A good book

[Steve ToppParticipant @stevetopp]

Hi. I've been toying with the idea of building a boat for a couple of years and with Christmas coming up this maybe the time. Could someone recommend a good book that deals with the elements of build from plans to going afloat. I hope to build a electric cruiser type boat if that helps.

Cheers.

[Steve ToppParticipant @stevetopp]

[Malcolm FraryParticipant @malcolmfrary95515]

Things move on so fast these days – a book with Vic Smeed's name on it would give you the state of the art 20+ years ago (and he did like his cabin cruisers), but even such a short time ago, in the model world, books were being supplanted by magazines as a source of up to date information. Now we have the internet and sites like this.

[Steve ToppParticipant @stevetopp]

Hi Malcolm, I know what you mean every things moving faster just as I'm slowing down. I've gleaned a lot of information from the net but I like books just to idly thumb through before bed.

[Andy CParticipant @andyc56856]

Hi Steve

Glynn Guest does a good selection of boat plans and has a book out too.

**LINK**

Andy

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Further to Malcolm's earlier post, many Vic Smeed (& other authors) books are now dated, building materials, finishing materials, r/c, motors, electrics and batteries have all changed.

If you are looking at a cabin cruiser, in the 65th Anniversary Model Boats special edition Dave Milbourn wrote an article which updated one of Vic Smeed's early designs 'Twinkler' to a modern standard. A plan (MM2102) is available. Photographs of the finished model are on this site under the 'All things floating' heading and the thread is 'Vic Smeed's Model Boat Designs' and just wade through the thread (near the end I think).

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

This issue is still on sale in some branches of W H Smith and is also available from MyHobbyStore – follow the link on the website home page.

Colin

[Dodgy Geezer 1Participant @dodgygeezer1]

If you are looking for a simple easy-to-build and cheap boat to learn with, you might be interested in some of the free plans for beginners here:

 

**LINK**

Edited By Dodgy Geezer on 21/10/2015 14:35:45

[Steve ToppParticipant @stevetopp]

Thanks for the replies, I think I may start and tackle each stage as I come to it.

[Trevor Drabble 1Participant @trevordrabble1]

Steve, Am beginning to dispose of my considerable library of modelling books , inclding Vic Smeed books . If you are interested ,if you could PM me with your requirements, I'll check if I've anything suitable .

Trevor.

[Andrew AntenParticipant @andrewanten54353]

Ship Modeling from Stem to Stern book is one such great book, which gives you an overview of wood ship modeling. It describes some of the tools and techniques involved in ship modeling and discusses plans, scales and conversions, and much more. You can get this book from Ages of Sail. It is priced at just $24.

**LINK**

[Author]

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