Book review Nature of boats by Gerr


Lets try a new feature for today. Book review of Dave Gerr’s book, Nature of Boats.


Well just to be clear before we get into it I love this book, I can grab it flip thru it and always find something worth re-reading. The book is really more a collection of past articles that N.A. Dave Gerr has written over the years for various publications (many seem to be from his excellent column from Offshore Magazine. Which sadly no longer exists. )
The book covers topics such as boat construction, design , stability and performance. It also features a number of drawings from Gerr’s own designs.  The book’s short articles allow for easy reading while providing a wealth of information, This helps avoid the book feeling over technical (boring) that some of the other books touching on basics of boat design can be.
I personally love to read Gerr’s view of performance power and sail craft as well as his well though out alternatives, Like Needle a lovely high speed power boat that relies on hull shape and waterline length to achieve economical high speeds. There is also parts that come off as more off a how – to book, such as the chapters on Nestor the nesting dinghy.
Overall if you have a deep seeded interest in boats I recommend you pick up a copy and take a look.
Book Review: Nature of Boats

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