The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction - WEST SYSTEM Epoxy

Preface
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gougeon</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong> on Boat Construction: Wood and WEST SYSTEM ® Epoxy was first published in 1979. As
originally conceived, the book was an introduction to the techniques of “modern” wooden boatbuilding popular
from 1960-1980. Its focus, as its title suggests, was how to mate wood with epoxy to form a composite that has
physical characteristics superior to either component by itself and is stabilized from the effects of moisture. This
development of wood/epoxy composites revolutionized the use of wood as an engineering material.
<strong>The</strong> original book was well received, and we updated it in 1982 and 1985 to reflect changes in materials and
techniques. It has continued to sell well and has introduced thousands to wood/epoxy construction techniques.
It has also been used by marine trade schools and apprentice programs as part of their curriculum. In short, <strong>The</strong>
<strong>Gougeon</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong> on Boat Construction has become a respected member of the canon of boatbuilding books.
Much has changed since 1985 as modern wooden boatbuilding has evolved. Several of the methods we discussed,
such as variations on strip planking and hard-chine construction, have become more popular. Others, such as the
mold and stringer-frame methods, are now used infrequently except for molds and prototypes. In 2005, aerospace
composites are in common use. Hybrids using wood and advanced composites, including aramid, S-glass, and carbon
fiber, are being explored. So too are the uses of non-traditional wood species. Such uses are possible because of the
ability of epoxy resins to protect and bond wood and overcome traditional durability concerns. In short, the choices
for the wooden boatbuilder and customer in the early 21st century have grown immensely.
Nonetheless, the techniques described in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gougeon</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong> on Boat Construction have stood the test of time.
In a simple and straightforward narrative, we describe how anyone with a few tools, some wood, and some WEST
SYSTEM ® epoxy can turn out a good, safe boat. In addition, we give experienced builders a base of information
from which to produce increasingly sophisticated hulls and other structures. For the student, builder, or customer
researching options, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gougeon</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong> on Boat Construction provides a solid understanding of available
choices and their nuances.
Changes to the 5th Edition
To make <strong>The</strong> <strong>Gougeon</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong> on Boat Construction a richer resource for the 21st century reader, we have chosen
to revise, reorganize, and update the book, but not to rewrite it. To edit out less popular construction methods like
stressed skin or stringer-frame construction or replace fundamental building disciplines such as lofting with modern
counterparts like computer-assisted design (CAD) would rob the reader of choices. While, after 25 years, the book
includes some things that we would no longer do, this information provides a historical perspective on how “modern”
wood/epoxy construction evolved and potential techniques that could still be of interest to current builders.
For clarity, we have reorganized the 5th edition into six sections:
• Fundamentals of Wood/Epoxy Composite Construction
• Getting Started
• Core Boatbuilding Techniques
• First Production Steps
• Hull Construction Methods
• Later Production Steps