Ultralight Boatbuilding [Paperback]

Thomas J. Hill (Author), Fred Stetson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1987

Demonstrates each step in the construction of canoes and small boats, offers advice on tools, materials, and techniques, and explains how to expand naval architect drawings into full-scale plans.

Editorial Reviews

Review

``Crammed full of work-saving techniques. . .The boatbuilding skills presented are all tried and true, but seldom presented this clearly.'' (WoodenBoat ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Tom Hill lives in Huntington, in the Green Mountains of Vermont, where he has been building boats and houses since 1972. He reckons he has built more than a hundred boats in that time, and has repaired hundreds more--everything from canoes and rowboats to 60-foot power yachts. Although he has worked with all types of wood construction as well as fiberglass, he has used glued plywood plank construction almost exclusively since being introduced to the method in 1980. Tom has taught boatbuilding classes since 1981 at The WoodenBoat School (Brooklin, Maine), The Brookfield Craft Center (Brookfield, Connecticut), the Shelburne Craft School (Shelburne, Vermont), and The Appalachian Center for the Crafts (Smithville, Tennessee). The boating he likes best is gunkholing--poking along interesting shores and exploring coves, estuaries, and inland waterways in canoes, kayaks, and small sailboats--but he appreciates ocean cruising as well, and once sailed his 28-foot sloop from Lake Champlain to the Bahamas and back while living aboard her for a year. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 134 pages
• Publisher: Intl Marine Pub (November 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877422443
• ISBN-13: 978-0877422440
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,783,181 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good overview of one style of small boat construction., September 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Ultralight Boatbuilding (Paperback)

This is a good book for daydreamers or for someone looking to get started in building a small boat. The book describes construction techniques for a canoe and a small skiff. The methods described can be applied to other designs, but the information provided is not enough to actually construct either example boat.

Plans for the example boats (or for other designs) can be purchased separately.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ultralight Boatbuilding by Thomas J. Hill, February 10, 2002

By 

Jennie S. Rice (Boulder, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ultralight Boatbuilding (Paperback)

After reading many of the 'classics' on building small boats, I relied on Hill's Ultralight Boatbuiling extensively to construct my first boat--a Chamberlain Dory Skiff in Gardner's Classic Small Craft. Hill helped resolve many of the mysteries of how to achieve tight lapstrake construction with entry-level woodworking skills and a little patience. The result was very rewarding. I created a light, seaworthy, beautiful craft that proved very durable. I used it for many years before selling it. Now I'm considering another project, but can't find my copy of Hill's book, so I'm back for another.

One caveat: the designs Hill uses in his book to illustrate his techniques are beautiful, but you'll probably need more complete plans for your first project.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reference for glued lapstrake boatbuilders, December 22, 2006

By 

Don M (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ultralight Boatbuilding (Paperback)

This is one of two books I recommend as essential reading for anyone attempting to bulid a glued plywood lapstrake boat for the first time. The other book is "The Plywood Clinker Boatbuilding Manual" by Iain Oughtred. There are several approaches to building a plywood glued lapstrake boat, and in my opinion the technique presented in this book gives the greatest chance of producing a high quality, fair hull. This book is not a set of instructions for building a particular boat design, but rather a set of procedures for building ANY lapstrake plywood hull. It is an easy read and has lots of detailed information on tasks that are not generally covered elsewhere, such as cutting a rolling bevel. The technique of using stringers on the mold makes getting the plank shapes right a snap. If you are thinking of building a lapstrake boat, read this book first. It gives a comprehensive overview of the process and may give you the confidence you need to go ahead with the project.