The second in a series of highly practical, hands-on, step-by-step photographic manuals, Upgrading Your Boat's Interior fills a gap in the market for the DIY boat builder and repairer. It is a subject covered only in piecemeal fashion by the yachting press, which, like general boat maintenance and repair manuals, can't go into the level of detail Mike Westin does. This is a visual, hand-holding guide, dwelling on the practical details of upgrading every aspect of a tired boat's interior and related systems as it explains each procedure rather than focussing on the theory (which is relegated to an appendix, for those who wish to go further). It's surprising how a few simple renovations and upgrades can transform the look and comfort of a cabin. Anyone planning to attempt these projects will find this photographic step-by-step book a hand-holding godsend.

The second in a series of highly practical, hands on, step-by-step photographic manuals, Replacing Your Boat's Electrical System fills a gap in the market for the DIY boat builder and repairer. It is a subject covered only in piecemeal fashion by the yachting press, which, like general boat repair manuals, can't go into the level of detail Micke Westin does. This is a visual, hand-holding guide, dwelling on the details as it explains each procedure rather than focussing on the theory (which is relegated to an appendix, for those who wish to go further).

Aimed at boaters, this book is about building things of wood. Written by an experienced boatbuilder /designer, it presents joinery techniques and gimmicks that were born of trial and error. It provides alternative procedures for many of the projects, telling how to make them by Method A, Method B, and Method C.

Is your boat ready to go cruising? Just about every sailboat—used and new—can make a good cruiser, but only if the hull-deck structure, rig, and systems meet certain standards. Spurr’s Guide to Upgrading Your Cruising Sailboat tells you what those standards are, and gives you all the help you need to refurbish and upgrade every structure, surface, fitting, and system on your boat—stem to stern, project by project. This all-in-one guide leads you step by step to a seaworthy, crew-friendly boat with top-notch cruising performance. Not only will you learn what to look for when you buy a new or used boat, you'll also learn how to reinforce your boat’s hull and structural components, redesign and replace rigging, upgrade electrical systems, and much more. Special features include: A detailed survey of 70 used and new fiberglass sailboats best suited to offshore sailing Gear and equipment recommendations by brand name Construction details and other essential features of a strong, safe cruising boat How to make critical repairs to the deck, hull, bulkheads, blisters, and portlights

For those who own a cherished but dilapidated fiberglass runabout, or for those who want a boat but are turned off by the high prices and often poor quality of today's offerings, this book explains everything there is to know about turning a rundown runabout into a real showpiece for a fraction of the cost of a new model. Author Jim Anderson, a runabout renovator from Minnesota's Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, leads readers through the whole renovation process. For those who think a project like this may be more than they can handle, renovating an old runabout is actually less complicated and expensive than adding on a deck or redoing a room--two of the most popular projects for home handymen. And Anderson's sense of humor and gift for providing simple solutions make Runabout Renovation as fun to read as it is easy to understand. The backyards of North America house literally millions of rundown runabouts ripe for renovation. With Jim Anderson's help, you can own a better boat than you can buy new, for a quarter of the price or less. And like a beautifully restored '57 Chevy, it'll have class. Low-cost alternatives for the powerboater on a budget. Although more people own boats ranging in length from 14 to 24 feet than all others combined, most books published about boat repair and restoration are directed at the "big boat" or yacht owner. In addition, many marine dealers and technicians never seem to have the right answers or the time to spend on people who own "little boats." Hence Runabout Renovation, a complete guide to finding and fixing up old fiberglass speedboats. You'll learn how to: Choose and survey a boat Make cosmetic repairs and repaint your boat Replace the floor Reupholster and carpet the interior Build a new transom Upgrade electrical and mechanical systems . . . and much more. There's even a section on repairing aluminum boats, and one on installing and repairing horns, lights, bilge pumps, live wells, and other speedboat accessories. "Considering the tens of thousands of fiberglass powerboats that exist today, one wonders why Jim Anderson's Runabout Renovation is so late in coming. Whether you're shopping for a used or new boat, or trying to maintain the value of a boat you already own, this book will prove indispensable."--Richard Lebowitz, Editor, Boating World

The Boatyard Book is a practical, comprehensive reference manual that provides sensible, accessible advice for boatowners on planning and carrying out annual maintenance, repairs, upgrades and refits of sailing yachts and motorboats, up to 20 metres in length. Beginning with all the information owners will need to care for their boat, including how to budget and plan tasks to be done through the year, The Boatyard Book goes on to help them choose the best boatyard for their needs, then provides essential how-to reference material and ideas for a comprehensive range of projects large and small to be carried out ashore. There's advice and tips from highly respected boatyard owners, specialists and surveyors, as well as from the author's own 25 years' experience of boat ownership, all fully illustrated with step-by-step photos and illustrations. Topics covered include: - laying up - hull and deck care - mast and rigging - sail care - engines - electrics - maintenance of plumbing and gas systems - more complex projects, including re-wiring a boat, overhauling an engine, how to treat osmosis and how to go about a complete refit. This is a book to be kept at the yard, or on the boat, and used time and time again by those who are either happy to keep things ticking along with the minimum of effort or by those who want to get stuck into bigger projects.

“A treasure-trove of useful, well-organized information on sea-going parenting.” —Gary “Cap’n Fatty” Goodlander, Author of Buy, Outfit and Sail Choosing a boat that is right for your family; handling the naysayers; keeping your children safe, healthy and entertained afloat—this inspirational and comprehensive guide may be just what you need to turn your dream into a reality. The three authors, who have each voyaged thousands of miles with children on board, provide a factual and balanced look at the realities of family life on the sea. From their own experience and with information from interviews with dozens of other voyaging parents, they discuss caring for an infant on board, handling the changing needs of children as they grow, education options, ensuring parents find the private time to keep their relationships in tune, and helping children make the eventual transition back to shore life. Added to the authors’ voices are sidebars from other cruising parents with specialized information on subjects as diverse as handling special diets and how your children can keep in touch with friends around the world. A unique bonus chapter, written by a dozen former cruising kids, looks at the long-term effects of breaking away from shoreside normalcy. A substantial appendix of resources provides valuable further information on the subjects covered in this book. It is said that every parent inflicts their lifestyle choices on their children. Read this book to find why heading out to sea with your children may be the most rewarding infliction of all.

The Boat Improvement Bible is the most up to date, user friendly and hands-on practical manual for boatowners who wish to improve their sailboat or motorboat. It will equip any boatowner with average DIY skills to improve all aspects of their boat: safety, comfort, facilities, storage and performance on the water. Many of these projects will also help increase a boat's value. Projects include: installing a heating system, installing hot water and a shower, increasing water tank size, making the heads electric, installing air conditioning or better ventilation, setting up solar or wind power charging for the batteries, fitting a generator, adding a gas alarm, installing interior lighting, adding a bathing platform or boarding ladder, plus much, much more. Packed with exploded diagrams, helpful step-by-step photographs and detailed guidance, The Boat Improvement Bible provides a wealth of DIY expertise and advice to enable anyone to improve their yacht or motorboat. With this book to hand, you'll never need to call in the experts!

The basic knowledge to sort yourself out when encountering problems at sea is largely forgotten. How to find your way when the GPS plotter has a blackout, how to get yourself off when grounded, how to save the life of someone in your crew when the ambulance or SAR helicopter is hours away... Too many rely on technology to navigate and run their boats, and this beautifully illustrated handbook will be a literal backup when the tech fails, as well as a bible of core knowledge – seamanship – that all skippers should know anyway, whether they're in the middle of an emergency or not. Covering all the basics, with handy fact boxes to highlight especially important information, the authors have lent a modern, real-world approach to the subject matter, and the wonderful illustrations bring it to life. Contents include: - Introduction - Navigation: chart symbols, radar fact box, using the sounder, finding your position on the chart, maintaining an estimated position, course to steer - Seamanship: your crew, passage planning, anchoring, manoeuvering, mooring, towing, catching a buoy, heaving to - Safety and emergencies: identifying likely emergencies (grounding, loss of rigging/mast, leaks, loss of steering, man overboard, sinking and taking to the liferaft) with self-help solutions, calling for help, equipment, VHF procedures, fire and gas, fixing an engine, knowing when help should be sought without delay - First aid: CPR, breathing problems, drowning, shock, trauma, treating wounds, burns, broken limbs, hypothermia, seasickness, allergies, abdominal pains/nose bleed - Weather: sea breeze, low pressure, wind, fog, squalls, forecasting - Environment: bird/seal protection areas, microplastics, holding tanks, old boats, bottom paint - Appendix: rules of road,traffic separation zones, day and night signals, light characteristics, life saving signals, flags/morse Published in Sweden by the Swedish Cruising Association, this fantastic book has sold over 30,000 copies. Read this now to give yourself the knowledge to get out of trouble and (even better) avoid getting into it in the first place.

Principles of Yacht Design has established itself as the standard book on the subject for practising designers, naval architecture students, discerning boat owners as well as the boatbuilding industry as a whole. The fifth edition is completely revised and expanded. It examines every aspect of the process of yacht and powerboat design. The new edition includes new findings from recent research in aero and hydrodynamics, as well as covering the most recent changes to building standards. The authors have used a newly built 41-foot performance cruiser to demonstrate the practical application of yacht design theory. This new edition includes photos of the building process and detailed explanations.