The Boatbuilder's Apprentice

Learn the Ins and Outs of Building Lapstrake, Carvel, Stitch-and-Glue, Strip-Planked, and Other Wooden Boats

Whether you are contemplating your first-ever boatbuilding project or trying to decide what design you'd like to build next, Greg Rössel can help. Here's just a glimpse of what's inside this complete overview of wooden boatbuilding:
How rowing, sailing, paddling, and powerboat designs perform, and how they compare in cost, time, and necessary skills for building

How wooden boats are built, including the pros and cons of carvel, lapstrake, dory lap, stitch and glue, strip plank, and other methods

How to choose the best boat and building method for your next project

How to loft a hull, steam bend frames, scarf a joint, cut a rabbet, laminate stems, and spile planks

How to take the lines off an old classic whose plans have been lost

How to make oars, spars, coamings, knees, gaff jaws, cleats, and more




Greg Rössel writes with warmth, wit, and an engaging style. The Boatbuilder's Apprentice is a must guide for anyone planning or even dreaming about building a wooden boat.

“Greg Rössel is a Renaissance man. While there are many talented boatbuilders in the world, only a handful are also good teachers. Even fewer can write or illustrate effectively. Yet this author is highly skilled in each of these areas. . . . The Boatbuilder's Apprentice is a successful blend of technique and wisdom, and is, I believe, destined to become a classic.”-Karen Wales, WoodenBoat Review