Beautiful Boat Crafts: Over 50 Projects to Personalize Your Boat

This book was given to me by someone who knows that we have a vintage sailboat that responds well to TLC and who also knows that I like knots. It is an excellent book: beautiful enough for the coffee-table, and funny enough to read just for the author's anecdotes. But this is a craft book. It describes 47 projects that can turn a ship into a gallery of engaging personalized details. It also turns those inevitable hours spent on boat maintenance into time that is creative, fun and even rewarding (though I confess, my boat doesn't seem to come out looking quite like the author's). The best part is the knots - all those complex decorative rope puzzles that so many of us have struggled to recreate are here, and the diagrams and instructions are so clear they actually work!! This is definitely not a book a yachting family will stow and forget, it earns its keep year `round. Great resource, great gift. Strong recommendation -- to give, to get, or to put on your list for Christmas.

I have just finished reading Linda Buckingham's wonderful new book on ideas and projects for on board boat folks. What a great book! I found not only several great ideas that I can hardly wait to do on board for our own boat but also many, many slick craft ideas for gifts appropriate for anyone living on or near the water. These ideas (not limited to us seafarers) are not the usual crafty dust collectors but are professional looking, useful projects, easy to do with readily available materials. Even if you live nowhere near the water this book is a must if you like to craft quality items. Congratulations to Linda Buckingham on what I'm sure will be a very successful book.