38 One-Design Class Sailboat Handbook 



of laying out and building the frames, keel or centerboard, stem, plank- 

 ing, etc. has been eliminated. The job is simplified so that the boat can 

 be assembled with ordinary hand tools and requires no previous boat- 

 building experience or technical knowledge. 



In a book of this size it isn't feasible to go into the details necessary 

 to build a class sailboat from scratch or from a kit. For further informa- 

 tion on building a sailboat from scratch, read such books as Small Boat 

 Construction by Robert M. Steward, Amateur Boatbuilding by William 

 F. Crosby, Boatbuilding In Your Own Back Yard by S. S. Rabi, Boat- 

 building by Howard I. Chapelle and Modern Boatbuilding by Edwin 

 Monk. For information on kit-boat-construction techniques, it's suggested 

 that your read your author's book, How To Assemble Boats From Kits. 



BUYING A USED CLASS BOAT 



To purchase a secondhand boat, shop around among boat magazines, 

 yacht brokers, boatyards, association members and the classified pages 

 of metropolitan newspapers and telephone directories. But a used boat 

 must be purchased with care. The old boat at a bargain price may have 

 altogether too many things wrong with it— things which you may never 

 even suspect. For this reason it is wise always, if possible, to examine it 

 both when it's ashore and when it's in the water. Unless you have had a lot 

 of experience with boats, it will pay you to have the boat checked by an 

 expert or to purchase it from a reputable dealer or boat yard. The estab- 

 lished marine dealer can't afford to misrepresent, overcharge or fail to 

 make good any shortcomings. He will regard you as a longtime customer 

 and may even give you a break on used equipment in the hope of up- 

 trading you later to a new and bigger one-designer. 



Remember also that it's generally best to enter a class that's already 

 operating and well organized within your area. You may find what you 

 think is a great bargain in a used boat of a given class, only to learn that 

 there are no other boats of this class for miles around and that it cannot 

 be readily raced locally. In such a case, its resale value will remain low, 

 and it might be a better investment to buy a more expensive boat in a 

 class popular in your area. 



