Devlin's Boatbuilding: How to Build Any Boat the Stitch-and-Glue Way (Paperback)

by Samual Devlin (Author) "The differences between conventional plywood-on-frame and stitch-and-glue construction are significant..." (more)
Key Phrases: Surf Scoter, Means of Grace, Black Crown (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Few people have done more than Sam Devlin to popularize wooden boatbuilding. For the past 15 years he has been designing, building, and helping others build his fleet of small sail and power boats. Ranging in length from 7 to 40 feet--so graceful, pert, and purposeful they seem to have been born on the waves--these boats belie the fact that they are built from sheet plywood using wire stitches and epoxy glue. In other words, anyone can build them, and many have. A 1988 WoodenBoat magazine profile of Devlin garnered more than 1,800 inquiries for his boat plans, an unbelievable response to any article in any magazine. Sailboats like Nancy's China (costs less to build than the reported cost of one place setting of Nancy Reagan's china) and powerboats like Surf Scoter are familiar, much-appreciated sights these days. Devlin developed this guide to building boats--his or any other designer's--from the building instructions he supplies with his plans. It is a mature, shop- and ocean-tested manual, covering everything from sharpening the tools to launching the finished boat. There is also a gallery of Devlin's designs and a detailed appendix listing sources for tools and other materials.

From the Back Cover

Why is stitch-and-glue boatbuilding so popular?

Any number of construction methods will produce a beautiful boat. But for the backyard builder with limited experience and a tight budget, the choice is not so complicated. Traditional plank-on-frame and cold-molded construction require complicated lofting and building molds--to say nothing of expensive tooling and lots of time. Stitch-and-glue construction, on the other hand, can produce the same results with a substantial savings in time and money. The process is quicker, easier, uses fewer parts, and produces a boat that is much easier to maintain--without the building molds and with only the simplest lofting. For tools, you need little more than a circular saw, a sander/polisher/grinder, a block plane, a framing square, a level, and a tape measure.

Sam Devlin has elevated stitch-and-glue boatbuilding to an artform, and his graceful designs have attracted the attention of backyard builders across the country. Here is all you need to know to build the boat of your dreams, whether it's a 7-foot dinghy or a 40-foot power cruiser. Devlin's Boatbuilding: How to Build Any Boat the Stitch-and-Glue Way shares the wisdom of his 16 years of experience designing, building, and helping others build his fleet of small sail- and powerboats.

It's all here, from choosing a design and setting up shop to painting the finished hull and launching. There is also a gallery of Devlin's designs and a detailed appendix listing sources for tools and other materials.

Here is everything you need to know about stitch-and-glue construction, from its leading proponent:

• Setting up shop
• Selecting the right marine plywood
• Converting plywood-on-frame designs for stitch-and-glue construction
• Working with epoxy and fiberglass
• Proper stitching and reinforcement
• Finishing the hull
• And much more

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Product Details

• Paperback: 198 pages
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (October 25, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071579907
• ISBN-13: 978-0071579902
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #76,881 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pionneer of stitch-and-glue tells all, May 31, 2000

By	Michael J Edelman (Huntington Woods, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The stitch-and-glue technique was pioneered by builders of small boats, so it's not surprising that most boatbuilders think of it as a technique appropriate only for small boats. But Sam Devlin has been building large boats for many years with stitch and glue, and in this books shows why it's an appropriate technique for any size boat.

Traditional plywood boatbuilding doesn't really take advantage of the structural properties of plywood, argues Devlin; if you build a frame and then cover it with sheets of plywood in the same way you'd plank with boards, you're not really gaining much other than the convenience of the larger sheets. You're still using the same techniques of a century ago.

Stitch and glue allows the builder to make strong frameless monococque structures in which the entire skin, and not just the frames, carries the load. Such structures are much lighter and stiffer than traditional framed structures. Aircraft builders have been using monococques since the 1930s, and automobiles have been built using monocoque ("unibody") construction since the 1960s.

Devlin assumes the reader of this book knows a little about boats, but nothing about stitch and glue construction. He provides excellent detail on the tools, techniques and materials needed, as well as numerous photos and a number of designs.

Whether you're planning to build a 7' pram or a 30' cruiser, there's much useful information here. Even if you already have one of Dynamite Payson's "Instant Boats" books or Chris Kulczycki's "The Kayak Shop" you'll want a copy of this book as well.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for every boatbuilder, March 17, 1998

By	Giuseppe Bianco (Matera, MT Italy) - See all my reviews

This is a great book. Every aspect of stitch and glue boatbuilding is covered in great detail, from shop practice to lofting, assembling and finishing the boat. The style is plain and enjoyable and the drawings are excellent. The author's love for boats, fine materials and good workmanship is evident in every page. I found just a few minor issues. First, the quality of the photographs is questionable. Moreover, from the builders' perspective, some more hints and suggestions on how to use power tools to cut sheet plywood, as well as a more in-depth discussion on epoxy-sealing the hull, would have been useful. Apart from those points, the book is excellent and should be in every boatbuilder's bookshelf.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent source of boat building instruction and motivation, July 28, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews

As a person looking to choose a boat building method, I found Sam Devlin's book extremely interesting. After reading his book, I felt confident that I could tackle such a project and was inspired by his personal love of the craft. As a matter of fact I purchased some of his plans and found Sam and his wife to be extremely friendly and helpful!