Build the New Instant Boats

This is the best book ever written on making small boats for rowing or sailing using modern techniques. If you always figured you would like to build a boat, but were worried about making a success of it, this book, or the others in his series will ensure you get the job done. Here are three reservations, just so you know: 1) The building method know as tack and tape is original to the Bolger/Payson duo, and isn't state of the art. Payson prefers working with fiberglass resin rather than epoxy, and those with an E allergy might agree. But for others, this may send you off in the wrong direction. Nonetheless the boats are great as designed, even if they could be better. For instance in epoxy it would be possible to drop the frames and add solid transoms to better carry motors or rudders. That's a better trade. 2) The designs are a little funky, which is good open thinking throughout, but for instance a person who bought one of these books because they noticed there was a sailboard would probably not be that satisfied, on the other hand it's a great plan to try out a little boarding on. 3)If you just wanted to build one of these boats, many of which are great like Diablo or Nymph, why not just buy the relevant plan?

If you follow the directions you can see success in a short amount of time if you choose a boat suiting your skill level. There are many boats presented here and not all are for the first time builder with limited skill. ANYONE can build a Tortoise (Basically all straight cuts and little in the way of wood is required its a two 4x8 sheet boat). I don't see spending [money]on those materials. I live in Southern California too ant materials can be expensive but please! There are more than a few people who have built boats from this book! Just know your limits and what kind of success you desire. Start reasonable and this is a great book to get you there. I can't think of any book that can get you there easier. This book is not outdated or hard to understand. Read and re-read it, then get to work.

A great book about simple, straight forward boatbuilding. The author presents information and designs on building boats using a tack and tape method and a more convential framing method. I've built one boat from this book and am starting a second one. Payson's boatbuilding information or Bolger's designs alone are worth the price of this book.I have to take to task the two reviewers who have indicated this book short changed them. For starters, I think the author is an honest person. In one reviewers case, the problem is a lack of plans. I've bought plans for both the boats I built because it makes building easier. For both boats, the plans were in the book. This is generous of the author considering he earns some income from plan sales. In the second case, materials price seems to be the problem. The book was published in '85, so some inflation should be allowed for. Even so, for half of his total investment, the materials for that particular boat could have been bought including epoxy adhesive and bronze oar fittings. The author also points the several levels of materials that can be used to build these boats, explaining how this affects the finished boat. Another thing the author points out is that boatbuilding takes imagination and perserverance. A lack of both of thse traits is the real problem facing the two reviewers.If you want to build a Bolger instant boat, this book is great to have on hand. The author helped work the bugs out of these designs. You can't get better help than that.

It all started with a search for an inexpensive sailboat. Through these efforts, I stumbled across several websites from people that have built the 23 1/2 ft. "Light Schooner" (one of the projects in this book) and instantly fell in love with the design. With this book, anyone can build a boat in their backyard as I am. If you have even the slightest experience working with wood, and desire to build your own boat you must check out Bolger's designs. Sure, the full size plans help but these boats could feasibly be built using just this book. Try it, you'll be hooked too!

When you combine the building genius and straight-forward writhing style of Harold Payson with the amazing, easy to build marine designs of the notable Phil Bolger, You have a sure winner! The book combines general technical knowledge on boatbuilding with a large assortment of plans. This book allows you to build everything from a six foot row/sail boat, aptly named the tortise, to a classic looking, incredibly fast 25 foot schooner, simply called 'scooner'. It is written with the beginner in mind, giving only small ammounts of technical information. The construction methods are virtually fool proof, and you can emerge from your workshop in a weekend with a complete boat, ready for the water.