Ultralight Boatbuilding

Unlike some other boat-building books I've read, this one is jam-packed with relevant information. It is amazing to see how light a boat can be built at home by a DIYer. I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking of building a small boat by themselves.

This is one of two books I recommend as essential reading for anyone attempting to bulid a glued plywood lapstrake boat for the first time. The other book is "The Plywood Clinker Boatbuilding Manual" by Iain Oughtred. There are several approaches to building a plywood glued lapstrake boat, and in my opinion the technique presented in this book gives the greatest chance of producing a high quality, fair hull. This book is not a set of instructions for building a particular boat design, but rather a set of procedures for building ANY lapstrake plywood hull. It is an easy read and has lots of detailed information on tasks that are not generally covered elsewhere, such as cutting a rolling bevel. The technique of using stringers on the mold makes getting the plank shapes right a snap. If you are thinking of building a lapstrake boat, read this book first. It gives a comprehensive overview of the process and may give you the confidence you need to go ahead with the project.

This is an excellent book that teaches techniques in building glued lapstrake boats in a clear and accessible manor. There is also plenty of useful information on general woodworking techniques applied to boat building. I'm not sure where the term "ultralight" comes from, but I wish the title had been, "How to Build Wooden Boats Using the Glued Lapstrake Method."This book has more helpful pictures than most others. Still, I wished there were more at times. However, in those cases I was able to get a mental picture from the author's exceptionally clear explanations.I am using this book as a guide as I build my own glued lapstrake boat.I also recommend "Clinker Plywood Boatbuilding Manual", by Iain Oughtred. That book also has some great diagrams and pictures. Also get "Building Small Boats", by Greg Rossel, but if you are new to boatbuilding, you might want to read this book and Oughtred's first since they are slightly more accessible.By the way, if you want to build the skiff discussed in the book, Redmond Designs is easily found on the internet by searching for "Steve Redmond Boatbuilding".

After reading many of the 'classics' on building small boats, I relied on Hill's Ultralight Boatbuiling extensively to construct my first boat--a Chamberlain Dory Skiff in Gardner's Classic Small Craft. Hill helped resolve many of the mysteries of how to achieve tight lapstrake construction with entry-level woodworking skills and a little patience. The result was very rewarding. I created a light, seaworthy, beautiful craft that proved very durable. I used it for many years before selling it. Now I'm considering another project, but can't find my copy of Hill's book, so I'm back for another.One caveat: the designs Hill uses in his book to illustrate his techniques are beautiful, but you'll probably need more complete plans for your first project.

If you're an intermediate to advanced wood worker Tom Hill speaks your language. His description of plywood lap strake construction truly does sound the lightest and strongest of the small boat buliding methods. If you don't like the idea of sloppy joints held together with fiberglass tape and you love the sound of a finely tuned plane you'll love this book. The section on lofting is simple, understandable and not at all scary. The tips for tool usage are inovative and fairly sure-fire. I came away knowing I could build a great boat with the plywood lap strake design described here. It is frustrating that the plans for the boats described are not included, (the plans are available from the designer who's address is listed) but anyone dabbling in just the basics of lofting could design their own boat from what is in this book. The method is challenging but not intimidating. It'll get you excited about building a boat.