The insights and wisdom of the late, great boat designer and builder Renowned as one of the last and best of the old-time boatbuilders, Captain R. D.“Pete” Culler provided a guiding light for the wooden boat revival in the 1970s. His designs are classic melds of elegance and utility; his workmanship was akin to artistry; and his teaching and writing a blend of clarity, good sense, insight, and humor. This book brings together the complete texts of Culler’s classic works Boats, Oars, and Rowing and Skiffs & Schooners, along with articles from The Mariner’s Catalogs and a selection of his timeless boat designs.

John Burke spent much of his life in and out of the Culler house and shop. He has been a professional boatbuilder as well as contributor to WoodenBoat magazine.

BOATING. Culler is a seminal figure in the field, and his works are acknowledged as classics and are cited constantly in discussions of traditional boat building and design. This book features a foreword by Peter Vermilya, small craft curator of Mystic Seaport Burke who served for years as Culler's protege and published a catalog of Culler's designs.

Greg Rossel grew up cruising the waters of New York Harbor and spending time in the boatyards on the south shore of Staten Island where economics (more than anything else) made wooden boats the craft of choice. He makes his home in Maine where he specializes in the construction and repair of small wooden boats, as well as writing for several publications. Greg has been an instructor at WoodenBoat School in Maine since the mid-1980's, teaching lofting, skiff building, and the "Fundamentals of Boatbuilding".

As a child, John Brooks loved to build models and sail with his grandfather. When most teenagers were at the prom, John was changing jibs in the Indian Ocean, halfway through a 35,000-mile, two-year cruise. He began building boats in commercial yards at 19, while studying boat design and building his own boats. John worked for many years honing his craftsmanship on fine yachts, small boats, custom furniture, and a harpsichord. He has been a instructor at the WoodenBoat School in Maine since the mid-1990s, teaching glued-lapstrake boatbuilding, fine interior joinery, and carving. Ruth Ann Hill grew up on the coast of Maine. A writer, boatbuilding assistant, naturalist, and graphic artist, Ruth is the author of Discovering Old Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park: An Unconventional Guide and a contributing editor for Maine Boats & Harbors magazine. John and Ruth started their business, Brooks Boats, in 1991. They design and build glued-lapstrake boats in West Brooklin, Maine-and get out to enjoy their handiwork in its proper element whenever they can.

Richard Kolin has been building boats for 25 years. He has designed and built skiffs for both plywood and plank construction.