Boatbuilding: A Complete Handbook of Wooden Boat Construction (Revised)

by Howard Irving Chapelle

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393035549
• ISBN13: 9780393035544
• Release Date: July 1994
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 640 Pages
• Weight: 2.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

What About the Designs?

I agree with the other (positive) reviewers--not an easy read, but well worth the investment in time. My favorite part of the book, though, has not been mentioned. Mr. Chapelle includes a number of sample designs--wonderful classics from a rowing peapod to a large commercial fishing boat. If you have some solid boat building experience, the plans are complete enough to build from, with a little eyestrain. For historical purposes, these designs complement those in American Small Sailing Craft, another worthwhile book by H.I. Chapelle. There is also an interesting, though too brief, section on choosing a design.

The reference on wooden boatbuilding

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.

Classic book for those interested in tratidition

This is a classic book for those interested in traditional boatbuilding techniques and old-fashioned robust design. Plywood and epoxy was not an issue in 1941 and the author assumes the reader has some common knowledge on woodworking, joinery and how boats are put together. This is a "handbook" only if you want to build a historic craft. For the rest of us it is a great book to read again and again while we compare old and modern styles and methods.

Classic Boat Construction

A classic work from a legendary author. Provides background and instruction in boat building [in 1941]. If you want to learn about traditional boat building methods, this is a wonderful addition to your library; if you want to throw together something in plywood and epoxy in a week, find another book (although this still might be a handy addition to your library). The author does assume that if you are building a boat, you know what one is and doesn't define or explain nautical terms, like bow, stern, gunwales, etc.

Excellent overview of wooden boat building.

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.