The Fiberglass Boat Repair Manual

LOVE this book. Husband & I are breathing life back into vintage boats. Every once in awhile we find fiberglass damage. This book helps us make the repairs safely and allows us to restore the structural integrity!

Of the many boatbuilding and repair manuals I have seen, I would consider this to be the best reference for fiberglass boat repair. The pictures on the dust-jacket alone indicate that a serious treatise is contained within. It would appear that no matter how bad it looks, there is no problem beyond the scope of the competent fiberglass repairman. (Caution - some of the color photos of repairs-in-progress between pages 118 and 119 are not for the faint-hearted!)Mr. Vaitses has been at this for a long time and with experience in the world of wooden boats (all boats have wood in them somewhere) as well as having been a player in the fiberglass revolution, is able to offer a well-rounded perspective. His honest, no-nonsense approach to problem-solving is refreshing.Besides the obvious background info and how-to descriptions, this book can be an invaluable asset when examining a used boat. Mr. Vaitses is currently working as a marine surveyor (a person who inspects and evaluates the condition of boats for prospective buyers). All used boats need some kind of work and the challenge then becomes evaluating the nature and scope of needed repairs, e.g. distinguishing structural and safety issues from cosmetics and determining whether one can affect the repairs oneself vs. how much it will cost to have someone else do it.Studying this book allows one to communicate more effectively with the surveyor and to describe problems more accurately to repair facilities in order to estimate projected costs. We recently completed the evaluation and purchase of a 1974 36-foot fiberglass cruiser. I can honestly say that the knowledge and confidence I gained from this book made the entire process a good bit less nerve-racking than it might have been!

For those looking at an older boat, this book offers great insight to how the older boat may have been constructed. That insight is just nowhere else to be found. I have read my copy from cover to cover. I go back and FREQUENTLY reread sections to better understand how to work on my boat. That's what makes this book a BIBLE of fiberglass boat knowledge.With rampant cost escalation for fuel, dock space, upkeep, and every single other aspect of boating, it is SERIOUSLY worth looking at a 1960's, '70s, or '80's boat instead of a new one.I am working on restoring an older boat - '80s Hunter. It would not be possible without this book. This book, along with those by Casey, Calder, Payne, Vigor, Wittman, and others are the core of my repair resource.As has been pointed out, there is not a host of material about Carbon Fiber or more advanced composites/epoxies. For that you could go to West System's books and pamphlets.For working on my collection of "good old boats".. I would NOT be without this book. I absolutely recommend it.

The Fibreglass Boat Repair Manual taught me the skills to do cosmetic and structural repairs to my 23 foot trailer sailer. It wasn't until I found cracking under one of the winches that I realised how much I had learnt. A job like this, on a strong point on the boat, would usually make me a bit nervous. Having read and absorbed the instruction in The Fibreglass Boat Repair Manual I took on the job with confidence. As i sanded and painted the patch the next day I was very happy that I had read this fantastic resource. I recommend it to anyone who has a patch or repair job to do on any fibreglass surface.

The book provides excellent reference information for the repair of fiberglass boats. I purchased this with "Fiberglass Boat Repairs Illustrated" which had better photos and was more recently written. Even though both books obviously contain similar topics, etc. "The Fiberglass Boat Repair Manual" is more complete and is an excellent companion piece that provides the information in a slightly more detailed 'textbook-like' way that is very useful if you plan to take on a major project. I liked them both and would recommend both. If you have a small task and only plan to make one repair, then the illustrations in the book "Fiberglass Boat Repairs Illustrated" should guide you well. If you are truly interested in learning how to perform professional repairs, then this book is indispensable.

The how to get through the process of repairing a fiberglass boat is normally to find someone else who has done it that will take the time to tell you what to do. The hope is that you find someone willing to listen to what you have going on with your situation and knows how to explain each step. Unless you know what you should do next there are so many chances you will get stuck. This book proves absolutely thorough on the subject. You can go into a group discussion on the topic after reading this book feeling confident that you know what's what about the use of these composite materials as applied to marine small craft.

I have not used the book yet, but I looked it over, and it seems to be full of good information,,,, Later this year, I plan to build a hard top for two of my boats, and finish them with some sort of fiberglass matting and epoxy resin.. I hope these books make it as easy as it should be to get this part of the project done..

Has a lot of great information, but not exactly what I needed to know... Like specifically replacing transom wood or the floor.

I guess you would have to be a dedicated hobbiest (or boatbuilder) to find the information in this book useful. Unfortunately I am neither.

Average quality read - nothing great, but the illustrations are below average. there must be a better quality book than this

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A very comprehensive book that covers everything that I need to know to get on with the job in hand

I ordered it, it came, Thank you.