The Nature of Boats: Insights and Esoterica for the Nautically Obsessed

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.

This is a great introduction for people interested in boat design. The chapters are essays covering different subjects. From propeller size to composite exotic materials for boat construction. One thing I like with this book is that Dave Gerr doesn't skip the details, like a lot of other introduction books. He gives the numbers for calculating boat speed, hull thickness etc. The only thing I find to critisize is that the book lacks some explaining pictures. Sure, there are plenty, but I need more to understand some of the stuff.

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.

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.

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.