Product Description

Since the late 1950s, when the first "plastic" sailboat shocked the New York Boat Show, fiberglass boatbuilding has gone through classic growing pains. Longtime yacht broker and marine surveyor Henry Mustin has seen it all: the slow acceptance of those early, heavy boats; the market boom of the lighter boats of the 1970s; the "boat pox" scare of the 1980s; and the continued lack of industry standards that makes buying and owning a fiberglass boat an adventure. In Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats Mustin explains what to watch for in a used sailboat from each era, and how to ferret out the hidden defects in any boat. He shows how to estimate the cost of repairs and the value of a boat. And he addresses the question: When is a fiberglass boat too used up to save?

Mustin's part-by-part look at hull, deck, rig, and machinery is both a minicourse for transforming used-boat shopping from a game of craps to a science, and the first step in a holistic boat maintenance program. His discussion of the significance of cracks found in aging hulls and decks is the most thorough in print. He is not shy in assessing the lack of regulation of professional surveyors, nor does he shrink from pointing a finger at shoddy building practices.

Having a used boat surveyed is a critical prelude to buying it. Yet a professional survey is expensive--several hundred dollars. Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats will enable you to conduct your own surveys while narrowing the field, then monitor a professional surveyor's performance when selecting your target boat.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #291771 in Books
• Published on: 1994-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 139 pages

Review
``. . .one book we'd recommend to anyone looking at used boats (or new, for that matter). . .[Mustin's] book shows you what and where to look for signs of trouble.'' (Practical Sailor )

``Books about marine surveying are often overly technical and pedantic. Not so [this book]. . .It's a concisely written primer. . .Mustin is adept at distilling often highly involved subjects, so you should be able to learn the fundamentals of evaluating a vessel's major structures, systems and equipment.'' (Sail )

From the Back Cover

Since the late 1950s, when the first "plastic" sailboat shocked the New York Boat Show, fiberglass boatbuilding has gone through classic growing pains. Longtime yacht broker and marine surveyor Henry Mustin has seen it all: the slow acceptance of those early, heavy boats; the market boom of the lighter boats of the 1970s; the "boat pox" scare of the 1980s; and the continued lack of industry standards that makes buying and owning a fiberglass boat an adventure. In Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats Mustin explains what to watch for in a used sailboat from each era, and how to ferret out the hidden defects in any boat. He shows how to estimate the cost of repairs and the value of a boat. And he addresses the question: When is a fiberglass boat too used up to save?

Mustin's part-by-part look at hull, deck, rig, and machinery is both a minicourse for transforming used-boat shopping from a game of craps to a science, and the first step in a holistic boat maintenance program. His discussion of the significance of cracks found in aging hulls and decks is the most thorough in print. He is not shy in assessing the lack of regulation of professional surveyors, nor does he shrink from pointing a finger at shoddy building practices.

Having a used boat surveyed is a critical prelude to buying it. Yet a professional survey is expensive--several hundred dollars. Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats will enable you to conduct your own surveys while narrowing the field, then monitor a professional surveyor's performance when selecting your target boat.

The inside story on surveying fiberglass boats. No sailor should be without it.

Praise for Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats:

"A concisely written primer for sailors considering purchasing a used boat, preparing for extended cruising, or seeking guidelines for an ongoing maintenance program. . . . Mustin is adept at distilling often highly involved subjects, so you should be able to learn the fundamentals of evaluating a vessel's major structures, systems, and equipment."--SAIL

"Thoroughly studying this book will enable you to inspect your own boat, identify problems and formulate an effective maintenance program. Plus, if you plan to buy either a used or new fiberglass sailboat, this book should help you reduce your cost."--Ensign

". . . long-time professional boat surveyor Mustin shares his experience in a compact, easy-to-reference handbook . . . This slender volume provides the foundation for a holistic boat maintenance program, making it as valuable for owners as it is for buyers."--Rhode Island Boating

I would like to have had Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats . . . when I was in the market for a boat . . . Mustin takes prospective buyers on a detailed tour of boat materials, structures, rigging systems and construction techniques, illustrating . . . the potential weaknesses to watch out for--anything from blisters and stress cracks to corrosion."--Grand Rapids Press

About the Author
Henry C. Mustin, proprietor of H. C. Mustin Co., Yacht & Ship Surveyors, based in Marblehead, Massachusetts, has 20 years in the boat business, 14 of them as a surveyor. He is certified by the National Association of Marine Surveyors in the U.S. and is the only U.S. member of the Yacht Designers & Surveyors Association Ltd. of England.

Customer Reviews

Essential Information
Mustin gives a lot of good information in doing your own survey for that boat you have your eye on. I would never recommend not having a professional survey, but this book guides you through a lot of information with good pictures and sketches. Read this book before you go boat searching to eliminate the dogs. Then use this book to hire a really good surveyor and be able to talk intelligently to him. Good luck. Would I buy again. Yes