This Old Boat, Second Edition: Completely Revised and Expanded

I sent this as a gift to a friend who recently bought a sailboat, but has no background/experience with boats. I had the first edition (1991) and learned a lot from the book back then. This is an expanded 2nd edition, so I knew it would be a great learning tool for him. The author has a great way of simplifying what seems to be very complex issues with boats and their systems.

We bought our boat (a 45-year-old 27ft glassfiber model) five years ago. Since then, we've bought lots of other books and spent lots of money and time seeking advice. This single book would have saved us all that effort. It has everything. Most attractively of all, the guy is a terrifically entertaining writer. Everything is explained clearly, logically and often, wittily. It's expensive (particularly if buying from Europe) but gosh it's worth it. My recommendation is - just buy it :-)

In today's world of internet forums, highly specialized websites, and instructional youtube videos, you would think a book like this would be of little use. You would be dead wrong. This book has already answered dozens of questions that I had after researching specific repairs for weeks on the internet. The illustrations are wonderful, every topic is approached with a positive, you-can-do-it attitude. I especially love that no knowledge is taken for granted; for example, the book actually covers a lot of basic woodworking techniques, where other books and resources simply assume you already have that knowledge, or will go looking for it elsewhere.This book should be mandatory for anyone considering buying a fiberglass sailboat, or who already owns one. This is a book that really is worth twice the price!

Was a little difficult to find specific items in the kindle version using the index, and I wish the pictures could be expanded. But overall, it's been very useful as we work on a 26 year old boat we bought that needs a lot of TLC.

The second edition of This Old Boat is a more professional production than the first edition. Not that the first edition was bad, on the contrary, it was a good resource, but it had a somewhat hand-made feel about it. The diagrams were freehand sketches and a lot of the information lacked depth. Although it was always a good place to start, it was usually necessary to turn to other reference works (such as Calder's "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual" or Spurr's "Guide to Upgrading Your Cruising Sailboat") for precise information about how to carry out a certain repair or improvement. However, what it lacked in depth of information it more than made up for with its clear explanations of the "big picture" and Casey's ability to impart a sense of motivation.This new edition improves on the first by being a good deal larger than the first edition, having information that is more in-depth, and illustrations that are much improved. It is now closer in "feel" to Calder's Boatowner's Manual. It also covers a lot of the information contained in Casey's several short sailboat maintenance handbooks, and to an extent it updates and replaces them. I wouldn't go as far as to say that this is the only book by Casey that you now need to own in order to have all of the information he has previously published, but it is close.

This is the restoration bible, primarily oriented toward sailboats, but also applicable to powerboats. The author has both feet planted in reality and doesn't dwell on the "sailing mystique". Just the facts, the good with the bad, and always light and readable. His experience is invaluable for those of us pouring over catalogs and wondering how and where to start. He takes the mystery out of fiberglass care and repair, brightwork restoration, paint, electrics, engine maintenance, canvas design, plumbing, and all of the stuff that seems unduly complex. The book gives you the confidence to proceed with repairs without feeling "frozen" by myth and complexity.

This book should be required reading for anyone who is considering purchasing and refurbishing or maintaining a used boat. I wish I'd known about it before buying my current project boat but I'm grateful I own it now. Wonderfully informative and thorough, it is also a fine work of writing. It's actually a fun read and how often can that be said of a technical guidebook? It's laid out in an accessible and sensible fashion, each chapter presenting overview information and devolving onto specific projects, each rich with information on materials and techniques. If there is only room for one "how-to" book in your boating library, this is hands-down the one you'll want. Don't wait until you've bought your boat to get a copy - start reading now and be ready to "hit the water running".

Excellent reference book for anyone who enjoys doing it yourself. It is well written and focuses on the topics that almost any boat owner will encounter with an older boat. It's detailed descriptions of how to do it provide the novice boat owner with the confidence to tackle the problem and learn more about how the boat systems function in the process. It will maintain a prominent place in my boating library.

venditore preciso nei tempi. l'articolo corrisponde a quanto richiesto ed è molto interessante e completo.lo consiglierei a tutti i proprietari di barche usate

Ich gebe es am Besten gleich zu: Ich bin ein Don Casey Fan :-)Aber unabhängig davon, dass ich einfach seinen Schreibstil mag und (wie bei so vielen anglo-amerikanischen Lehr-/Trainigs-/Tipp-Büchern) die "Yes, You can!" Attitüde bewundernswert finde, ist dieses Buch (wie auch "Sailboat Maintenance", zu dem es einige inhaltliche Überschneidungen gibt) ein unglaublicher Fundus an Informationen, wie man/frau alte Boote wieder fit bekommen, bzw. in gutem Zustand erhalten kann. Der Schwerpunkt liegt dabei übrigens deutlich(!) auf Segelbooten, wenn sich sicherlich auch vieles vom Inhalt auf Motorboote übertragen ließe...Positiv kommt hinzu, dass viele Themengebiete (etwa GFK-Arbeiten, Nähen, ...) mit einem kleinen, praxisnahen Projekt beginnen, an dem man/frau seine handwerklichen Fähigkeiten aufbauen und schulen kann, bevor es dann an's Eingemachte geht. Mir hat das jedenfalls sehr geholfen, Berührungsängste bei einigen Arbeiten abzubauen.Die Abbildungen sind im Vergleich zur ursprünglichen Ausgabe (aus den Neunzigern) deutlich besser und auch einige Kapitel sind so stark überarbeitet, dass sich aus meiner Sicht der Neukauf auch dann lohnt, wenn man das alte Buch im Regal hat.Achtung: Das gedruckte und gebundene Buch ist wirklich(!) groß - für die Bord-Bibliothek habe ich mir daher zusätzlich auch noch die Kindle-Version zugelegt (falls ich unterwegs mal etwas nachschlagen will), wobei ich persönlich für eine solide Vorbereitung im Normalfall (also im Hafen/Winterlager) die gedruckte Version bevorzuge.Gutes Englisch ist allerdings Pflicht (wobei hier natürlich das Wörterbuch im Kindle gute Dienste leistet ;-)

A great book not only to rebuild a boat, but to learn skills to keep your boat shipshape and Bristol fashion.

If you own a boat this book is a must. Must have it so that you can do it. One of the million tasks you have to perform in a boat, old or new.

Nice book, good guide to fixing fiberglass boats.Almost never look at it.