Notes from the Author...
Video:Sailing on San Francisco South Bay in the 1970's.
Clip is derived from degenerated movie film and then digitized from a Eumig 8mm projector.
This work represents one part of a lifetimes experiences. I was doing some housekeeping on my PC when I came across the boat building notes which I had placed on file some years ago. It occurred to me that these records might be of some use to future budding sailors or DIY boat builders looking for a way to get on the water with a limited budget. The information I had accumulated building a sailboat would therefor be more useful in this way rather consigning it to oblivion by clearing the files and creating hard drive space.
Since I have written several technical data sheets in my working life, including technical articles when I had worked within the semiconductor industry, I was minded to put together this book for the benefit of any would be reader. My background has been basically in the practical aspects of manufacturing and having spent a limited time in the mechanical engineering industry, I then switched tracks to the electronics industry after having served my time in the Royal Air Force on ground based radar.
Sailing from Liverpool on the Empress of Canada and working in Canada for a couple of years, I then later spent time in silicon valley California where I constructed the sailboat. Much of my sailing notes are derived from that time although there is plenty on this side of the pond so to speak. Whilst I enjoyed cruising the waters as a past time, it was not to the exclusion of other interests which developed later. I am hoping this book will be a useful guide for GRP boat builders and I will try to answer any such related email queries.
Max Cottrell