I ever purchased, and it alone motivated me to stop dreaming about a boat, and to start building/rebuilding one. And it was to this book I turned whenever a project was frustrating (this is almost daily, for the uninitiated--and he explains this, too). It was also the book I used as a primary reference, and it served me very well in the rebuilding of two medium-sized boats. It has since served me equally well in the building of boats from plans, though you will need more than he offers for this (that does not mean instead of this, but in addition to his book, another will be necessary).

Whether you are going to build a boat from scratch, or you are going to refurbish an older boat (he makes a hard sell), this book MUST be read. If you have only one book on your shelf pertaining to the construction/reconstruction/maintenance, this should be it. You will never forget it, and you will recommend it to others as strongly as I am to you. Your boat will feel naked without it.

I think I have over a hundred books on sailing and boating.
"This Old Boat" is my most recent addition, which I bought
simultaneously with another of Casey's books "Sailboat Hull and
Deck Repair". I consider them to be two of the most important
books for sailors that are boat owners.

One can take two routes with
boats, buying new and paying a fortune, or going the inexpensive route
and doing the work yourself. There is something to be said for each.
I'm a sailor, I don't like working on boats. I had my fill as a child
working on my Dad's boat. Nevertheless, I'm presently engaged in
refitting an awesome older boat to modern standards. I love every bit
of it.

Casey's books are essential references for me. I've managed
to pick things up from magazines and working on other boats over the
years, but I still found these books not only insightful and powerful
motivators for me. One job that I have been reluctant to do, a deck
modification project has suddenly become do-able for me. Reading his
book made it clear to me that these jobs are not as hard as they first
seem to be. It is difficult to cut up a nice looking deck, but if you
plan the project right, you can transform your deck layout for
single-handed sailing, fix a de-lamination problem and a multitude of
deck leaks all at one time.

I strongly recommend this book and his
Sailboat Hull and Deck Repair.

Buy these books. Map out a strategy
and then focus on one project at a time. Good luck and smooth
sailing.

I wanted to give this a 5 star rating, but it's not one of my few bibles I always refer to. It definitely is a 4-1/2 star in my opinion. This is a well written detailed book that goes through virtually everything in buying, refitting and maintaning a used boat. The aspect I like best is the encouraging style that yes you can do it. In each section he recommends starting off with this or that simple project to build up confidence and expierence before starting on the really hard projects. Like paint the inside of lockers before painting the exterior hull. Casey also makes good recommendations on materials, procedures, preparation, execution etc. All geared to the none-pro. ME. Well written, informative, easy to understand, written to the regular guy. OK I guess I give this 4-3/4 star. Buy it. Would I buy again. Definitely.

This is my #1 reference book for maintaining and restoring (is there a difference?) my boat. Mr. Casey gives easy to understand and easy to follow instructions on how to perform basic repair and upgrade tasks. The projects described, for the most part, tell how to do things inexpensively but still obtain a high-quality result. Everything from how to re-bed a stanchion (and what kind of caulk to use) to building your own sails.

Casey's book is completely unintimidating, written for real persons who want to get into cruising without spending a fortune. He sounds just the right note: enough information to be completely understood without overloading the reader with everything he knows. Underneath everything in the book is a fine mind who believes that cruising is not just for the very rich.

I found the book a wealth of information and encouragement that gave me the confidence to successfully carryout a major restoration of a 20 year old storm damaged sailboat. I made a complete set of interior cushions from his easy to follow instructions. The book covers everything you need to know to maintain and repair your boat yourself. Also easy to read. I look forward to the revised 1997 edition. what more could be added?

This book is very well written. It gives general approaches to tackling all manner of sailboat restoration, repair and maintenance. It gives a very real sense of the human / old boat interactions. Don Casey tells you what to look out for without trying to be a comprehesive step by step guide. He makes you think, and guides you as to what to think about and why. His denial that your mast could be bent sideways indicates Mr. Caseys understanding of the quiet dockside terror which can be part of such a discovery. (If your mast is bent from side to side, you probably need a new one).

You're familiar of course with the numerous lists of necessary books to have aboard your boat. Boat Owner's comes to mind by Nigel Calder as one. HOWEVER, I believe you will find more useful information within the 408 pages. Also, it's book size (won't be a pain to store aboard) will be welcome.

The boring stuff (he tells you how to prioritize) -- some may need to hear/see safety first, and structure/bilge pumps et al. I could understand the reasoning but it wasn't real useful to me. His organizational check-lists will help folks actually plan chronology and FINISH the jobs.

The best part though was the step by step, well-illustrated how-to's. Everything I could want/need to know was covered, including how to read my electric meter, how much insulation the refrigerator needs, how much heat loss to expect in various sized boxes, how to plan for power needs, and a logic as to what we really need/can use/and WILL WORK aboard.

It's not a be-all/end-all book but it's very very good and well worth space aboard. You'll still need your shop books (for your engine, head, pumps, etc.) but with this gem you'll understand the why as well as the how to do repairs.

Even canvas repair is covered. Don't tell anyone, but it's not genius material. You can do it yourself and save big bucks. Mostly though, it's a book of instructions for repairs/improvements and "gosh, that'd be nice" type of things. If you don't know already, you'll learn step-by-step how to Fiberglas, how to make sails, how to fix wiring, WHEN TO HIRE EXPERTS, and more.

Even at retail price $35, it's well worth it, though of course I'd suggest saving $$ and buying used.

Don Casey is the Guru of practical boating and sensible cruising (The Thoreau Approach is another of his works that demonstrate this) and this was his first book. It recounts from a straight forward narrative the rebuilding of a basic cruiser. However; it is so loaded with sound advice and practical hints on woodworking, glassing, fittings and cruising comforts it offers far more than a simple renovation guide. His good writing led to other books, articles and regular columns in the sailing, cruising and boating world.

Covers everything from dings to diesels. A must read for apprentice boatsmiths. This reading gives you the confidence and knowledge to fix up & repair most every defect in your used boat.