How to Build a Boat

Jonathan Gornall

Simon and Schuster

£9.99

Jonathan Gornall reached later middle age haunted by failures, particularly the mid-Atlantic abandonment and sinking of his boat Star Challenger. He was rescued, emotionally, by the magical experience of late parenthood. Gornall decided to build his young daughter a boat and became fascinated by the long history of clinker construction. He chose the Nottage dinghy design, rented a shed in Pin Mill and sought guidance from Essex boatbuilder Fabian Bush. Although this book is more memoir than manual, there is no skimping the technical exegesis. Gornall combines clear explanation of the processes and problems with a gift for involving the reader. Burnt fingers, lost pencils, back ache and squiffy strakes lead doggedly to the final triumph: his boat floats.