Don Casey's Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual: Including Inspecting the Aging Sailboat, Sailboat Hull and Deck Repair, Sailboat Refinishing, Sailbo

• #20 in Best Sailing Books

30 Reviews

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This book is a must have for the occasional do-it-your-selfer. Being a compilation of all of the Don Casey books on sailboat maintenance, I find myself pulling this book off the shelf more often than any other maintenance book I own.

I find the drawings and step by step instructions to be well thought out and easy to follow. Geared for the occasional weekend warrior, this book shows you how to do it right while pointing out many of the pitfalls that often accompany a sailboat maintenance project.

I highly recommend it for those like me who own an aging sailboat but don't have a Pentagon sized budget laying on the side to give the yard.

This is compilation of 5 Don Casey's books, but only very small portions of material are doubled. There is part on marine diesel, but there isn't on marine gas engine. Fiberglass repair chapter describes only strightforward repairs of the hull. I couldn't find much info about propeler and rudder shafts repairs. But these are my only complains.
Besides it is excellent book full of very clear pictures. Great source of info about materials and paints, great chapter on AC/DC systems etc.
I probably won't buy any other "sailboat repairs" book.

I own a 30 foot sailboat that is just about 30 years old. Although my boat is in overall good condition, there are always things to touch up and fix.

I am extremely happy with this book and refers to it constantly before attemtption a new task. A few of the things I have used the book for:
- Refinishing interior wood
- Maintaining the engine (oil changes, valve settings, shaft alinghtment)
- Maintaining topsides (gelcoat repairs, general maintenance and upkeep, re-sealing deck hardware)
- Electrical work, troubleshooting stray currents and partial re-wiring
- Maintaining and fixing the head
- Canvas work is next. :-)

I am amazed at Don Casey's huge knowledge on sailboat maintenance and repair. I do not think there is a better or more copmlete book on the subject of sailboat maintenance.

I highly recommend this book for all sailboat owners. I can also reconmmend it as a gift.

Fair winds to you!

As full-time cruising liveaboards for the past 3 1/2 years, I can honestly say that every sailboat owner should have a copy of this fantastic book!

From engine issues to canvas work there isn't any feature about sailboat maintenance Don hasn't covered in good easy to understand detail. When things go wrong (and they always do) his book is the first place I turn to figure out what course of action to take.

For those who wish to do all the work themselves or for those that will hire others, the book will pay for itself many times over without a doubt.
Great illustrations and a subtle wit make this a very enjoyable read.

It's always enjoyable to discover a product that delivers real value and not just fluffy hype... obviously written by a guy who really does know his stuff!

I got this book based on previous reviews, and because my husband and I just bought a 40 year old sailboat that is in good shape but needs some restoration, and we know very little about restoring a boat. My husband is a very handy guy, and always needs a project to be working on (eg. a old boat). First thing he did was open the book, flip through it, and declare it a waste of money because he could have figured all of this stuff out on his own! Now, after actually READING parts of it, he has to have it next to the boat at all times and calls it his Boat Bible. Before doing anything he consults this book first. To date we have just started renovating the boat, but I am sure this book will be well used by the end of the project.

Beware when you buy Don Casey-books. If you are not careful, you end up with buying the same books twice. This book is a compilation of 6 books by Don Casey that has previously been published separately.

Don Casey is easy to read, but at the same time he is never shallow. There are plenty of illustrations. Here you get a lot of information. It is written for sailboats, but I think every boat-owner should have a copy.

got this book, in part, to try and gauge how big problems would be with some used boats we were looking at. covers lots of ground and I've seen his work reproduced in some other books we have on the same subjects, for what that's worth. it's a great way to get some armchair project time in over the cold winter months!

Every sailboat owner should own this comprehensive guide for repairing their boats. This handbook pulls parts from five other books into one handy resource.

I don't have the space for every reference ever made, so this is a very good composite.

we have a 26 foot sailboat which we have sailed since the late 80's and this book was still a great addition to our sailing library

This manual is so valuable it should be made available in Kindle. I'd be the first to buy in addition to my hard copy.

Marvelous, thorough, humorous, encyclopedic. Don Casey speaks with the voice of someone who has "been there, done that." This book is filled with those little details that you need to know to make the right choice in a boat, and keep your recently purchased (or in the family for generations) old boat in "Bristol Condition ." Emphasis is on early, production fiberglass boats--the kind that are affordable. He points out ordinary household products that can sell for 1/10 the cost of "Marine" products and do the job for maintenance and repairs. You can't go wrong with this boat either on your shelf or in your boat.

Only four stars here for his bad advice on cleaning teak. He is using TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) to wash teak. Do NOT use TSP or a brush on teak ever. Not only is TSP environmentally unsound, after all, we removed phosphates from our laundry soaps, but you would be much better off using Murphy's Oil Soap or the linseed oil soap you can order from Solvent Free Paint dot com. You can also use Lyn and Larry Pardy's method of cleaning teak with half a lemon to bleach it out. Casey also recommends using a brush and rubbing with the grain of the wood. If you do that, you'll be gouging out the soft fibers of the teak and be left with only the hard raised cells, kind of like swiss cheese. Read the Pardy's book on boat maintenance for much better wood maintenance methods that will keep your teak looking good for years to come. Also, don't use Cetol for the finish because it's been found to melt certain glues. Instead, use the marine varnishes sold by Solvent Free Paint dot com because you don't have to sand them. They soak into the wood and in five years you just add more, no scraping! They also have marine worthy paints, same process of eventual penetration into the wood, after which you just dab on some of their linseed oil or more paint if needed. Or build up layers of tung oil.

If I'd taken a minute, I would have realized that this book is by the author of our old and much used This Old Boat, with much of the same material as This Old. The illustrations are clear. I'm not sure why he has two versions of what is essentially the same book.

This book has lots of great information in it. We're new boat owners of an older sailboat and doing some fixing up and repairs. A great addition to our collection of boat books!

I enjoyed its easy-to-understand style. Lot of experience in it. Good choice for boat owners and would-be boat owners.

This book has not only the needed information but great illustrations to aid in boat maintenance. Also has information on inspecting and surveying boats before purchase.

This book is loaded with helpful information for a sailboat owner. I recommend it.

Although a sailing novice, I recognize this as an excellent reference. Actually 4 books in 1 with excellent information to help you evaluate a used boat and maintain it. We used it to successfully evaluate the boat we bought. The writing style is clear, but casual -- not dry like some. Great illustrations. A special section on diesel engines is included written by an expert in the field. I was really thrilled with the section on items that you can make for your boat, from pockets, to sail bags, covers, and even biminis. It has become my favorite book and will be invaluable in refinishing my boat's teak and getting the inside neatly organized. Can't wait to get started!

This is a great book! I have read several sections over and over as needed for our sailboat refinishing.

I was looking for a little more detail in the standard maintenance category but it does a really good job of telling buyers/owners what to look for in the wear and tear areas. It's a good add to a small collection of help books on boating.

I do a lot of repair and maintenance work on everything I own and this is the first time I have found a book I would recommend to everyone . A clear and comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about repairing and maintaining your sailboat. Very complete and easy to follow. Indispensable if you own a sailboat.

OK, I like manuals. And this is a very good one. If you have a boat, you have to have it. Easy to read, fantastic illustrations. Explains and suggests. Buy it, you won't regret.

As the new owners of an older boat this book has come in handy already. Very easy to read, great illustrations and step by step directions.

I purchased this book to give to my husband at his retirement party. We are in the process of purchasing a sailboat to live aboard. We have almost no experience in sailing let alone maintenance of a sailboat. At our recent survey, my husband was able to ask pertinent questions, and have his many questions answered as well. He said the surveyor followed the book almost page by page. This book is a 'must have' for any sailboat owner, beginner or experienced. We plan to buy more of Don Casey's books to keep in our onboard library.

If I had to chose one reference manual to help me take care of my sailboat, this would be the one. The best I have read.

While it really is impossible to have one book that covers everything to do with yacht maintenance, this one comes pretty close. Don's books really are remarkable, they have all the info you need, explained clearly and coupled with excellent large diagrams that are a pleasure to study. If you've considered one of the books in his yacht maintenace series, forget it, just buy this compendium of them all, I guarantee you will not regret it.

It would be even better if it will have a bit more details, but it is good anyway.

Don Casey (as usual) has written a definitive book on maintenance for my aging boat and most important to me, tips to help me shop for my next sailboat. Well organized, illustrated and written, the only negative thing I can say about the book is, that it scared me to learn how much important info I didn't know (ignorance was bliss!) Well worth the full retail price, an even better value when purchased online.

As a relative new comer to sailing and the owner of an older boat this has been great for getting me going in the right direction. I think another more complex version would be nice but this answered alot of my questions.

Don Casey and Dan Spurr are my favorite sail book authors. This book is $$$$, but it is well worth the money as it teaches you how to fix virtually everything in or on your boat. It is a collection of all six of Don's books. Buy this one and you can skip buying the individual ones.

Excellent, excellent book for the DIY boat owners.