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

This written in a way that is like advice for the guy the next slip over. Dave Gerr a naval architect and while some of the knowledge is technical, it is presented in an easy to understand format and personal. One of the great strengths of the book is most chapters are a story, relating some personal experience, problems encountered and how he solved or attempted to solve them. Each chapter is short and it's lesson will not bore you.The chapters are un-related so each stands on it's own; for that reason alone it is hard to review the Nature of Boats. I do know that every night I picked it up and read a chapter or three and found my knowledge expanded in a light-hearted way.

I have always had a fondness for boats. My every attempt to learn more about them was unsatisfying. Magazines, sales literature, or attending boat shows failed to supply the information I yearned to know. I wanted to understand boats, not just know about them.Dave Kerr gets to the heart of the matter in this volume. While not containing all one might want to know about why certain boats function they way they do, how they are built, and what the individual reader should be looking for in selecting or designing a boat, this book goes a long way, and makes it easy to understand what the next step would be in pursuing a particular boat subject-matter more thorougly.Kerr's prose is eminently readable - he even includes several semi-fictional antecdotes to bread up the tedium of boat-facts.

If you're thinking about building a boat or your generally interested in boats this is a great resource.

If my wife read this book, she would divorce me instantly, as she would understand why a Nautically Obsessed person will never change, and will get worse as time goes by.....Honestly, this book made me realize there are others like me that can't stop thinking about boats and the ocean! It feeds the fire burning in your soul and loads you up with all kinds of facts, concepts, and the author's experience to send you off to the drawing board, the boat show, or maybe West Marine. Great writing and a flow of information that will make you not want to let it down until you've committed to memory. While you're at it, get "Elements of Boat Strength" also. Highly recommended!

If you are a boater or are looking to get started in boating this book gives you insights on how hulls, engines, sail plans, powerboat designs were developed to accomplish a given task. Such as fishing, cruising, speed, fuel efficient, diesel vs. gas, sail plans, etc. A very good book to help you decide what kind of boat is best for your boating location and intended use. If you are interested in going long far afield of your home base, under power, you should also read Voyaging Under Power by Captain Robert Beebe.

One of my favorites on its admittedly esoteric subject. Tells a payment--presumably a boat owner or buyer--what he/she might like to know that a naval architect knows about the engineering aspects of boat design.

Brilliant style, packed with information to 'noodle up' boat projects and modifications. A most interesting reading for those wishing to improve their comprehension of how boats are designed, or how changes to lines, power or sail area do impact on boat performance.

Would have given it 5-stars if he had more about sailboats.

A superb book dealing with just about every aspect of the design of power and sailing boats, packed with practical advice - much based upon the author's own experiences - and containing all manner of simple formulae with which to calculate the essential parameters of a boat's optimum design. Every boat designer, builder, repairer and owner should have a copy to hand. Excellent value.

Brilliant book!

Well written, quirky at times, a good guide to small boat design and construction. A must for every boat and yacht owner

Why some boats work very well ... and many don't.Arthur BlueArgyllScotland

Very helpful