Rating: 
Summary: Why rule of thumb in computer era?
Review: As a desginer, I can not understand the meaning of this book.
1.Take any scantling rule of classification societies and compare. Scantlings section of rulebook is much more thin, but provides more optoins and engineering basics for calculations of strength.
2.What is the meaning of Gerr's own scantling rule, if You have to proceed design approval from classification society? You better use the rulebook of this society, aren't You?
3.The book use several assumptions that I mind. For example, the recommendation to add some per cent of hull thickness for every knot over 10 knots is not reasonabe. The designer should deal with speed/length ratio to determine planning/non planning bottom loads.
4.The book does not give any idea of hull loads. Overview of loads is desired as soon as he write about strength, something like provided in L.Larsson R.Eliasson "Principles of Yacht Design".
But I really like other Gerr's books, indeed!
Best regards,
A.Nazarov, Naval Architect, Ph.D.
Rating: 
Summary: Wide but Shallow
Review: Boat Strength covers just about every common building method for boats, from fiberglass to copper-nickel (copper-nickel?). It is quite easy to read for those with a slight technical bent. The many graphs and formulas allow easy determination of the proper scantlings for any particular boat, BUT... it covers only one system of scantlings (as Mr. Gerr points out in his introduction). If you enjoy reading authors like Howard Chapelle or John Gardner (the boat builder, not the author of thrillers) you will be left scratching your head. When they describe the construction of a particular boat you might wonder how the scantlings they used can be calculated from Mr. Gerr's rules. A hint-they cannot. The other disappointment is in a total lack of discussion of the theory behind the rules. Still, it is fun reading and very informative.
Rating: 
Summary: More than your money's worth
Review: Dave Gerr seems to be good at a lot of things, but he can't begin to limit himself to just the information the title implies. Yes, he will teach you the elements of boat strength, but he will teach you, in addition, a great deal of valuable - and very interesting - information about wood, fiberglass, polymer and epoxy resins, aluminum, steel, rot and corrosion... with The Elements of Boat Strength you get everything you were promised and more. The technical details are plenty technical, but the more general information is well written and a pleasure to read, and the technical and the general are presented in separate chapters for ease of use. A superb companion to his The Nature of Boats.
Rating:
Summary: More than your money's worth
Review: Dave Gerr seems to be good at a lot of things, but he can't begin to limit himself to just the information the title implies. Yes, he will teach you the elements of boat strength, but he will teach you, in addition, a great deal of valuable - and very interesting - information about wood, fiberglass, polymer and epoxy resins, aluminum, steel, rot and corrosion... with The Elements of Boat Strength you get everything you were promised and more. The technical details are plenty technical, but the more general information is well written and a pleasure to read, and the technical and the general are presented in separate chapters for ease of use. A superb companion to his The Nature of Boats.
Rating:
Summary: Most Complete and Easy to Use Reference On Boat Structures
Review: Elements of Boat Strengh is the most comprehensive and easy to use collection of rules for figuring the size and strength of all type of boats I've seen. It covers almost every boatbuilding material, traditional and modern. The chapters explaining the use of specific materials and methods are worth the cost alone. This is a must read for anyone interested in boats. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehesive Source
Review: Found this book to be wide in its scope covering steel, aluminum, wood and composites. Especially liked the sections on wood and composites. Helpful in small details that other books often don't touch upon. Many illustrations, formulas and graphs.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehesive Source
Review: Found this book to be wide in its scope covering steel, aluminum, wood and composites. Especially liked the sections on wood and composites. Helpful in small details that other books often don't touch upon. Many illustrations, formulas and graphs.
Rating:
Summary: It's on my desk to stay
Review: I am a yacht designer and have found this book to be an excellent source of ideas plus a way to cross check the structures on boats I am designing.
Rating:
Summary: Almost what the Dr. ordered.
Review: I read rather sketchy article on Coyote II in Weston Farmer's book From My Old Boatshop. He had drawings & scantlings for a low-power, low resistance launch. He specified strip built, and that is what I'd like to do.However, he had the frames on 6" centers and other construction details of a pre-epoxy, pre-glass era. I wanted to find out what I could do with modern materials. When I entered the Farmer's construction specs into Mr. Gerr's formulas, I came up with much bigger scantlings from Gerr than Farmer. So much so that I could not get the engine entirely inside the boat. Farmer was a Naval Architect, so I have to assume he knew what he was doing. I'm a real newby with boat construction, so I have no context in which to make a judgement. Although Mr. Gerr likes the strip-construction method, I don't think he allowed entirely for it's efficiencies once he got past the bare hull. The floors, stringers and engine beds seem way out of proportion. I am going to go through my Excel worksheet again and see if I made a mistake. If not, I may send Mr. Gerr Mr. Farmer's drawings and my calculations, and see if he will take a commission to reconcile the two. It's a great boat and a great book, so it would be nice if one could help with the other.
Rating:
Summary: Almost what the Dr. ordered.
Review: I read rather sketchy article on Coyote II in Weston Farmer's book From My Old Boatshop. He had drawings & scantlings for a low-power, low resistance launch. He specified strip built, and that is what I'd like to do. However, he had the frames on 6" centers and other construction details of a pre-epoxy, pre-glass era. I wanted to find out what I could do with modern materials. When I entered the Farmer's construction specs into Mr. Gerr's formulas, I came up with much bigger scantlings from Gerr than Farmer. So much so that I could not get the engine entirely inside the boat. Farmer was a Naval Architect, so I have to assume he knew what he was doing. I'm a real newby with boat construction, so I have no context in which to make a judgement. Although Mr. Gerr likes the strip-construction method, I don't think he allowed entirely for it's efficiencies once he got past the bare hull. The floors, stringers and engine beds seem way out of proportion. I am going to go through my Excel worksheet again and see if I made a mistake. If not, I may send Mr. Gerr Mr. Farmer's drawings and my calculations, and see if he will take a commission to reconcile the two. It's a great boat and a great book, so it would be nice if one could help with the other.
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