Heart of Glass: Fiberglass Boats and the Men Who Built Them

The fascinating story of fiberglass boats and the mavericks who dreamed them.

Nine out of ten sailors today own sturdy, often beautiful fiberglass craft.

Fiberglass brought boating to the non-rich, but the history of that revolution has never been told. Daniel Spurr rectifies this omission with his highly readable and affectionate account of the fiberglass boat, from its earliest incarnation in World War II to the present day.

In the early days, when shoestring genius was unfettered by industrial efficiency, there were boats with tailfins, boats baked in ovens, and boats designed to be dropped from planes. The voyage from those first ugly ducklings to the graceful boats of the 1990s makes a riveting adventure of triumph and ruin.

Along the way, Spurr profiles landmark designs that now set the standards in the used-boat market, and he portrays the revolution in human terms, introducing us to the vivid personalities who invented–often in their garages and rarely at a profit–the world of boating we know today..

Author : Daniel Spurr

Paperback : 388 Pages

SKU: P3798

Aout the Author

Daniel Spurr is the editor of Practical Sailor newsletter and a former senior editor of Cruising World. He is also the author of Spurr’s Boatbook: Upgrading the Cruising Sailboat and Yacht Style: Design and Decor Ideas from the World’s Finest Yachts, both available from International Marine, as well as River of Forgotten Days and Steered by the Falling Stars. Heart of Glass has been twelve years in the making.