 |  
Rating:  -
Whether you are an amateur boatbuilder or just love reading and learning about boats, this is a fantastic book to add to your library. Reuel Parker has done a superb job of researching the roots and evolution of this versatile little craft as well as including enough information in the back that a fairly skilled craftsman could build just about any of the boats showcased. Well written narrative combined with fine historic and documentary photos make this a book that anyone would have trouble putting down.
Rating: -
Reuel Parker really has a hit with this book. He information is excellent and easy to understand, no elitist jargon here. He makes a wonderful case for the Sharpie's use and how versatile a boat it is. Anyone who is considering build a boat at home should read this for sure. The book contains several boat plans, and all the information need to build one is contained within.
Rating: -
Reuel Parker has captured the simple essence of small, functional boats. This is a terrific read, chock full of interesting information about the evolution of the sharpie type. It includes several excellent boat-building projects with instructions aimed at semi-knowledgeable builders. (First-time builders may need an additional building resource to understand some of the finer points of boat construction.) This book will very quickly instill you with a fondness for light, simple, shallow-draft boats. Anyone who likes sailing or boat trivia will love this book.
Rating: -
This book has many virtues: It is highly readable, down-to-earth (or sea?), and covers a fascinating topic. The sections on this history of the sharpie are nicely punctuated by sea-stories, observations, and photographs of working sharpies.
I'm building my own boat. It is not a sharpie (more of a dory), but it uses many similar construction features (flat plywood sides, rockered bottom, chine log construction, centerboard, epoxy covering, etc.). Mr. Parker's book has been an absolutely priceless resource on every aspect of construction.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in small sailing craft, either for history or building your own. I'd also advise people to check out the Parker-Marine website for more information on the Author's designs.
Rating: -
I think the kernal of this book is the description of why plywood is a superior boat building material. (diagonal strength) I had been thinking of carvel planking as the best type of wood construction. I was wrong. Other than that, the book does a great job of describing the history of, and reason for, sharpies.
From what I read, I decided that a deeper, heavier, and stronger boat might be more appropriate for the inside passage to Alaska. Also, I'm just not short enough to spend much time in the cabin of a sharpie.
Good book, good read, and I will be buying the Ruel Parker book on cold molding.
| | 
Boat Design.Net
Design Award
Top Rated Sites
Most Popular Sites
What's New
 Boat
Plans
Books
Designers
Boatbuilders
Materials
Powerboats
Catamarans
Propulsion
Sailboats
Multihulls
Software
Resources
Random
Site
My Links
Gallery
Forums
Search
|
