Fiberglass Boat Restoration: The Project Planning Guide

How to select a boat, plan your project, finish the job, and actually head for the water.

Over the past thirty to forty years boat builders, large and small, have produced tens of thousands of fiberglass boats. Many now sit abandoned, waiting for some tender care to get back on the water where they belong. Fiberglass unlike many other types of boatbuilding materials does not rot, rust, or break down over the years. Many people have realized this, of course, and have started what they think will be an easy project. They were wrong, and many well-intentioned renovations sit abandoned.

Whatever the reason for wanting to take on the restoration of a project boat, proper planning and organization can make the difference between success and failure. Fiberglass Boat Restoration is about how to plan, organize and successfully complete a project boat restoration. It will explain why it is important to put your efforts and resources into some areas and not others. It contains valuable information about what to look for when considering the purchase of a project boat. Although the focus of the book is fiberglass, the information will be useful to anyone undertaking the building or restoration of any boat.

"I have been through several major restoration projects over the years and should I undertake another, I am going to invite Capt. Wayne to join me. He goes through the process from a real hands-on, eyes open perspective and explains just what you are getting into and, for the most part, what you can expect. Clear and concise, these eight chapters and the indispensable end-of-book resources section will keep things in focus for you." —Capt. Ken Kreisler, author, Powerboating: Your First Book For Your First Boat
"A must-read for anyone considering a boat restoration>"—Ensignmagazine

Captain Wayne Canning has been employed in the marine industry for more than forty years. He has worked a within the pleasure boat industry as a designer, engineer, and skilled craftsman and marine surveyor. Wayne has spent many years perfecting his skills as a master boat builder and repairer. He has an associate's degree in mechanical engineering, has completed the Westlawn School of Yacht Design course, he is a long standing member of ABYC and holds a USCG Masters certificate for one hundred tons, near coastal. He has been a live aboard sailor for many years as well. Now self employed as a marine surveyor, consultant, project manager, and freelance writer. He has written numerous articles for major boating magazines and is a contributing editor at Ocean Navigator magazine.