This Old Boat

by Don Casey

Buying and remodeling a rundown production boat is often the only way for those of modest means to obtain a boat that satisfies their tastes. Over production of fiberglass boats in the 1970s has left boatyards littered with candidates at attractive prices. Everything you need to know to turn a back-of-the-boatyard castoff into a fancy little yacht is in This Old Boat. Casey leads you methodically through every step of turning a cast-off fiber-glass boat into a real show-stopper,including the simplest and most complete explanations yet of sailmaking.

Genres: Reference, Nautical, Boating, Nonfiction

576 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1991

Reviews

[Leonardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a clueless 25 year old embarking on the journey of renovating a 50 year old boat, this book (and How Boat Things Work) is proving absolutely crucial to understanding her inner workings and failure points. The boating world is not particularly known for being friendly to newcomers, and information is surprisingly scarce and scattered around forums and oral tradition; you need to know someone that knows someone most times - luckily I do, but having things written down helps tremendously.

The illustrations are superb and the text is an absolute pleasure to read, full of quips and personal stories from the author, really instilling a sense of trust into the reader (and giving it a sense of written-oral tradition). The fantastic visual gags here and there genuinely made me chuckle; the key here is that genuine hard information is there and not at all diluted by humor. A hard balance!

Finally, I’d just like to highlight the first chapter, which really resonated with me and helped me decide to go through with this adventure, with my specific boat (1975 Catalina 30): “The boat you own should make your heart sing. […] She should stop you on the dock for one final gaze before you leave her, not to check but to admire. […] If she does not affect you this way, keep looking.” I do do this every time, and my fellow crew mock me for this, quoting this passage back to me!

All in all, fantastic book, and a must have for boat owners.

…I lied, the final excerpt I want to highlight is the following, which especially made me feel seen and got a full out loud laugh from me: “And the typical Mr. Fixit isn’t working on boats to fund his research into nuclear fusion” - well, good to know I’m not typical Mr. Fixit!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely well-written and covers a wide range of subjects. Also, there is this underlying ‘can-do’ attitude throughout the book which I really enjoyed. Although I may never use the methods presented on a boat, some of the knowledge could be also applicable to home improvement and other crafts.

[Amelia Sophie Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a boat owner or seriously thinking of buying one, read this book. It's incredibly approachable and really gives you the sense that "ok I can do this".

[Mary Ray]

Ought as a gift. Did not read.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This old book took me about two and a half years to finish. Granted, I did not sit and read the book straight through. I started the book sometime in late 2019 or so as a nightstand read; a dry book meant to usher me from not quite ready to sleep to unable to bear the weight of my eyelids. I figured a door stopper about boat maintenance would do the trick. As it happened, a worldwide pandemic interceded, yachting took a swan dive from the top of my priority list and escapism came to dominate my reading list. Starting a few months back I returned to yacht racing at the local club and picked this tome up again. Since I work well with a deadline, I resolved to close this book for good by the coming new year. With the better part of a month left, I overachieved!

Don Casey’s writing is approachable with dots of humor. His descriptions are reasonably clear and the illustrations do a great deal to clarify when needed. The book is structured so as to offer approachable projects early and then to graduate toward more elaborate projects as the reader’s skills and toolbox grows.

This Old Boat is too short to be exhaustive and too long to be cursory. It occupies that jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none space in the market. Coupled with the fact that the book is a bit dated already, no one should be deluded into seeing this is a one stop shop for all their boat maintenance knowledge. Instead, the book is better seen as a steppingstone, to start one’s journey into DIY boat repair with a general and thorough overview of what is involved so they are better armed to ask the right questions of more specialized sources.

The upshot is I like the book. It isn’t a page turner, but for what it is, it does its job well. One point I’m a bit stuck on is whether this book warrants being read cover-to-cover. On the one hand, the book is a reference resource and can and should be consulted as needed on discrete projects. But the book is a starting point, not the ultimate authority on any particular subject so if you are taking on some task, the book is unlikely to be the last resource you consult. On the other hand, as an approachable and broad treatment of boat care, the book as a whole helps a would be DIYer contextualize boat care in toto. By reading about all the possible types of projects a boat owner might need to consider, a DIYer would be better empowered not only to take on a project but also to prioritize a range of different projects over the ownership of their boat.

[Linda-Beth Juchli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is The book on assisting, guiding, and conjoining on boat maintenance, mechanics, and building. Don Casey approaches his teachings in a relatable common sense "you can do it and do a good job" attitude. This book is a must for anybody in your circle who has a sailboat and wants to keep their baby in tip top shape.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. I like the premise: that with a positive attitude and simple tools, an owner can do most of his/her work at least as competently as a boatyard and one hell of a lot cheaper.

[Anthony Heard · Rating 5 out of 5]

literally a gr8 handbook, especially when it comes to the water systems, u can find the older editions at used book stores. I often re-read this book, as i seem to learn a little something new each time, as my context of sailing knowledge expands.......again gr8 handbook ( meaning keep it close)