Boatbuilding: A Complete Handbook of Wooden Boat Construction [Hardcover]

Howard Irving Chapelle (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Boatbuilding is a practical handbook and boatshop assistant, designed and written to meet the needs of the builder, covering the complete process of wooden boat construction. The text covers all types of craft from flat-bottom rowboats to ocean cruisers and commercial vessels, and aids the builder in overcoming difficulties and discouraging delays resulting from the lack of easily available information on the practical side of boatbuilding. Boatbuilding gives detailed instructions, with many illustrations, on all phases of boatbuilding written out of actual boatbuilding practice and aids the builder in planning each job in its proper sequence in relation to those that follow. After a chapter discussing the choice of plans suitable for amateur work there are chapters on lofting, the backbone and setting up, flat-bottom hull construction, V-bottom hull construction, round-bottom hull construction, deck framing and building, special construction (plywood, strip planking, lap-strake, diagonal, ribband carvel, canvas), heavy construction, joiner-work, iron-work, and spar making. Each chapter is organized for easy and quick reference, and the book is completely indexed. An added feature is the inclusion of building plans for nineteen boats designed for this book and suitable for amateur building.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 624 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (April 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393035549
• ISBN-13: 978-0393035544
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #188,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The reference on wooden boatbuilding, May 7, 2002

By	John F. Milliken "docmill" (Eastham, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Boatbuilding: A Complete Handbook of Wooden Boat Construction (Hardcover)

Pure and simple.

I'm a professional, doing repairs on wooden workboats and I do refer to it whenever I'm stumped. Not the easiest read, not completely user-friendly.....well, I'll let you in on a little secret; neither is boatbuilding.

Some have whinged about the terms, some have groused about the old-style construction methods. Well, there are certain terms that are used for certain things and you are not knowledgeable unless you can use and understand them. Learning them is part of learning the trade. Study!

Tremendous detail, wide variety of different methods covered. Chapelle was a NA/ME and a skilled designer in his own right and it too shows. Highly recommended.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent overview of wooden boat building., October 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Boatbuilding: A Complete Handbook of Wooden Boat Construction (Hardcover)

A classic in every sense of the word. Howard I. Chapelle covers nearly every aspect of the design and construction of small, traditional, wooden craft. There is much insight to be gained, and the illustrations and plans included are priceless bits of our marine heritage. Worth a read, even if you don't plan on building a boat yourself.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A true classic - just not a beginner's how-to book, September 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Boatbuilding: A Complete Handbook of Wooden Boat Construction (Hardcover)

As the editorial review from Book News clearly states, this is a reprint of a book from 1941. As such it is not written or illustrated like a modern how-to book. It is, however, packed with information about traditional methods of boat construction. There are certainly more appropriate choices for a first book on boatbuilding, or for someone who wants step-by-step guidance to building a particular design, but this book is is a classic that belongs in the library of anyone with a strong interest in the craft.