Casey, Don. Inspecting the Aging Sailboat. International Marine, 2005.
Don Casey has written many books on boat maintenance and repair and is a highly respected voice in the boating world. In Inspecting the Aging Sailboat, he gives comprehensive advice on taking care of an older boat, how to differentiate the smaller problems from the larger ones, and, consequently, how to deal with them.
Casey offers a step-by-step process on how to assess all aspects of the boat and offers advice on what certain problems may mean. Additionally, Casey uses visuals alongside his text to show the reader the issues he talks about, making it much easier for one to understand and identify the problems on their own in the future.
This text is a great resource for information on the work I am doing in my project. Casey’s focus on damage due to aging directly relates to the boat I will be working on, as it is 40+ years old, and has similar issues. This is also a great resource to learn more about the causes of the damage rather than just how to fix them. His book is directed toward a beginner audience so it is a good place for me to start learning.
Wing, Charles. How Boat Things Work: An Illustrated Guide. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2007.
Charles Wing is nationally recognized for his many books on maintenance including house building, remodeling, general repair, and boating. His book, How Boat Things Work: An Illustrated Guide, dives into the inner workings of a sailing boat with a strong focus on mechanical interior engine work.
Wing is thorough in his explanations of several different devices of the inner workings of a boat, how they work and how to fix them if something goes wrong. Similarly to Casey, Wing uses images and diagrams next to his writing, offering some visual context to his advice. This makes his book perfect for the beginner to these very complicated systems.
While I do have some understanding and previous knowledge concerning exterior damage and repair, engine work is something I have never touched on. Even if I do not do work on interior damages, I can still use this book as general information. This is a great book for me to start working towards a basic understanding of the machinery on a boat.
Maté, Ferenc. Shipshape: The Art of Sailboat Maintenance. Albatross Pub. House, 1986.
Ferenc Maté has worked on boats since he was young and began writing books about everything he learned. Shipshape is an all-around maintenance book for a sailboat.
The publication of his book is older but it still offers good instructions. Maté covers various topics from exterior upkeep to a closer look at interior machinery. While most of the advice is his own, Maté draws information from multiple sources in the sailing industry. For example, North Sails offers lessons on sail care and Concordia Yacht Yard teaches the reader about wooden boat maintenance. This handbook is a compilation of knowledge from experts in their respective fields.
As I said before, Maté’s book is an older publication but works perfectly for my project as the boat I am working on is 40+ years old. While his book does not dive as deep as Wing does into the inner workings of a boat, Maté offers sound advice on the other things such as heads and galley stoves.
“Cleanup on 02/21/2022 at 67 Steps Beach by Eastern Long Island.” Surfrider Foundation, 24 Feb. 2022, https://cleanups.surfrider.org/cleanup/cleanup-on-02-21-2022-at-67-steps-beach-by-eastern-long-island/.
The Eastern Long Island Surfrider Foundation does beach cleanups with communities all around the United States. They also do a lot of service in the area surrounding where the boat work in my project will be taking place.
After each beach clean event they hold, The Eastern LI Surfrider Foundation documents all of the trash they found. They collect data on the most common items found, COVID-19 related trash (masks and gloves), fishing debris, and so much more. With the data they collect, they are able to focus their resources on pushing for policies that most effectively combat this type of pollution.
This is the type of work I want to pursue in the the community service aspect of my project. While I do not plan on compartmentalizing all of the trash I collect, I do want to document it somehow, either by weight or bags collected. I am really inspired by the work of the Eastern LI Surfrider Foundation and look forward to volunteering with them and continuing the work they do independently.
Rousmaniere, John, and Mark Smith. The Annapolis Book of Seamanship: Fourth Edition. Simon & Schuster, 2014.
Written by John Rousmaniere and illustrated by Mark Smith, The Annapolis Book of Seamanship: Fourth Edition is a great guide for everything to do with boating, from maintenance to safety.
The first edition of the book was published in 1983 and has had many updates since, with some parts of the original editions staying the same. The most recent edition, the fourth, accounts for all new technology, equipment, and safe practices implemented in the past few years. While the book as a whole touches upon many different topics, chapter seventeen and others reference more hands-on work and maintenance.
This book works really well with the work I am doing for my project as it addresses old and new techniques for sailboats. This book is more of a look-to guide on specific problems and questions rather than one to read all the way through. It will be a great resource for me to point to while doing the work. It is also another book that works great for beginners who might not have done this work before.