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Of the many boatbuilding and repair manuals I have seen, I would consider this to be the best reference for fiberglass boat repair. The pictures on the dust-jacket alone indicate that a serious treatise is contained within. It would appear that no matter how bad it looks, there is no problem beyond the scope of the competent fiberglass repairman. (Caution - some of the color photos of repairs-in-progress between pages 118 and 119 are not for the faint-hearted!)
Mr. Vaitses has been at this for a long time and with experience in the world of wooden boats (all boats have wood in them somewhere) as well as having been a player in the fiberglass revolution, is able to offer a well-rounded perspective. His honest, no-nonsense approach to problem-solving is refreshing.
Besides the obvious background info and how-to descriptions, this book can be an invaluable asset when examining a used boat. Mr. Vaitses is currently working as a marine surveyor (a person who inspects and evaluates the condition of boats for prospective buyers). All used boats need some kind of work and the challenge then becomes evaluating the nature and scope of needed repairs, e.g. distinguishing structural and safety issues from cosmetics and determining whether one can affect the repairs oneself vs. how much it will cost to have someone else do it.
Studying this book allows one to communicate more effectively with the surveyor and to describe problems more accurately to repair facilities in order to estimate projected costs. We recently completed the evaluation and purchase of a 1974 36-foot fiberglass cruiser. I can honestly say that the knowledge and confidence I gained from this book made the entire process a good bit less nerve-racking than it might have been!
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