5 comments about How to Build a Wooden Boat.

1. First written as a series of articles for the Wooden Boat magazine, this is a standard textbook for those who want to embark on the grand pastime of wooden boatbuilding. "Boatbuilding" by Howard Chapelle is, of course, the all time classic in this arena, but the pre-WWII tome does not have modern powertools in mind and the maritime language is a cypher to the modern reader. McIntosh, by comparison, uses easily understood expressions and jargon commonly found in any maritime dictionary. But if you are really about to build a boat, DO NOT let any one book be your guide. Buy as extensive a collection of books as you can get your hands on. Books are cheap, and reading them much less of a labor, than the money you will poor into your dream boat in the garage, and the back-breaking man-hours you will put in.



2. The day I first met the late New England boat builder Bud McIntosh he was down in the hold of a schooner's hull setting keel bolts--and singing Homer's Iliad in ancient Greek. He stopped when he saw me peaking through a gap in the planks (probably amused by my mouth hanging open in wonder and awe) and asked: "You like boats?" Well I did, and I was there to ask him a question about planking a skiff I was building for my family.

   Bud not only answered that question, but he answered many more boat and woodworking-related questions over the ensuing years. When I began to combine writing with my woodworking, Bud gave me the most valuable and fundamental piece of advice I needed to hear: "Write what you know--and if you enjoy doing what you know, people will enjoy reading what you have to say about it."

   He should know, because that is exactly what he did in his own book. Not only does How to Build a Wooden Boat offer us one of the clearest explanations of building a traditional wooden boat ever presented, it does so in a way filled with humor and lively anecdotes. (Don't miss the one about what happened when a bunch of tipsy boatbuilders volunteered to build their late buddy's coffin). Though I never went on to build boats of this scale myself, I continue to consult Bud's book whenever I want a definitive answer on how to lay out curved components, or design joints to shed water, or find an answer to any number of questions where the technology of traditional wooden boats can give us proven answers.




3. Mr. McIntosh is quite obviously a master of his craft. Sadly, though, he's an exceedingly poor teacher, and one would need to be both in order to write this book well. Needlessly (sometimes infuriatingly) verbose, the author buries critical theses in an avalanche of lyrical verbiage that achieves nothing other than obscuration of the point. Illustrations that accompany the text rarely help to clarify the written instruction. An application or two of the K.I.S.S. principle would have worked wonders here. Recommended only for those who already know how to build a wooden boat.



4. I bought this for my husband and to help me understand the process of building. It succeeded for me, and James said it gives a good over-view of boat building and answered a lot of questions, but needs to be backed up with Details of Classic Boat Building if someone is actually building their first wooden boat.



5. Great book for a beginner. There are a lot of details that require more research, but it's a great jumping off point.

5 comments about Evinrude Johnson Outboard Shop Manual: 2-40 Hp 1973-1990 (Includes Electric Motors) (Clymer Marine Repair Series) (Clymer Marine Repair Series).

1. This book has a pretty good trouble shooting section and wiring diagrams. BUT It has no index which makes it really hard to cut to the parts you need w/out having to wade through a bunch of stuff you don't need. The pictures are OK as far as they go but it'd be better with more short of what the engined look like on the boat (where most are serviced). There isn't much description of how a system ought to work other than the general one describing what a system should do, nothing about, say, how to get inside the power tilt to service it on the boat...rather its there but you have to read between the lines. Some Owners Maual type descriptiones would be more helpful.



2. I have owned and read countless technical/shop manuals over the years and this is hands-down the WORST of them all. The organization of subject matter is terrible. You don't know which chapter to look for what. The table of contents and index are of no use. The manual reads like a novel- in paragraph form. You'll find yourself reading through paragraphs of non-pertinent information to find a number your are looking for such as the specified ignition timing. The information in this book is also very incomplete at best. In fact, this book does not even list the maximum RPM range for the motors. One chapter refers the reader to Chapter 5 for maximum operating RPM range, but this information is nowhere to be found in Chapter 5, or anywhere else for that matter! There are plenty of other dissappointments such as reference to lousy black-and-white pictures to identify a single screw that's not even labeled. If you're looking for a book that reads like a supermarket pulp fiction novel that will give you very basic small engine 101 knowledge, this book might be for you. If you are looking for a manual you can actually use for technical reference, do not buy this book! You will be sorely dissappointed. Instead, try the book by Seloc.



3. Usually Clymer falls short on the repair books. This is not the case here. I found the material easy to locate, written in a clear manner with good diagrams, photos and sidebar information.



4. I needed information about the fuel system on 40 hp Johnson. This manual failed to cover this fuel system. Very basic information. Sad comment of being a factory manual.



5. I have a Johnson 1986 15hp motor. Purchased this book to give me an idea how to undergo normal service and impeller replacement etc. For this the information is basic, but I got there. It does contain some good information with regards to outboard motor service and use, but there are important parts missing here and there. The book isnt terribly well organized but does have exploded parts diamgrams for most engines and sections. There is also some outdated information, particularly in relation to spark plug gaps. It lists 0.040" for most plugs, but since the late 80's OMC has recommended 0.030" spark plug gaps for most of their engines. Use the book only as a guide. It is not a step-by-step, detailed guide to fixing everything on an outboard, but useful as a starter nonetheless for those not familiar with older Johnson/Evinrude outboards.

5 comments about The Troller Yacht Book: A Powerboater's Guide to Crossing Oceans.

1. I was pawing through a Port Townsend bookstore the other day and saw the title and more importantly the sub-title of this book. And I instantly had one of those epiphany moments where a major element of the rest of my life fell into place. I've wanted to have the means to explore the world by ocean for a very long time but haven't had any good ideas on how to make progress. I bought Mr. Buehler's book and now I do.
   
   I may not end up building to any of Mr. Buehler's plans (although the 48' Diesel Duck looks awfully appealing) but I'm certainly going to put together a boat based on these ideas or die trying. No doubt what got me started down this line of thinking was reading the Patrick O'Brian novels a couple times.
   
   If you relate to my perspective at all then I'll expand on this for a moment. The book opens up, extensively, a frame of mind that answers the extended set of questions sitting in my land-lubber's brain. Here are the summary questions and answers, unabashed advertising for TTYB.
   
   How big does a boat need to be to safely cross an ocean? (Answer: about 40 feet does it. 50 feet seems a nice compromise between 'more is better' and 'more is too much'.)
   
   Should one move about on the ocean by sailing? (Answer: No! But a mast ought to be built into a power boat so sails can be used at sea in the event of engine failure.)
   
   Do big boats need commensurately big engines? (Answer: No! Not if you travel in displacement hulls at modest speed. This means you can travel along under tens of horsepower burning a gallon or two of diesel per hour; what a concept!)
   
   What sort of range can one get on the ocean on a single tank of gas? (Answer: A narrow hull and a small engine get you a quarter of the way around the planet on 800 gallons of fuel.)
   
   And to reiterate/summarize: What is the basic idea for ocean-crossing adventures on a middle-class income? ((To be fair Mr. Buehler phrases this question in his book better than I had formed it in my head) The answer: Build a compact narrow boat with a modest superstructure to cut down wind resistance, travel at 8 knots or so, and keep all of your critical systems simple and thereby reliable.)
   
   As the man says in his book, the design concept is based on very seaworthy salmon trollers rather than wide-bottom trawlers. (So any review of this book that uses the term 'trawler' must be written by someone who didn't actually read it.)
   
   And as another man says (in Young Frankenstein): To the lumber yard!!



2. This is my favorite design book so far for around the world passagemaker type vessels. Buehler sort of takes up where Beebe leaves off, and gives an excellent working man's view of the problem. In his opinion, the vessel should be built more thin and streamlined so as to burn less fuel. Trawler yachts like the Nordhaven, are essentially fat, heavy, big-motored trawling vessels, such as scrape the bottom of the ocean bare with enormous lead weighted trawler nets.
   
   His idea, the *troller* yacht, is more along the lines of line fisher vessels. Longer with less beam (width), and stouter, and made of working-class materials like wood or steel, rather than the "easy maintenence" fiberglass hulls favored by modern yacht buyers. He also disdains complicated electrical or mechanical systems, pointing out that such stuff breaks, it is hard to maintain and expensive to have others repair. He gives a number of outlines for vessels he has designed which have ranges of up to 9000 miles on 600 gallons of diesel fuel. He points out that modern workboats are much like his: economical powerboats. Sailboats are too expensive for working joes to go fishing in. They require big crews, and the gear itself is quite expensive. He once compares a modest sailing rig to the equivalent in diesel range: the diesel fuel will get you many times farther, and he points out that in most sailboats, the diesel motor is used half the time anyway because there is no wind. If you have an idea of sailing 'round the world, you might revisit your idea with some of the ideas in this book. I certainly think differently about the problem after having read this. This isn't for Larry Ellison; this is for people who have to worry about money and efficiency. Which means, I suppose, this book is for the type of person who has to buy a book to learn this sort of thing; otherwise you could just buy someone to tell you what kind of boat to get.



3. Although technically correct the author has a 'problem' with the modern thinking in this field. This theme is recurrent thoughout his book.



4. This is a great book for the armchair cruiser, the person who dreams about maybe someday getting a boat and cruising the world. It will add solid substance to those dreams, and make you much better prepared to read the for-sale ads and brochures of yacht brokers.
   
   Buehler adopts a folksy, contrarian, informal style that is a delight to read: we're just sittin' around the port bar with crusty ol' cap'n Buehler, swappin' yarns. Buehler delights in being a contrarian, sniping at all modern trends and current assumptions in yacht marketing. For example: mild steel is almost always better than stainless steel for fittings; deck railings should be welded up from plain steel piping at a fraction the cost of custom stainless; *all* electrical systems *will* fail after enough time around salt water -- like the ubiquitous electric anchor-winch, which *will* fail and leave you stuck. So do without most of them (he advocates hydraulic-powered winches driven from the engine) and design in fall-backs for the ones you can't do without (like the engine starter).
   
   Many of his opinions he justifies with anecdotes from long experience of "messing about in boats" on salt water. Some of the most important are backed by numbers. Most striking is the repeated tables of analyses showing how remarkably efficient a displacement hull is, when driven at its hull speed; and how amazingly fast the horsepower requirements go up, and the effective cruising range falls, as you increase speed even slightly above it.
   
   Along the way he pokes holes in many pretentions and careless assumptions of the modern yacht market, which helps prepare you to read the magazines and brochures with a properly skeptical eye. A fun read and a dose of consumer wariness combined, a good thing. I would happily give this 5 stars except it is a bit dated. Ten years have passed and his cost estimates ought to be updated. Also, he could give a lot more info on good, reliable interior fitting design. For those wanting more info, current info on the designs at the center of this book is found at www.dieselducks.com. Buehler's own home page is www.georgebuehler.com.



5. but nothing else, sorry :)
   
   The main idea - "Boating is cool. Boating on trawler... sorry, troller, twice cooler :) Can't afford a new one - build it by yourself. You CAN do it! To do it you have to know about... By the way, in my 20-s..." :)
   
   Covered areas:
   - why boating is cool, a bit of history;
   - what kind of boats is more preferable for crossing oceans and why;
   - tech details: hull shapes, engines, sails, materials ("steel=cool"). Valuable comparsions (for example: different hull shapes for same project. You can see how shape affecting common boat params);
   - sample drawings of some parts + few drawings of boat projects starting 38' & up;
   
   This is easy-to-read book, and it's not a 'technical book'. I mean it can be compared to memoirs,... some kind of 'technical memoirs' :)
   
   In general, coverage is good for an 'experienced newbie', who know's something about boats in general & dreaming about his own 'troller' boat. In fact, information from this book will not be enough to build something... But this book can inflame your dreams even more. :)

1 comments about An Introduction to Atmospheric Thermodynamics.

1. I've only glanced at the second edition of this book, but it was enough to notice that one of the examples from the first edition (in the section on Gay-Lussac's Law) has made it into the second edition, despite the author being informed that it was incorrect. It's an example about a house being heated in winter and the pressure difference that could be expected between the inside and outside. Luckily, it's always very close to zero pressure difference between the inside and outside, but the author comes up with 7.3%!! and glosses over it with the statement that window glass "can withstand such pressure changes easily." I have my doubts about that, but I do know that I don't want to be standing outside the front door if it's got that sort of pressure difference on it, since it amounts to about 3000 pounds pushing outward!
   
   The book is a decent treatment of atmospheric thermodynamics otherwise, but it would be nice if the real applications to the atmosphere could be arrived at sooner, and covered in more detail. Most texts ignore the common stability indices that are used in forecasting, and this one is no exception, despite the fact that they've been in use for decades.

1 comments about Atmospheric Pollution.

1. Atmospheric Pollution is an excellent primer and reference on air pollution and air quality issues facing the world today. Written essentially as a textbook, nevertheless, it is highly readable and a good, basic, factual overview of the pollutants, pollutant processes, laws and regulations, and current issues in air quality protection.

3 comments about The Wood and Canvas Canoe: A Complete Guide to Its History, Construction, Restoration, and Maintenance.

1. I had an old canvas canoe I used for duck hunting that was in desperate need of repair. My hunting buddy and I decided to tackle the job of replacing broken ribs, rotten planking and re-canvasing the old girl. We literally had no idea of what we were getting into, and without the help of this book we would still be lost. It provided us with some great ideas and great step by step instructions.



2. I purchased this book as a gift - but read it myself before giving it to them. The most informative book with very good illustrations.
   It helped me make decisions on the purchase of a wood & canvas canoe. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in canoes.
   
   Famos
   Montana



3. Helpful guide for the canoe enthusiast that wants to build or repair their own canoe. Wether it be wood or canvas.

5 comments about The Ship and the Storm: Hurricane Mitch and the Loss of the Fantome.

1. The Fantome was the first windjammer ship that I sailed on in 1983. Being the first ship I always compared other ships to her. The book is about a small group of brave men trying to save a gallant lady!



2. Jim Carrier tells the story of The Ship and the Storm by using crew accounts, passenger interviews, surviving crew relatives and official weather related records.
   Anchored in the quiet waters of the Bay at Omoa, Honduras passengers excitedly board the Windjammer Cruise Ship Fantome. Feted with the finest cuisine and free flowing rum swizzle the fun and excitement is just beginning as the tall ship prepares to sail from one tropical paradise to another.
   Two mornings later as the Fantomes' guests finished their Bloody Mary and sticky bun breakfast a weather station on the West Coast of Africa was recording a drop in the barometric pressure. The Miami Hurricane Center labeled the system #46 and indicated in the margin that it was impressive.
   One week later on the evening of October 17, 1998 while Fantome passengers partied tropical wave 46 was moving west past Barbados in the Windward Islands. A day later the National Hurricane Center using satellite pictures and computer models predicts that tropical wave 46 will become a hurricane.
   October 21st the day Fantome arrived at the island of Guanaja off the north shoulder of Honduras a C-130 Hurricane Hunter located a weather system created by wave 46 and notified Miami that they had located a tropical depression.
   However, weather in the Western Caribbean is good and Fantome passengers were still enjoying their cruise vacation. But change came the next morning and Captain Guyan March advises crew and passengers on the report of the storm.
   BULLETIN: 5AM EDT SAT OCT 24, 1998. MITCH STRENGTHENS RAPIDLY INTO A HURRICANE
   Storm tracks in the direction of Cuba and the Cayman Islands and forecasters are calling Mitch a potentially dangerous hurricane.
   Fantome was at Omoa, Honduras where locals advised Captain March to drop both anchors and stay in port. March consults his boss in Miami by phone.
   October 25th National Hurricane Center forecasters are dumbfounded by the rapid escalation from a low intensity storm to a Category 4 hurricane within a 24-hour period.
   Following prolonged discussions with Windjammer Headquarters in Miami it was decided to cancel the Fantomes' cruise. Passenger safety was uppermost in their minds and they discharged the passengers at Belize City. They didn't consider Belize a safe harbor to ride out the storm so Fantome with 31 crewmembers aboard left Belize to try and outmaneuver the storm.
   Hurricane Mitch was coming up on Swan Island and conventional wisdom as well as the National Hurricane Centers computer models predicts that the storm will turn to the northwest. Fantome headed southeast from Belize toward the Bay Islands north of Honduras and had the storm tracked to the northwest as was expected there would have been plenty of separation between the ship and the storm. But the monster storm called Mitch with a mind of its own defied convention and turned south where it continued to spin its Category 4 and sometimes 5 winds over the waters and islands destroying everything in it's path. High winds and waves produced by the storm extended out some 200 miles from its center. Fantomes' engines and Captain March's skilled seamanship was no match for the tall waves and winds produced by Hurricane Mitch. Eventually the powerful waves broadside Fantome and breach the ships watertight bulkheads.
   The story of The Ship and the Storm is tragically compelling.
   
   Tom Barnes author of "Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone."
   "The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle."
   "The Goring Collection."
   
   The Hurricane Hunters And Lost in the Bermuda Triangle
   Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone: The Life and Times of John Henry Holliday
   The Goring Collection



3. Having been aboard the Fantome in the 70s. I heard stories about her sinking. It is a sad to know the details. With the woes of the Windjammer fleet it is a shame that many future generations may never see or have the opportunity to be on board a true sailing ship. This book is a great tribute to the people who gave this experience to many of us in a safe and fun manner.



4. Excellent book for those who have traveled on the windjammer cruises. The description of the rooms - very true and the daily working of the ship very well deswcribed. Good book



5. I had the occaision to sail through a storm on the Fantome several years before it went to the bottom. I remember some of the crew from my trip and I have many photos of the ship and its crew before, during, and after our storm. The book brought back some chilling memories. If you ever sailed the Fantome or other ships in Barefoot Cruises fleet you will find this an engrossing read.

4 comments about Simplified Irrigation Design, 2nd Edition (Landscape Architecture).

1. I was very disappointed with this book. The author places emphasis on the use of one brand of irrigation equipment, seldom mentioning other options that may better fit the application. I also found several errors in the enclosed calculations... not simply a typo, but in the methodology of the formulas. I would not recommend this book...



2. I read this book to get ready to take my Texas Irrigation License exam. It explained how to properly install a professional quality sprinkler system in an easy to read and understand format. This book goes into detail about how to layout the sprinkler heads, how to pipe it all together, and how all the parts work together. I have read many irrigation books...This was the best book to get a good understanding of sprinkler systems without becoming an expert in the field of irrigation. Perfect for the do it yourself homeowner or individual wanting to get into the irrigation industry. I now have my license and highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn to install a good sprinkler system without having to read an irrigation reference manual.



3. This resource is excellent. Extreme detail, great illustrations, and information that is not provided by other typical irrigation books you'll find at Home Depot. I'm a landscape designer and highly recommend this resource.



4. I have some basic knowledge of irrigation and right off the bat I was irritated with the way the chapters where laid out. He starts right in with sprinkler head performance and layout before going into the explanation of irrigation, and the basic principles of hydraulics that I believe should be the foundation what you learn first before anything else. The other thing that was that for the money I don't believe it was worth it maybe more like $20-25. Most of the information you can find on the internet searches. But, all in all it was a very easy reading book that did help me fill some holes in my irrigation knowledge.

4 comments about How to Restore Your Wooden Runabout.

1. This book is well written and is something you can read just for reading sake! Been doing boat repair for a long time and learned a lot from Don. Both Volumes 5 stars.



2. The Danenberg books, Volumes 1&2, have an amazing amount of information that is well explained and clearly supported with illustrations and photographs.
   A must have set for the classic wooden boat enthusiast. Know what you are getting yourself into before you begin the project and you will find the going much easier.



3. I just purchased an Antique Chris Craft and I wish I had bought this book first. The book has great tips about the different types of boats, what to look for when buying a boat, and discussion on Marine Surveyors. By the end of the book you will have a much better idea if you have the skills, time, tools, and shop to restore a wooden boat. I really appreciated that the author has strong opinions about various boat restoration processses and is not afraid to make them known. He explains in depth why he likes some techniques and doesn't like others. I found the book easy to read although I would recommend the reader spend a little extra time in the section on terms so you can follow directions. Definitely plan on also purchasing Vol 2.



4. An excellent source of info and opinions. Carries on from vol 1 with very little repetition.

No comments about Small-Scale Haymaking (Country Workshop).