Great boat for really simple very small boats. This is an excellent reference book for someone who has never build any kind of a boat. I had hoped for more larger stitch and glue boats, like in the 15 to 19 foot range such as the Diablo and Diablo Grande.

Gavin Atkin has been designing boats and distributing those plans for free on the web for many years with his main enjoyment being the photos and letters he received from builders. I built his flying mouse and found it to be wonderfully stable boat in a short and light package, not a normal combination. His book is a must-have addition to his plans for the extra instruction and advice he gives. He also has all sorts of different boatplans in this book to choose from for your build. Finally, you not only get the book but Gavin is readily available and responsive through the mouseboats yahoo group to answer any questions you might have during the build.

This book belongs on the shelf of anyone who is contemplating building their own boat. This book was a special treat for me because there is a picture of a boat I built in it.
The prospect of building a boat can be very overwhelming. It is a process of figuring out your needs and then deciding on an appropriate design. This is followed by determining if you have the tools, money, space, skill, and time to see a project go from a pile of wood to a pleasant afternoon sailing on a local lake with your family. If you are like me you begin this process by reading as much as you possibly can prior to actually creating sawdust.
Gavin Atkin's book is divided into two parts. The first part deals with the "how" to build a boat. Although you may supplement this information with additional material from other sources, Atkin gives enough practical information to actually build a boat. Atkin makes building a boat for someone who has never done it seem very doable, even fun. The second part of the book is filled with designs to whet the appetite of anyone who
is in the process of trying to decide what would would be the right boat for them. Mr. Atkin includes complete plans for seventeen of his own designs, all very doable, plus he reviews designs done by other popular designers.
My boat recently succumbed to dry rot and was hauled to the dump. I am now in the process of deciding which is the "right" boat to build and Gavin Atkin's book, "Ultrasimple Boatbuilding", has renewed my interest in building my own boat again.

Excellent example boats in the well written boat. The author explains his choices - of boat types and construction types - very well. Inspires me to try and build a boat better than one he would build. Well at least with a nicer finish, "better" is open for dicussion. And I would not mind discussing better with the author, I would gladly pay for the for pint.

I don't know of any pleasure greater than enjoying an outing in a vehicle that you built with your own hands. A boat is one of the few vehicles that most people can actually build from readily available materials and without years of training and a treasure trove of specialized tools. Unfortunately, too many would-be boat builders jump in too deep, too soon. Mr. Atkin teaches us that anyone can build a boat and provides a perfect entry point for anyone thinking about leaving terra firma in a craft of their own making. Not only does he include many free, easy-to-build designs, but he teaches through clear, comprehensive text and illustrations, the basic skills and techniques that apply not only to build the designs in the book, but to future projects beyond the book. If you're planning a boat project with kids this is THE book. As an added bonus, Mr. Atkin invites us to join his discussion group, where we can share tips and tales with the author and others who have built and enjoyed his designs. Ultrasimple Boat Building is not only a great starting point for newbies, it's a great launching point for future hard core builders.

Ultrasimple Boatbuilding contains invaluable information for a first time boatbuilder. For someone with not a lot of tools, nor experience with woodworking, nor a lot of money to spend on a boat, but dreams of getting out on the water, this book is a great place to start. I liked the way the author describes putting a plywood boat together with enough details for the reader to feel that he/she can actually do it. There are plans for 17 boats to choose from, so it's just a question of picking one and getting started.