Best Boat Building

This revised edition of Building a Strip Canoe includes full-sized plans for 8 well-proven canoe designs, most of which are the author's own adaptations.

The Second Revised Edition 2016 -- now in its second printing -- is published by North Sails Group, LLC and written by the same duo. Sail plans have radically evolved to fractional rigs, fat-head mains, and non-overlapping jibs. Circulation theory is familiar to aerodynamicists for at least 100 years and is argued about by sailors at least since 1973, when the late Arvel Gentry loosed his theories on the sailing world. Whidden, CEO of North Marine Group, which includes North Sails, and Levitt, who has written 14 books, utilize explanations like circulation to answer such diverse questions as: • Why fractional rigs, fat-head mains, and non-overlapping jibs have come to predominate. The book celebrates the complexity and beauty of sails in words and pictures and of the whole rarefied sport of sailing. The Art and Science of Sails Revised Edition (2016), by Tom Whidden and Michael Levitt is a perfect addition to any sailor’s library of knowledge. From the intricacies of how wind and water conspire to propel a boat forward to some of the more mundane aspects of sails, this book covers it all and in great detail. One of the most interesting chapters of the book is The Science of Sails; how indeed can a flimsy curved surface propel a boat almost directly into the wind? Building membrane sails on a full size mold completely revolutionized the industry, and these days it's not only the racers that want this kind of technology, increasingly cruisers are also seeking it out. In essence it sets the record straight for many of us who were possibly too close to the forest to see the real evolution and its rapid pace of change. I loved the approach, the setting of a baseline, the linkages to Hood and North and the contrasts of their inherent strengths, the working through the materials and the technical meat of the book in the transitioning from as they put it “from aerodynamic theory to practice.” It's often said one of the things that separate great books, especially ones that deal with topics that are technical in nature, from the pack is a style that truly engages and teaches... This book is clearly written for people who are interested in the cutting-edge sail design and manufacture techniques, specifically as applied to racing sailboats. Tom Whidden and Michael Levitt's legendary reference work on the art and science of sails has received a complete and well-researched update. Tom Whidden and Michael Levitt's book is a clear, reliable guide to getting the most out of your sails, an essential component to good seamanship whether you're cruising or racing. (Ian Walker, Skipper of Abu Dhabi, winner of the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race and a two time Olympic Silver Medalist.).

A comprehensive book about dories, their history and 23 designs with full construction details. The author and illustrator, Samuel Manning are two of the foremost living experts on the history, building, and use of dories.

An incredible true tale of espionage and engineering set at the height of the Cold War—a mix between The. Hunt for Red October and Argo— about how the CIA, the U.S. Navy, and. America’s most eccentric mogul. spent six years and nearly a billion dollars to steal the nuclear-armed Soviet submarine K-129 after it had sunk to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean; all while the Russians were watching. The Taking of K-129 is a riveting, almost unbelievable true-life tale of military history, engineering genius, and high-stakes spy-craft set during the height of the Cold War, when nuclear annihilation was a constant fear, and the opportunity to gain even the slightest advantage over your enemy was worth massive risk. “One of the most astonishing covert operations in U.S. history is detailed by author Josh Dean in his new book The Taking of K-129 ... a spy story on steroids.”. — New York Daily News. A terrific read.” —David E. Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author of The Billion Dollar Spy “An engrossing account of shadowy intrigue, precision engineering and ultra-deception, The Taking of K-129 is a high-stakes espionage drama of operational boldness married with technical brilliance.” —Robert Wallace, author of Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs from Communism to al-Qaeda “A riveting account of the American intelligence community. Told in fascinating detail , The Taking of K-129 is nonfiction at its best because with every page I had to remind myself this actually happened.”. — Kevin Maurer, co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller No Easy Day “As a former submariner and navy diver, I give Josh Dean an A+ for The Taking of K-129 . This non-fiction account of one of the most dangerous and daring missions of the Cold War is well-researched and reads like a Tom Clancy thriller.” — W. Craig Reed, New York Times bestselling author of Red November "If you’ve been hungry for a submarine tale in the league of The Hunt For Red October , but subscribe to the belief that the truth is stranger than fiction, you’ll devour The Taking of K-129 , an epic befitting the top shelf of espionage and military reads.

Containing almost 6,000 entries, Way’s Packet Directory includes a majority of combination passenger and freight steamers, but includes in a broader sense all types of passenger carriers propelled by steam that plied the waters of the Mississippi System. Even so, the marvelous introduction, the lengthy captions in the photo collection, and the various letters and special notes in the boat bios are captivating and enlightening.” Seaways‘ Ships in Scale magazine.

Now updated with information on fuel injection systems, electronic engine controls, and other new diesel technologies, Nigel Calder's bestseller has everything you need to keep your diesel engine running cleanly and efficiently. Now updated with information on fuel injection systems, electronic engine controls, and other new diesel technologies, Nigel Calder's bestseller has everything you need to keep your diesel engine running cleanly and efficiently. Cure overheating Fix your transmission Retrofit a new diesel engine Flush your cooling system Change your oil Clean your electrical system Replace fuel filters and bleed air from the fuel system Troubleshoot virtually any problem.