THE ESSENTIAL BOAT-MAINTENANCE LIBRARY
Edited by Rebecca Waters

We asked our experts to tell us which maintenance and boatbuilding references they couldn’t live without. The result: The definitive list of must-have books for your BoatWorks library.

Boat Data Book
Ian Nicolson
Sheridan House

Peter Nielsen, Editor-in-Chief: “This is a great resource for people who are refitting an older boat or are merely interested in learning more about the intricacies of boats in general. It contains a vast trove of hard information about everything from anchors and chain to ventilators and propellers—perfect night reading for boat nerds.”

Tom Cunliffe: “For a chap like me who paints with a broad brush—in every sense of the word—this book is solid gold. It gives me empirical data I can trust on all aspects of boat design, from how much foot room I need to allow under my saloon table through the tensile strength of lightweight materials and what size bolts I should be using, to which winch to specify. I wouldn’t read it in bed, but I can’t imagine life without it.”

Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia
Steve & Linda Dashew
Beowulf Press

Peter Nielsen, Editor-in-Chief: “There is little in this 1,200-page book about how to go about projects, but a great amount of information about equipment, gear, and installations that will help you make better choices when planning upgrades or projects. The purchase price is as hefty as the book itself, but it should pay for itself.”

Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual
Nigel Calder
International Marine

Paul Esterle: “Identifying what I consider the most useful boating how-to book aboard our boat is no problem. I just reach over and pull out the most dog-eared, spine-worn volume on the shelf. It easily falls open to the pages on troubleshooting DC electrical systems. Those oil smudges on the edge of another page mark where we had the book open while we worked on the starter. Careful inspection will find the small bloodstain resulting from tearing down and repairing the manual bilgepump, all done with the help of this indispensable volume. “If it’s on a boat, Nigel Calder’s tome tells you what’s wrong with it and how to fix it. As the title indicates, all systems mechanical or electrical, sail or power, are covered in detail—with drawings and pictures to guide you. If you can have only one book aboard, this is the one.”

Dan Spurr: “If I could have but one book in my onboard library, it would have to be Nigel Calder’s Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual. I don’t need books telling me how to compound a hull, but I do need step-by-step instructions explaining how to tell whether an alternator or voltage regulator is responsible for my dead battery. It’s by far the single most comprehensive book on boat systems. I give it the three A’s: accurate, authoritative, and accessible. Same for Nigel’s Marine Diesel Engines.”

Boatowner’s Illustrated Handbook of Wiring
Charlie Wing
International Marine

Dan Spurr: “For detailed information on electrical systems, I like Charlie Wing’s Boatowner’s Illustrated Handbook of Wiring. It explains the mysteries of AC and DC, gives you all the relevant ABYC standards, basic troubleshooting, and, as a bonus, an excellent section on alternative energy: solar panels and wind and water generators.”

Understanding Boat Design
Ted Brewer
International Marine

Dan Spurr: “This book doesn’t cover repair and maintenance, but is an easy-to-understand explanation of design: hull forms, standard calculations, rigs, power plants, even thoughts on aesthetics, which speak to the reasons why we love boats.”

Charles J. Doane, Editor-at-Large: “Not exactly a how-to book, but this slim volume, written by a successful designer, does provide excellent basic background knowledge on both power and sailboat design that comes in mighty handy for anyone maintaining and upgrading a boat of his own.”

Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of Offshore Yachts
Stephen L. Davis and John Rousmaniere
Nautical Quarterly

Dan Spurr: “Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of Offshore Yachts, compiled following the Fastnet Race disaster of 1979, and edited by John Rousmaniere, addresses crucial safety issues in the design and construction of yachts. It’s one of the most important yachting books of the last 50 years.”

Spurr’s Guide to Upgrading Your Cruising Sailboat
Dan Spurr
International Marine

Charles J. Doane, Editor-at-Large: “Anyone with a small to midsize cruising sailboat will find a wealth of useful information inside this tome. Now in its third edition, the book was originally most useful for owners of old Pearsons, as that’s what Dan was upgrading in his early days as a cruiser. Since then it’s become much more ecumenical and is universally applicable.”

The Nature of Boats
Dave Gerr
International Marine

Charles J. Doane, Editor-at-Large: “This is not a hands-on manual, but it does offer a wealth of ‘insights and esoterica,’ as the author, a prolific writer and designer, puts it. All of it will help to inform and educate anyone seriously interested in how their sailboat or powerboat works.”

The Finely Fitted Yacht, Vols I & II
Ferenc Máté
Albatross Publishing House

Tom Cunliffe: “Everything I ever wanted to know about the nitty-gritty of detail on board. Great for making life better on board, especially if you’re facing a big rebuild.”

Hand, Reef and Steer
Tom Cunliffe
Sheridan House

Mark Corke, Deputy Editor: “This book was written because there was nothing on the market about the skills and the nuts and bolts of sailing traditionally rigged craft. If you’re putting together the deck and spar arrangements for anything gaff-rigged, this will bust a lot of myths and give you a seaworthy foundation that has been tested by the oceans.”

Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual
Don Casey
International Marine

Charles Mason, SAIL Magazine Executive Editor: “I’m constantly reaching for one of Don Casey’s five how-to books, and the Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual, brings them all together in one place. And at just over 4 pounds, no one can sneak off with it without being noticed.”

The Brightwork Companion
Rebecca J. Whittman
Armchair Sailor

Mark Cork, Deputy Editor: “This slim volume, full of useful hints, tips, and techniques, is one of the most used reference books on my shelf. It has made a huge difference to the quality of my varnish work; the pictures alone are an inspiration. It’s worth every penny.”