Fishman Stephen J. Boat Improvements for the Practical Sailor

Dobbs Ferry, NY: Sheridan House, 1999. — 189 p. — ISBN: 1574090682.There are dozens of books written about the "craftsmanship" of boat repairs and upgrades. While most of these books provide valuable information for the boat owner, they seem to assume that the reader has access to an unlimited array of power and hand tools as well as the training and skill to use those tools well. In my experience, the typical boat owner has neither. Although many do-it-yourself authors are experts in their specialty, and rightly so, the typical boat owner is at best a jack of all trades and a craftsman in none. It is for these skippers — people like me — that I wrote this book.
Many of these chapters originally appeared as articles written for boat owner association newsletters or sailing magazines. My belief is this: If a guy like me — with average skills and common tools — can do this stuff, so can any other boat owner. Unquestionably, there are many repairs and upgrades best left to specialists, but there are far more that a typical boat owner can expect to be able to complete.
Like many others, I dreamed for years of owning a sailboat. Almost exactly eleven years to the day from my first sail, I bought a 1986 O'Day 28 sloop. She was four years old, and had been neglected in a slip for three of those years. From the very beginning, I was determined to restore the boat to its original condition — or better.
That was almost nine years ago: I was fairly bursting at the seams to install, modify and otherwise fix almost anything on my "new" boat. But the fact was, I had never installed, modified or otherwise fixed anything on any boat before!
Now I am not the world's best handyman, but reasoning that boat repairs couldn't be that much different from home improvements, I set about making my list of to-do's. The list was extensive, since the boat had been almost completely ignored for the better part of three years. To make matters worse, the prior owner had added nothing to the boat since the day it was launched — not even a name. This was a needy boat! The only extras already on board were a stereo radio with two cabin speakers and a rolling furling with a 150% genoa. And so I was presented with the opportunity (and expense) of adding or modifying almost anything in the way of hardware, electronics or appearance items.
I created two lists things I thought I could accomplish myself, and tasks I felt a professional should handle. With time, my confidence grew; I found the first list growing and the second list shrinking.
Our family christened the boat Jenny Reb, after my daughter Jennifer Rebecca, and placed the name proudly on the stern in eight-inch burgundy vinyl letters.
The first task was to develop a plan. After a bit of research, I began stocking a parts box and fastener bin. And once I understood the materials and techniques involved in accomplishing these projects, the necessary supplies became evident. Add to this the assortment of hand and power tools needed, and the basics were covered.
At the top of my list were several items that required specialized equipment, which I had no interest in doing myself — a replacement mailsail cover and wheel bag as well as a new bimini. These were also to be made in burgundy. Although canvas work can change the overall appearance of a boat more quickly than almost anything else, other things can also significantly affect a boat's appearance. I covered the blue stripes on the hull near the deck with VA" and burgundy vinyl stripes, and the change was immediate and significant. Later, I added a double pinstripe to the toerail, along with a Boat Improvements for the Practical Sailor set of cockpit cushions in a cream-colored seat with burgundy side panels. Color made an enormous difference.