Devlin's Boatbuilding: How to Build Any Boat the Stitch-and-Glue Way » (Reprint)

Sam Devlin has been in love with boats since childhood—a fact perhaps influenced by his first bedroom, a ship replica complete with curved walls and a seaberth. The boatbuilding operation he started with his wife on a shoestring in 1977 has flourished, and Devlin Designing Boat Builders each year rolls out between 20 and 40 stitch-and-glue boats of various sizes from its shop on the shores of Puget Sound.

Why is stitch-and-glue boatbuilding so popular?

Any number of construction methods will produce a beautiful boat. But for the backyard builder with limited experience and a tight budget, the choice is not so complicated. Traditional plank-on-frame and cold-molded construction require complicated lofting and building molds—to say nothing of expensive tooling and lots of time. Stitch-and-glue construction, on the other hand, can produce the same results with a substantial savings in time and money. The process is quicker, easier, uses fewer parts, and produces a boat that is much easier to maintain—without the building molds and with only the simplest lofting. For tools, you need little more than a circular saw, a sander/polisher/grinder, a block plane, a framing square, a level, and a tape measure.

Sam Devlin has elevated stitch-and-glue boatbuilding to an artform, and his graceful designs have attracted the attention of backyard builders across the country. Here is all you need to know to build the boat of your dreams, whether it's a 7-foot dinghy or a 40-foot power cruiser. Devlin's Boatbuilding: How to Build Any Boat the Stitch-and-Glue Way shares the wisdom of his 16 years of experience designing, building, and helping others build his fleet of small sail- and powerboats.

It's all here, from choosing a design and setting up shop to painting the finished hull and launching. There is also a gallery of Devlin's designs and a detailed appendix listing sources for tools and other materials.

Here is everything you need to know about stitch-and-glue construction, from its leading proponent:

• Setting up shop
• Selecting the right marine plywood
• Converting plywood-on-frame designs for stitch-and-glue construction
• Working with epoxy and fiberglass
• Proper stitching and reinforcement
• Finishing the hull
• And much more

Sam Devlin has been in love with boats since childhood—a fact perhaps influenced by his first bedroom, a ship replica complete with curved walls and a seaberth. The boatbuilding operation he started with his wife on a shoestring in 1977 has flourished, and Devlin Designing Boat Builders each year rolls out between 20 and 40 stitch-and-glue boats of various sizes from its shop on the shores of Puget Sound.

DedicationIntroduction: The Magic of BoatsChapter 1. The Advantages of Stitch-and-Glue BoatbuildingChapter 2. Setting Up ShopChapter 3. Selecting a Suitable DesignChapter 4. Selecting Marine Plywood and Dimensional LumberChapter 5. Epoxy SystemsChapter 6. Fiberglass Cloth and TapeChapter 7. ScarfingChapter 8. LoftingChapter 9. ModelingChapter 10. ScantlingsChapter 11. Building CradlesChapter 12. Stitching Up the HullChapter 13. Bulkheads, Clamps, and Floor TimbersChapter 14. Filleting and Glassing Plywood JointsChapter 15. Rolling Over the HullChapter 16. Removing WiresChapter 17. Cold Molding the Stitch-and-Glue HullChapter 18. Keels, Rudders, Skegs, and Other AppendagesChapter 19. Sheathing the ExteriorChapter 20. Sanding and FairingChapter 21. Marking the Waterline and Painting the BottomChapter 22. Righting the HullChapter 23. Interior StructuresChapter 24. PaintingChapter 25. Exterior Trim and HardwareChapter 26. PropulsionChapter 27. LaunchingChapter 28. RepairsAppendicesA. Devlin's DesignsB. List of SuppliersIndex