On Board with Mark Corke

 

Here at the world headquarters of On Board we get quite a few books to review some are good and some are not so good. Some are about boats and boating and more than a few have nothing at all to do with boating it seems except for the glossy shot on the cover. The Art of Wooden Boat Repair with the subtitle 'A boat wrights secret tricks of the trade' is by a chap called Allen Cody Taube whom I must admit I had never heard of until I read this book. This volume runs  to an easy to read 178 pages and it is enjoyable to anyone who has hankerings to learn how to work on wooden boats or more specifically repair them. There are no photographs in the book instead there are some illustrations but frankly I do wish there were more to illustrate the points being made. If I do have to take issue with the book is that the title leads you to believe that it is all about wooden boat repairs but it is not and it deals exclusively with re-planking carvel planked boats, there is not mention of other forms of construction, lapstrake for one. Whilst I realize that it is impossible to go into detail on every form of construction in less than 200 pages I do feel that the title is misleading and someone buying this from an online book seller may be disappointed as it may not cover the very thing that he or she needs to read up on. For all that it is a very good primer into the world of carvel 'plank hanging' and for that reason alone it can be recommended.

ISBN 9780988991002

I do not know the price at this time, the book is not listed on Amazon and strangely the price is not shown on the book jacket so you will have to ask at your local book store which is where  you should
be buying books anyhow and not at an online behemoth.

 

Survey Book

 

 

Almost there!!

  

Norm LeBlanc; above, and I have been working on a boat survey book for the past couple of years and thankfully it is nearing completion. McGraw Hill is our publisher and it is due to hit bookstores later this year. I'll let you know when we have a firm date, but as soon as we have a hard copy we’ll be doing a drawing to give away free books (yes that’s right…free!) to 10 of our loyal On Board readers. If you want to throw your name in the hat for the drawing send your email and contact info to me at: [email protected]. Don’t worry, we promise your info will be kept private.

I first floated the idea to McGraw Hill over 3 years ago telling them I wanted to bring Norm in to work with me on the project. They knew my blog and right away were keen on a book that would be the definitive guide to boat surveying. They liked that it would be aimed not only at the student of marine surveying, but also at boat owners and boat buyers who want to be better informed about what they need to know when they go under the hood, of their own boats, or boats they want to buy.

We’ll be covering everything from stem to stern in some detail. From hull and deck inspection and construction to electrical, plumbing and on board systems and everything else in between. Check out my boat survey website by clicking here to find out more, and drop me a line about anything you would like to see included in the book.

 

Florida Cruising Directory

 

I must confess that I had never really looked at this book before. Being a boater from 'up north' I don't get to go boating much down in the south east but I shall be sure to take this book along on my next trek south. Published annually by Waterways etc this Florida Cruising  Directory is more than just a pilot book it contains a ton of information within it's 164 pages. There is everything from where to find a boat ramp to where to fuel up your boat, tide tables and pilot directions for the entire coast of Florida and the Bahamas. Costing $16 I think this book is a bargain and since picking up a copy at the Miami boat show have been spending a fair bit of time leafing through it's pages. Almost entirely in black and white save for the cover a few advertisers pages on the inside of the book it is none the less no worse for that. The pen and ink style chartlets are very easy to follow and this would be a book that is should be on every boat owners list if making a trip down or around Florida waters. Highly recommended.

The Complete Trailer Sailor

 

 

I've just finished reading this book which contains a wealth of information for those of us that like to sail smaller boats specifically those under about 26 feet that will fit onto a trailer and be towed to launch sites both near and far. Author Brian Gilbert shares many of the same sentiments as me and makes the valid point that you can get onto the water in a  decent boat for short money if you don't mind getting your hands dirty and do a little fixing up and improvement. This book concentrates on getting the best from your boat in terms of how best to use it; there are sections on towing safety, rigging and sails, instrumentation and safety. If you open this book expecting a treatise on fixing up an older boat then you will be disappointed, for that you will need to go to his earlier work 'Fix It and Sail' which decribes in some detail the restoration of an aging and neglected MacGregor Venture 222 which he bought for $500 fixed up and then went sailing. In many ways this book I felt was the second volume in a series and follows on very well from that first book.
If there is a down side to this book it is that some of the photographs are hard to see,much of which is not the fault of the photographs themselves but is due in large part to the rather poor quality paper stock that the book is printed on. In short this is a good book which will give enjoyable reading and would make a good addition to all those who go down to the sea (or lake) in small boats.

 

Published by McGraw Hill at $19.95. The ISBN number should you need it is 978-0-07-147258-6

DIY Boat Owner Magazine

 

DIY Boat Owner magazine which many On Board readers will be familiar with has been sold to Madmariner.com the on line boating resource site. The magazine was originally started by Jan Mundy and her husband Steve Kalman in 1995 before being sold to Boat US in 2006 who in turn have sold it to Glen Justice the owner of Mad Mariner.

As before DIY Boat Owner will continue to be published quarterly although at the time of writing this I am unsure as to whether Jan Mundy is to stay on as editor. The first issue to be published by the new owners will be available next month and it will be interesting to see what sort of changes if any will be incorporated.

The magazine is currently available through subscription and in some West marine stores.

Paper yachts

I was sent this book through the other day for review and I had intended to write about it earlier but was getting very frustrated. This is basically a book of two parts. At the front is a section about some of the most significant racing yachts in recent history. At the back are shiny varnished paper squares which you can fold into a rough facsimile of the boat of your dreams. The book is well produced and looks great. The sections on each of the designs are concise, well-written and illustrated with color photos. So far so good I thought having finished the reading now comes the fun part making the paper models. I had every intention of making a couple and displaying them proudly here but I failed miserably. I am no stranger to following diagrams and plans but frankly I was totally baffled by the instructions and drawings, Try as I might my boats were an abject failure. If I can build a 30 foot power boat then I must be able to build a paper boat I surmised , but apparently I can't. Whether this is something of a left brain, right brain conflict I have no idea but I am too embarrassed to show the results of my origami and they were consigned to the office waste paper bin in a pique of rage.
For all that I suspect that most people who buy this book will not build the paper models and will be content just knowing that they are there. Buy it for the text and photos just don't try to build the paper models.
ISBN 978-0-307-46021-9
80 pages
Published by Crown publishing at $22.50
Authors Nic Compton and Nick Robinson

Anytime Valentine Gifts

Seems like just yesterday that we were giving each other Christmas gifts and guess what, Valentine's Day is here. My wife Rita thinks that all Valentine's Day gifts should be lovey-dovey. but then she might not be such a hard-core boater as me.  So to satisfy all tastes here is a round-up of suggestions that are sure to appeal to everyone.  You wouldn't believe how many gift suggestions were sent to me.  Some of them, like the guy flogging a square foot of land overseas to all those who want to be international property owners!  Unbelievable!  So I've sorted through them all and put together a selection costing from just a few dollars to several hundred any of which would be welcomed by any boating inclined member of the family at any time of the year -  not just on Valentine's Day.

TAG Heuer 27° AIR Sunglasses  $230-365.00

They're well-known for the range of watches they have been making since 1860, but until these arrived in the mail some time ago I had no idea that TAG Heuer made sun glasses as well. These are from the AIR range collection.  They look stylish, are comfortable to wear and the soft neoprene ends grip well so they will stay in place when you are on the boat. The wrap around style of the lenses stops glare from entering around the sides..an absolute must when you're out on the water on a sunny day.  Prices vary depending on the exact model and run from around the $230 mark. Not the cheapest sunglasses that you will ever buy perhaps, but certainly some of the most good looking and effective.  If you decide to wrap these up for your Valentine, just be sure to invest another 5 bucks in an eyewear retainer like the ones made by Croakie.  As they say, "better to be safe than sorry!"

    Tullamore Dew    $35
    Glenrothes          $45
    Yamazaki            $44.99

I’ve never been a great one for drinking beer, but I do enjoy a drop of whisky from time to time. Always something of an acquired taste and not all whiskies are created equal. Single malts are at the top of the tree and although more expensive than blended whisky, they are far smoother with each distillery producing their own distinct unique tipple.

The trio shown here includes the Glenrothes, which is a Scottish Speyside whisky, Tullmore Dew from Ireland and Yamazaki from Kyoto in Japan.  I'm a fan of first two, but the Japanese whisky was completely new to me.  Now that I've indulged, I must confess that I have developed quite a taste for it. The booklet describes it thus ‘ a 12 year old that is slightly syrupy, honeyed in flavor, perfumey, with a cookie like dryness in the finish’. 

Whichever you choose none of these will disappoint a true whisky drinker. A great gift when visiting a friend’s boat for the weekend and a sure fire guarantee that you will be invited back.

Incidentally, we've got a few great whisky cocktail recipes that I just might feature on St. Patrick's Day.  I know you won't be disappointed in the ones that include Tallmore Dew. 

Distributed in the USA by Skyy and available in all good liquor stores