San Francisco Bay Area Boater » terrific resource http://www.sfboater.com Boating, Fishing, Hiking, and Camping in California Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:52:28 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 The Elements of Boat Strength: For Builders, Designers, and Owners By Dave Gerr http://www.sfboater.com/the-elements-of-boat-strength-for-builders-designers-and-owners-by-dave-gerr/ http://www.sfboater.com/the-elements-of-boat-strength-for-builders-designers-and-owners-by-dave-gerr/#comments Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:55:37 +0000 SFBoater http://www.sfboater.com/2008/07/18/the-elements-of-boat-strength-for-builders-designers-and-owners-by-dave-gerr/ If you're looking for a semi-technical read on how boats are built and what makes them strong, this is the perfect fit. Its terminology is easy enough for even novices to understand, and it certainly does not alienate a new boating audience. Although technically you really don't need to know these things if you're just a weekend boater, it is still helpful to understand how boats work and why you need to take proper care of it. This book is also a terrific resource if you're in the market for a new boat and you want to make sure that you find the one that is best suited to your needs.

The book covers mostly small craft, up to the size of 120 feet. The author did a great job of giving a history on each of the building materials that go into making a boat as well as how they all fit together to make a stronger craft. While it might be a little dry for some readers that really aren't interested in how boats are made, for those of us that are fascinated by the whole manufacturing process and what goes into making the boats we love so much, this is the perfect read.

The illustrations are incredibly helpful and really break down how each of the materials work to create one whole boat. You'll learn a lot about boat building theories, different types of manufacturing techniques and more about the different kinds of boats and their purposes. We really recommend that new boaters take the time to read through this book at least once so that they can have a greater appreciation of all the work that went into making that simple craft that they enjoy so much.

One of the best parts about this book is that in addition to covering traditional materials and techniques, the author also discusses brand new materials that are now being used to make boats lighter, faster and stronger. So many books end up being outdated because they focus only on the past and it was great to see that this author did not make that mistake. You'll really gain a new appreciation of the research and development that goes into these materials as well as what is on the horizon when it comes to building new boats.

If you're thinking about building your own boat, then this is definitely a book that you absolutely must read. You'll learn a lot more about what you'll need to know before you ever get started and the best part is, you'll get a lot of technical information without feeling as though you're reading a textbook.
Overall, this is a great read, if a little dry at times, and for those that need to learn more about the whole process of putting a boat together, it is definitely a must-have. Pretty much any boater can read this book and come away with a newfound appreciation of how boats are made.

Originally posted 2008-07-18 05:53:51. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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