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Summary: Fun with Naval Architechture
Review: I bought this book a few years ago after idly thumbing through it up in a local bookstore. I was mainly looking for some entertaining reading about boats, and it is that, but it's much more.Gerr is not only a talented naval architect, he's a skilled writer and teacher as well. "The Nature of Boats" is really a text on boat design disguised as fun reading. It's required reading for anyone considering designing a boat, and a must have for anyone who likes reading about the nuts and bolts of boats, too. I loaned my copy to a friend contemplating the purchase of a small motor sailor, and didn't get it back for half a year. It now sits in the center of the "boatbuilding" shelf in my home office, where I can refer to it often.
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Summary: Best book I have ever read about boat design.
Review: If you want to build a boat, or understand more about how boats are designed, this is an excelent book. Easy to read and humorous.
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Summary: Best book I have ever read about boat design.
Review: If you want to build a boat, or understand more about how boats are designed, this is an excelent book. Easy to read and humorous.
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Summary: Wealth of Practical Knowledge
Review: Love the book. It is full of "Rules of Thumb" that can save tons of time when trying to design a boat or solve a problem. The techniques shown are great for practical application. The author has an uncanny ability to teach complex subjects in a down to earth easy to understand manner. Highly recommended for boatman, yacht designers, marine engineers and naval architects.
Rating:
Summary: Wealth of Practical Knowledge
Review: Love the book. It is full of "Rules of Thumb" that can save tons of time when trying to design a boat or solve a problem. The techniques shown are great for practical application. The author has an uncanny ability to teach complex subjects in a down to earth easy to understand manner. Highly recommended for boatman, yacht designers, marine engineers and naval architects.
Rating:
Summary: Wealth of Practical Knowledge
Review: Love the book. It is full of "Rules of Thumb" that can save tons of time when trying to design a boat or solve a problem. The techniques shown are great for practical application. The author has an uncanny ability to teach complex subjects in a down to earth easy to understand manner. Highly recommended for boatman, yacht designers, marine engineers and naval architects.
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Summary: Excellent book for those interested in boat design
Review: Stories about boats with problems (or sometimes about boats without problems) alternating with general discussion of various boat design considerations make this book an engaging and interesting read. The book begins with several chapters each dedicated to an overview of a specific boat or type of boat. Further chapters cover topics such as boat performance, sail plans, propeller selection (the author has an entire book on this subject called, appropriately enough "Propeller Handbook"), engines, hull dynamics and many other subjects relevent to boat design. Interspersed throughout the book are stories illustrating design or construction mistakes or successfull designs. A very useful book for anyone interested in boats in any capacity. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Are you nautically obsessed?
Review: Subtitled Insights and Esoterica for the Nautically Obsessed, this book is a direct hit on its intended audience. Read it once through quickly, then enjoy it over and over again like a favorite song, and you will learn an amazing amount about every sort of boat an individual is likely to own or dream about. Gerr covers design and construction, sails and motors, and boats from homemade paddleboat to liveaboard oceangoing cruiser either motor and/or sail, and everything in between. He covers more about boats than you could imagine he would, and writes wonderfully.
It is difficult to say in a few words how useful, or how enjoyable, this book is. I love it.
Rating:
Summary: Are you nautically obsessed?
Review: Subtitled Insights and Esoterica for the Nautically Obsessed, this book is a direct hit on its intended audience. Read it once through quickly, then enjoy it over and over again like a favorite song, and you will learn an amazing amount about every sort of boat an individual is likely to own or dream about. Gerr covers design and construction, sails and motors, and boats from homemade paddleboat to liveaboard oceangoing cruiser either motor and/or sail, and everything in between. He covers more about boats than you could imagine he would, and writes wonderfully.
It is difficult to say in a few words how useful, or how enjoyable, this book is. I love it.
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Summary: Lots of Information
Review: This is a book filled with detailed information about boats and boat design. What is covered is well explained; however, the overall approach is scattered. The initinal chapters just seem to wander about from one boat design story to another, and then the author even diverts to "mystery" story telling in the style of Mike Hammer. The author uses a lot of math, but it is not presented in a high flown manner which is often done by those who are good at math. The math explanations are not only straight forward, but they are always set up in a way that applies the math to the real world of boats and boat design. The math helps the reader see why certain boats behave in certain ways. Overall this book will enhance the knowledge of anyone who owns a boat but does not have a degree in boat design. Very useful.
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