Mustin's part-by-part look at hull, deck, rig, and machinery is both a minicourse for transforming used-boat shopping from a game of craps to a science, and the first step in a holistic boat maintenance program. His discussion of the significance of cracks found in aging hulls and decks is the most thorough in print. He is not shy in assessing the lack of regulation of professional surveyors, nor does he shrink from pointing a finger at shoddy building practices. Having a used boat surveyed is a critical prelude to buying it. Yet a professional survey is expensive--several hundred dollars. Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats will enable you to conduct your own surveys while narrowing the field, then monitor a professional surveyor's performance when selecting your target boat.

This is the only book linked to a practical surveying course. Highly practical in nature, and packed with detailed close-up photography, step by step procedures, and helpful checklists, this definitive handbook will prove a godsend to small craft owners who want to check out defects on their own boats or on boats they are planning to buy, as well as practicing surveyors and surveying students. Featuring surveying bodies, equipment required, assessing defects (including moisture-related defects, and the use of moisture meters) and their severity, the book guides the reader through conducting a thorough inspection, from keel to topsides, coachroof, stern gear, rigging and much more. The highly practical approach of this book will be invaluable to students of surveying, qualified surveyors and yacht and boat owners everywhere.

". . . the perfect place to begin, or continue, your education." --Sailing Whether you are shopping for a used fiberglass boat or prioritizing maintenance tasks on the one you already own, this book saves money--and perhaps even disaster. With clear step-by-step drawings and instructions, Don Casey explains how to recognize problems--both surface and hidden--and how to separate cosmetic flaws from serious faults.

For those who own a cherished but dilapidated fiberglass runabout, or for those who want a boat but are turned off by the high prices and often poor quality of today's offerings, this book explains everything there is to know about turning a rundown runabout into a real showpiece for a fraction of the cost of a new model. Author Jim Anderson, a runabout renovator from Minnesota's Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, leads readers through the whole renovation process. For those who think a project like this may be more than they can handle, renovating an old runabout is actually less complicated and expensive than adding on a deck or redoing a room--two of the most popular projects for home handymen. And Anderson's sense of humor and gift for providing simple solutions make Runabout Renovation as fun to read as it is easy to understand. The backyards of North America house literally millions of rundown runabouts ripe for renovation. With Jim Anderson's help, you can own a better boat than you can buy new, for a quarter of the price or less. And like a beautifully restored '57 Chevy, it'll have class. Low-cost alternatives for the powerboater on a budget. Although more people own boats ranging in length from 14 to 24 feet than all others combined, most books published about boat repair and restoration are directed at the "big boat" or yacht owner. In addition, many marine dealers and technicians never seem to have the right answers or the time to spend on people who own "little boats." Hence Runabout Renovation, a complete guide to finding and fixing up old fiberglass speedboats. You'll learn how to: Choose and survey a boat Make cosmetic repairs and repaint your boat Replace the floor Reupholster and carpet the interior Build a new transom Upgrade electrical and mechanical systems . . . and much more. There's even a section on repairing aluminum boats, and one on installing and repairing horns, lights, bilge pumps, live wells, and other speedboat accessories. "Considering the tens of thousands of fiberglass powerboats that exist today, one wonders why Jim Anderson's Runabout Renovation is so late in coming. Whether you're shopping for a used or new boat, or trying to maintain the value of a boat you already own, this book will prove indispensable."--Richard Lebowitz, Editor, Boating World