Lofting is the process of drawing lines of a boat full-size, to get the shapes and patterns needed for building. You take the numbers from the table of offsets, plot them on the floor, and then play connect-the-dots.

Okay, it's not that simple. If it were, you wouldn't need the book.

Devlin's Boat Building deals with boats ranging in length from 7 to 40 feet--so pert and purposeful they seem to have been born on the waves. 

Devlin developed this guide to building boats his or any other designer's from the building instructions he supplies with his plans. It is a mature, shop and ocean-tested manual, covering everything from sharpening tools to launching the finished boat.

"For the do-it-yourselfer backyard builder who dreams of cruising in his own boat and can't begin to afford a custom-built vessel. This book really does explain how you can do it... Parker's approach is so down-to-earth, one feels one can trust him. When he says something works, you can believe it. This is truly an excellent book about a valuable building technique." 

Gathered here is the information necessary for preparing to plank, clamping the planks in place, fastening the planks to the structure, and finishing off. The advice is based on actual projects, some large, some small; the advisors are all expert wooden boatbuilders. This book is a gold mine of information that will help and encourage readers with the building of a new boat or the repair of an old one."

Painting & Varnishing — The Woodenboat Series
by Peter H. Spectre

Part of The WoodenBoat Series, this book is a compilation of articles that have appeared in WoodenBoat magazine.

25 Woodworking Projects — The Woodenboat Series
by Peter H. Spectre

Every project was written by people who have actually made what they are writing about. With plenty of photos and drawings, the step-by-step processes described will help ensure each project’s success as well as provide the personal satisfaction of having completed it yourself.

Frame, Stem & Keel Repair - The Woodenboat Series
by Peter H. Spectre

Part of The WoodenBoat Series, this book is a compilation of articles that have appeared in WoodenBoat magazine.

A revised and updated reference (3rd ed., 1987) that emphasizes traditional wood construction but also surveys plywood, wood-epoxy, fiberglass, steel, aluminum, and other boat-building methods.

The chapters on interpreting plans, lofting, and mold-making are common to all methods. Throughout, the author recommends products, materials, and services that he has either used or regards highly. 

"Surveying" a boat conjures an image of complex diagnostics using moisture meters and ultrasound. But Don Casey shows us that it doesn't need to be that way.

You can learn what you need to know by rapping, poking, looking, and listening. But you must be able to recognize problem symptoms when they arise. This book shows you how. Hull, deck, rig, interior, engine, electrical system—it's all here.

A classic work from a legendary author. Provides background and instruction in boat building [in 1941].

If you want to learn about traditional boat building methods, this is a wonderful addition to your library. If you want to throw together something in plywood and epoxy in a week, find another book (although this still might be a handy addition to your library). The author does assume that if you are building a boat, you know what one is and doesn't define or explain nautical terms, like bow, stern, gunwales, etc.

Whether you own a wooden boat or are just toying with the idea of buying one, Wooden Boat Renovation is an essential addition to your nautical library.

Author Jim Trefethen offers clear, detailed advice—in terms a layperson can understand--on how to select, renovate, and maintain a wooden boat. Trefethen's love of these craft is evident throughout the book, and his sense of humor enlivens the text. A well-made, classic wooden boat is really a piece of art that just happens to float.  Wooden Boat Renovation can help you become an artist.

Buheler sets out a wonderful and simple method for building a boat—any boat. While he has some small scale plans and offsets in the book (and available from him in large scale), the strength of this book is the advice. He's "been there and done that."

But, as he says, when things start to blow, I'm sure they're a comfort. Even if you aren't building with that in mind, read his book for the ideas. The tips on nails alone saved me lots of money. And trust me, you'll laugh, too.

"The woodworking is discussed in such detail that just about anyone, including longtime professionals, is likely to find many useful tricks of the trade.

Much more of this and pros will be a dime a dozen."