This book is about fixing up old boats made of wood. For many people, a boat isn't a boat unless it's made of wood. The psychological and philosophical reasons for needing to own a boat made from honest trees instead of the material that L. Francis Herreshoff characterized as "frozen snot" needn't concern us. But in this day and age, hard-nosed economics and the ubiquitous bottom line certainly should.

FACT: You can buy a repairable wooden boat and renovate and remodel it for a lot less money than you can buy and renovate a plastic or metal of similar size and condition.

Jim Trefethen has renovated dozens of good old wooden boats, and in this book he's sharing his collected wisdom, craftsmanship, and penury with you. It will supply you with the basic skills you'll need to successfully renovate an old wooden boat--any old wooden boat, from a 16-foot canoe to a 50-foot cruiser, and everything in between--provided the boat actually is repairable (and you'll learn how to determine that, too). After you've read Wooden Boat Renovation, we hope you come away knowing what is possible and how to accomplish it. Then we hope you actually do it.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter One: Why Wood?
Is Fiberglass Really Easier to Maintain?
Fiberglass Boats Last Forever
Wood Rots and Fiberglass Delaminates
Wooden Boats Cost a Lot to Build
Plastic Boats Have More Space
Used Wooden Boats Cost Less
Wooden Boats Are Real Boats
Wooden Boats Are Traditional Boats

Chapter Two: Selecting the Perfect Project Boat
Attemptus Futilitus
What Kind of Boat Do We Want?
Where Can We Work?
Let's Stop Planning and Start Looking
Where Do We Look?
What to Look For
Narrowing the Field
Negotiations
The Offer to Purchase
Get a Survey
Financing Your Purchase
So Let's Buy It Already

Chapter Three: Work Schedule and Budget
Planning with a Computer
The Work Schedule
The Project Budget

Chapter Four: Something About Tools
Buy the Best--You Deserve It
Used Tools Are Good Tools
Borrow if You Can, Rent if You Must
Keep It Sharp
The Basic Tool Kit
The Tool Box
Saws
Chisels and Gouges
Planes
Measuring and Marking Tools
Power Tools
Circular Saws
Bandsaws
Planers
Jointers
The Drill Press
Power Sanders
Hand Drills
Routers

Chapter Five: Boatbuilding Woods
Grades of Lumber
Sawing and Drying Lumber
Rain-Forest Woods
Oak
Teak
Mahogany
Cedar
Cypress
Sitka Spruce
Douglas Fir
Larch
Plywood
Marine Plywood
The Affordable Alternative
Veneers

Chapter Six: Just for the Hull of It
Defining Terms
Hull Repairs
Carvel Planking
Strip Planking
Lapstrake Planking
Plywood
Cold-Molded Hulls

Chapter Seven: Hull Repairs
Epoxy
Hull Flexibility
Refastening
Frame Repairs
Laminating Bent Frames
Plank Repairs
Spiling
Carvel Planking
Lapstrake Planks
Strip Planking
Plywood
Fiberglassing Wooden Hulls

Chapter Eight: All Hands on Deck
Deck Leaks
The Fiberglass Option
Doing the Job
Wooden Decks and Other Forms of Self-Flagellation
Cabin Trunk and Deckhouse
Spars and Rigging

Chapter Nine: Internal Spaces
The Tick-Stick Trick
The Built-Up Bulkhead
Interior Cabinetry
Drawers
Louvered Doors
Sinks and Countertops

Chapter Ten: Little Boats--Big Memories
Works in Progress
Renovating Runabouts
Renovating Canvas-Covered Boats
Renovating Lapstrake Boats

Chapter Eleven: The Finishing Touch
Surface Preparation
Sandpaper
Sanding New Work
Sanding Old Work
Varnish
The Epoxy Undercoat
Brushes for Varnish
Applying Varnish
Maintaining Varnish
Polyurethane
Paint
Surface Preparation for Painting
Epoxy Base Coat
The Prime Coat
Brushes for Paint
Applying Paint

Appendix A: Suggested Reading
Appendix B: Sources of Supply
Glossary