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

Dave Gerr (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)

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Book Description

September 1, 1995
Boat noodling. Boat lovers suffer universally from this benign affliction. In its mildest form, boat noodling is nothing more than wondering why that sloop in the next slip is faster than yours. In a more significant manifestation it could mean serious daydreaming--drifting off for extended periods, sketching design ideas on the back of an envelope. Chances are, if you've picked up this book just to see what's in it, you're beyond help.

Naval architect Dave Gerr offers the perfect antidote, a browser's reference to understanding how boats tick: all you've ever wanted to know about boats--power and sail, racer and cruiser; dinghy and motoryacht.

In the clear, friendly, nontechnical style that has made his column for Offshore magazine so enduring and popular, Gerr explains everything from how thick a hull should be to why one sailboat tips less than another, from choosing an engine to designing a rig for your trawler yacht, from building a dinghy to simple rules of thumb for dozens of design quandaries.

Gerr writes for the boat noodler in all of us--those seriously interested in learning and dreaming about all types of watercraft. There is no better way to become a better sailor, equipped to handle any contingency. And there's no better place to start than right here.


Frequently Bought Together

The Nature of Boats: Insights and Esoterica for the Nautically Obsessed + The Elements of Boat Strength: For Builders, Designers, and Owners + Boat Mechanical Systems Handbook: How to Design, Install, and Recognize Proper Systems in Boats
Price For All Three: $61.64

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Editorial Reviews

Review

``It's sort of a cross between David Macaulay's The Way Things Work and a volume of Andy Rooney essays. Which means it's fun and educational at the same time.'' (Practical Sailor )

About the Author

Dave Gerr (rhymes with “bear”) is a naval architect who designs both yachts and commercial vessels. Gerr Marine has been in business since 1983 and has designed everything from dinghies to 60-foot around-the-world racing sailboats, an 82-foot aluminum voyaging motoryacht, and currently, redesign work on the U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarines. Gerr is a contributing editor with Boatbuilder, Yachting, and Offshore magazines. HOMETOWN: New York, NY

Product Details

  • Paperback: 418 pages
  • Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (September 1, 1995)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 007024233X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0070242333
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dave Gerr (rhymes with "bear") is a naval architect who designs both yachts and commercial vessels. A contributing editor for Boatbuilder, Yachting, and Offshore magazines, he is the author of Propeller Handbook, the industry standard reference on props, and the acclaimed The Nature of Boats, both International Marine books.

 

Customer Reviews

16 Reviews
5 star:
 (12)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
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1 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for those interested in boat design, December 10, 1997
By A Customer
This review is from: The Nature of Boats: Insights and Esoterica for the Nautically Obsessed (Paperback)
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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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun with Naval Architechture, May 17, 2000
By 
This review is from: The Nature of Boats: Insights and Esoterica for the Nautically Obsessed (Paperback)
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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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I have ever read about boat design., May 20, 1999
This review is from: The Nature of Boats: Insights and Esoterica for the Nautically Obsessed (Paperback)
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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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
I'm not bad-I'm just drawn that way. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
traditional motorsailer, joining clamps, wheelhouse sole, hull underbody, upper topsides, sprocket radius, constant deadrise, appendage resistance, heeled center, planing powerboats, engine stringers, appendage drag, ballast ratio, helm feel, propeller selection, transom beam, upwind performance, full standing headroom, reserve stability, prismatic coefficient, waterline beam, vee berth, dory skiff, inboard profile, prop nuts
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sea Bright, Buoyant Baby, Lucky Lou, Svelte Samantha, Flipper Flapper, Prancing Petunia, Iron Kyle, Holger Danske, The Offshore Skiff, Coast Guard, Hearty Hortense, Natty Neptune, Sprightly Springer, Right Turn, Dive Bomber, Dread Naught, Quickening Quahog, Dynamo Dart, Golden Mermaid, Natty Nautilus, New York, North River, Ocean Queen, Summer Moon, After Burner
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