Articles & Guides For Boat Building, Modifications, & Owners

Copies of articles listed below range in size from brief correspondence with technical notes to articles of several pages. Some may be ‘free’ – for others please inquire for price. (Some articles consist of e-mails which can provide helpful guidance.)  

  1. SMALL CRAFT AESTHETICS (1990) Guidelines to exterior color & trim
  2. MARINE OPENINGS & CLOSURES (1993)
    -SELECTION & LOCATION – Windows, Port lights, Hatches, & Doors.
  3. STREAMLINING – THE BOTTOM (1995) – Reduce Drag –save money
  4. STEEL or ALUMINUM -YOUR CHOICE (1988) A Comparison
  5. MEETING THE REGULATIONS (1994)
    Conversion of Vessels (or New) to Meet Coast Guard Standards
    Note: For Canadian Regulations but may be useful for other countries. (due to ongoing changes to regulations it is advised that all matters be reviewed with your appropriate regulations. )
  6. DRAWING LEVELS (1997)
    What do you need? What do you expect? What do you get? A guide to different drawing levels (of details) and their relevant cost.
  7. SEA CHESTS & MANIFOLDS (1997) Methods for fluid management
  8. DECK LAYOUT (2002) A guide to a safe & logical deck layout
  9. ZINC ANODES (2003) cathodic protection for your boat
  10. PROPELLER ANOMOLIES (2000) Things you may not know and probably would not believe.
  11. CUSTOM DESIGN (2004) Can’t find (or don’t want) a stock plan?
  12. VESSEL WEIGHT (2004) Source, Control, and Management of weight
  13. VESSEL WEIGHT & VALUE (2007) a quick way to estimate what your boat may cost. (a very basic approximation method best used by professionals.)
  14. WEIGHING A BOAT (2011) The set-up & Procedure for weighing a boat using scales or a Travelift.  (Travelift accuracy can vary up to 10%)
  15. STABILITY & COMFORT (2008) Yes…. You can have too much of a good thing.
  16. THE RIGHT BOAT (2009) Choosing ‘your’ boat (or design)
  17. FREEWHEELING PROPELLER (2009) To lock, or not to lock, that is the question. For sail boats or power boats that trail and engine (emails)
  18. READING for the BOATBUILDER (2003) Reading Suggestions to Help
  19. LIGHTENING HOLES: a guide to penetrations of structure
  20. VESSEL MAINTNENANCE – A guide sheet & timetable
  21. VESSEL MODIFICATION-CONVERSION & REPAIR. A guide template of what-when-where-why-who. Can also be used as a guide for selection of the ‘right boat’