This work is significant. It is the first to include a method of assessing structural strength in the context of the modern marine environment.
--Commander M. C. Cruder, U.S. Coast Guard

Acclaimed author and naval architect Dave Gerr created this unique system of easy-to-use scantling rules and rules-of-thumb for calculating the necessary dimensions, or scantlings, of hulls, decks, and other boat parts, whether built of fiberglass, wood, wood-epoxy composite, steel, or aluminum. In addition to the rules themselves, The Elements of Boat Strength offers their context: an in-depth, plain-English discussion of boatbuilding materials, methods, and practices that will guide you through all aspects of boat construction.

Now you can avoid wading through dense technical engineering manuals or tackling advanced mathematics. The Elements of Boat Strength has all the formulas, tables, illustrations, and charts you need to judge how heavy each piece of your boat should be in order to last and be safe. With this book, an inexpensive scientific calculator, and a pad of paper, youll be able to design and specify all the components necessary to build a sound, long-lasting, rugged vessel.

What reviewers have said about Dave Gerrs books:

Propeller Handbook

By far the best book available on the subject.--Sailing

The best laymans guide weve ever read.--Practical Sailor

Dave Gerr and International Marine made a complicated topic understandable and put it into a handbook that is easy to use.--WoodenBoat

Without doubt the definitive reference for selecting, installing, and understanding boat propellers.--Royal Navy Sailing Association Journal

The Nature of Boats

If you are not nautically obsessed before reading this book, you will most certainly be afterward.--Sailing

Fascinating potpourri of information about todays boats, modern and traditional.--WoodenBoat

Tales of escape and adventure on Britain's waterways; In The Pull of the River two foolhardy explorers do what we would all love to do: they turn their world upside down and seek adventure on their very own doorstep.; In a handsome, homemade canoe, painted a joyous nautical red the colour of Mae West's lips, Matt and his friend James delve into a watery landscape that invites us to see the world through new eyes.; Over chalk, gravel, clay and mud; through fields, woodland, villages, towns and cities, they reveal many places that otherwise go unnoticed and perhaps unloved, finding delight in the Waveney, Stour, Alde/Ore, upper and lower Thames, Lark, Great Ouse, Granta and Cam, Wye, Otter, Colne, Severn and the Great Glen Trail.; Showing that it is still possible to get lost while knowing exactly where you are, The Pull of the River is a beautifully written exploration of nature, place and friendship, and an ode to the great art - and joy - of adventure.

Humankind has always been fascinated by the magic of the ocean, its power and unpredictability. The open sea awakens a desire to set forth and sail, but also the urge to step back in awe and fear. Today, however, our oceans are more threatened than ever before. Worldwide plastic waste pollution and industrial fishing threaten the existence of countless ocean species. Global warming and the resulting climate change are leading to ever greater damage of the marine ecosystem.

Did you ever wonder which civilisation first took to water in small craft? Who worked out how to measure distance or plot a course at sea? Or why the humble lemon rose to such prominence in the diets of sailors? Taking one hundred objects that have been pivotal in the development of sailing and sailing boats, the book provides a fascinating insight into the history of sailing. From the earliest small boats, through magnificent Viking warships, to the technology that powers some of the most sophisticated modern yachts, the book also covers key developments such as keeps and navigational aids such as the astrolabe, sextant and compass. Other more apparently esoteric objects from all around the world are also included, including the importance of citrus fruit in the prevention of scurvy, scrimshaw made from whalebone and the meaning of sailor's tattoos. Beautifully illustrated with lively and insightful text, it's a perfect gift for the real or armchair sailor, the book gives an alternative insight into how and why we sail the way we do today.

Three Sheets in the Wind brings together a glorious collection of Thelwell's sailing cartoons. Arriving on a summer weekend at any stretch of water without one's own craft behind the car or swaying proudly at its moorings is like attending a dance with a broken leg - not to mention the damage to one's social status. This is a humorous manual of instruction for sailors anywhere.

This work includes white water safety and rescue for canoeists, kayakers and rafters. This is a completely revised new 2006 2nd edition now in full colour throughout. What's new in the 2nd Edition? This work includes: full colour and new photos throughout; the text has been completely revised and numerous small but significant improvements have been made; the principles of safety and rescue have been unified and the mneumonic C.L.A.P. adopted. This is to make it easier to remember them and fall in line with current practice in the teaching of white water safety. The rescue section has been reorganized to fit in more closely with the TRTTG 'low to high risk' model. The rafting sections have been completely rewritten by Geraint Rowlands. The chapter 'Planning a Descent' has been extended to cover factors to be considered when travelling abroad. One-handed signals as used by Paul O'Sullivan in his chapter in the BCU Canoe and Kayak Handbook have been adopted.

Learn how to design, make, repair, improve, and maintain sails

If you want to produce sturdy sails for daysailing and cruising, built of low-tech materials you can repair with a few simple tools, The Sailmakers Apprentice can show you how. Emphasizing the handwork that distinguishes the highest-quality, most durable sails, sail pro Emiliano Marino tells you how to select a rig, introduces you to sail shape and theory, and then shows you -- step by step, with the help of over 700 detailed illustrations -- how to sew patches, hand sew rings, fix tears or frayed edges, and stitch seams, not to mention how to make your own sails, canvas sailcovers, and sailbags from scratch.

A visual feast for the sailor as well as an indispensable guide for the mariner comprehensive apprenticeship, this hands-on reference is an illustrated tour of the worlds rig and sail types, contemporary and historical.

‘This book is a must-have for any serious racing sailor’ – Sir Ben Ainslie, four-time Olympic gold winning sailor Paul Elvstrøm is arguably the greatest Olympic sailor of all time. Proving that understanding the rules is crucial to winning, he devised this unique approach to explaining them using bird’s-eye diagrams. His detailed explanations are applied to myriad racing situations, each cross-referenced to relevant case studies provided by World Sailing (formerly ISAF). Included with the book are a set of plastic boats, for use during protest hearings. They are transparent but coloured differently so can also be used with an overhead projector. This edition is completely revised to cover the new rules issued for 2021–24. It includes the full text of the latest rules, with a handy quick-reference guide highlighting the latest changes. There is also a confidence-building section on how to present your case in a protest, and the back cover shows the signal flags for instant easy reference on the race course. Long established as the most accessible and most trusted guide to the racing rules, Elvstrøm Explains is a must-have. Whether racing in a dinghy, keelboat or large yacht, it is the perfect pocket reference for those who want to win.

Get a length up on the competition with cutting-edge technique, training, and racing information. Let the world's top coaches, rowers, and sport scientists steer you to ultimate success, starting with sound training and racing principles and adding increasingly advanced instruction and insights all the way to the finish.

"Rowing Faster" is the most comprehensive and detailed guide for achieving excellence in the sport. You'll find techniques for mastering every phase of the stroke; training strategies for increasing strength and efficiency for maximizing speed; and tapering plans for peak performance at the highest levels of competition.

With contributions from Olympic medalists and rowing experts from around the globe, "Rowing Faster" also includes the latest research on adaptive rowing, advice on managing a team, detailed plans for the long-term development of rowers, insights on training and competition for female rowers, and a look at the future of the sport from the general secretary of the FISA. From the technical details of equipment and training to classifications of boats and rowers, "Rowing Faster" has it all. Offering a truly global perspective and authoritative coverage of the sport, it is the one guide that every serious rower and coach should own.

This is a practical guide that will help the reader to master the skills needed to manoeuvre a sea kayak efficiently. For beginner and intermediate paddlers. Doug draws on his personal and coaching experience to help the reader master sea kayak handling skills and techniques. Accurate sequential photos and simple concise language make the descriptions easy to follow and understand. The foundation skills of posture, connectivity (how your body is connected to the kayak), power transfer and learning to 'feel' how the boat responds, are explored initially. The author then goes on to tackle forward paddling, keeping the kayak on course, reverse paddling, edging, turning on the spot, forward turns on the move, reverse turns on the move, stern rudders, moving sideways, support strokes, and the use of skegs and rudders. "Sea Kayak Handling" is recommended as support material for the British Canoe Union 3 and 4 Star (Sea) awards. (The 1 star is a novice 'encouragement' award, the 2 star covers basic generic kayak skills, the 3 star basic/intermediate sea specific skills and experience, and the 4 star covers intermediate sea specific skills and leadership in moderate conditions).

Sailing in cold waters is challenging, but hugely rewarding. And when you venture into the high latitudes you find yourself in some of the world's last real wildernesses. In recent years climate change has made these regions more accessible to small boats, and it is now possible to venture further afield in search of adventure. With practical advice, stunning photography and first-hand accounts of voyages from world-renowned experts, this book offers hard-won wisdom on all aspects of sailing in cold waters: * Preparing yourself: good routines, assessing risk and preparing your crew * Preparing your boat: design, heating, engine, steering, anchors and electrics * Sailing in ice: instrumentation, charts, and what to do when you get stuck * Safety: MOB, polar bears, glaciers and dinghy procedure * Communication: VHF, satellite and SSB * Weather: interpreting GRIB files and reading ice charts * Anchoring and mooring: types and numbers of anchors and mooring lines * Clothes: hiking and skiwear; the three-layer principle * Cruising areas: Svalbard, Antarctica, South Georgia and many more Whether it's tackling the North-West Passage aboard your own yacht or a more modest voyage, heading to Antarctica or keeping your boat in the water for the quieter and often more beautiful winter season, this book is essential reading for all sailors preparing for enjoyable and safe sailing in cold waters.

There is no problem in cooking on a boat when the weather is fine and the sea smooth. It is a different ball-game when the wind comes up and the boat begins to dance... June Raper has been at sea long enough to be suspicious of recipes describing "how to make jam at sea" or "take four pints of water and a lobster". The recipes in this book are practical - she has tried them all out on her boat, and guarantees they will work. Over 100 recipes included, each is indexed by wind strength so you can serve something tasty, nutritious - and easy - in a blow, or make something more elaborate on a calm day. Previously published as Boat Cuisine which went out of print in 2013.

Expert advice to help you choose the perfect yacht

The insider's Guide to Choosing and Buying a Yacht offers practical advice to ensure you choose the right yacht for your sailing needs and budget.

Potential buyers are guided through every stage of the process, from deciding on hull design and accommodation to deck layout and keel shape. There is information on construction materials and help in deciding what sort of craft would best suit your needs, including clever ways to 'try before you buy'.

Expert guidance will help you decide whether to buy a new or used yacht and both buying processes are carefully explained to ensure your investment is protected. Hidden costs are revealed and there are tips on conducting your own boat test and initial survey. Sections on registration, VAT and insurance will help you cut through the red tape.

Don't buy a yacht without reading this first!

Most of us never realize how many words and expressions used in everyday English have a fascinating nautical origin. This charming pocketbook explains the practical ship-board beginnings of over 200 such phrases--colorful, bizarre and surprising--and how they came ashore. For anyone with an interest in the sea & its traditions--landlubbers, boaters, historians, linguists.

This book is an updated and expanded edition of a text that has been used in navigation courses for 30 years. It covers practical small-craft navigation (sail, power, or paddle), starting from the basics and ending with all that is needed to navigate safely and efficiently on inland and coastal waters in all weather conditions. It is for beginners, starting from scratch, or for more seasoned mariners who wish to expand their skills. Topics include: Charts, Chart Reading, and Chart Plotting Instruments and Logbook Procedures Compass Use Piloting and Dead Reckoning Lights and Buoyage Tides and Currents Rules of the Road GPS and other Electronic Aids The GPS tells us where we are and how fast we are moving in what direction, but it can never tell us the safest, most efficient route to our destination. That fundamental task requires the basic navigation skills taught in this book, which we can use as well to check the GPS underway, and then be prepared to navigate without the GPS if we need to. The hallmark of good seamanship is to look ahead and be prepared. The text covers not only the long tested traditional methods of navigation but also the efficient use of the latest technology in electronic navigation and charting.

The Laser is the world's most popular adult dinghy and comes with three rigs: Standard (used by men at the Olympic games), Radial (used by women at the Olympic games) and 4.7 (used by young people moving up from the Optimist). But the boat is not restricted to top athletes; its versatility means that it is an ideal boat for beginners and club racers too. Lasers can be found at nearly every sailing club throughout the world. Targeted at the club sailor, The Laser Book covers the techniques and skills needed to succeed in Laser sailing, for those starting out through to those striving to win their Club Championship. Whether you are a youngster moving up to a 4.7 or a club sailor looking to improve your results, expert advice from author Tim Davison, plus contributions from Laser gold medallists, world champions and their coaches, will take your Laser sailing to the next level. Beginning with setting up the boat, Davison takes you through your early sailing experiences and caring for your Laser. Developing your skills on all points of sailing, you will then be introduced to race tuning and racing itself. This is detailed for all three Laser rigs, including the new Mk2 Standard sail. Over 350 photographs show you exactly how it's done and 50 diagrams illustrate key boat parts, the different points of sailing and complex on-the-water scenarios with clarity. Whatever your background, your current level or the extent of your ambition, this book gives you all the tools you need to get out on the water and improve your Laser sailing.

This unique and entertaining travel guide to Greek waters recreates parts of voyages undertaken in myth, anchoring off landmarks or ports associated with ancient legends. It follows the trails of Odysseus, Hercules, and Jason and the Argonauts, as well as visiting the sites where Poseidon lost his trident (off Paxos) and built his temple (on the Saronic Gulf), the cliff where Theseus's father threw himself to his death after fearing his son had been killed by the minotaur, and Troy, the remains of which survive as a reminder of the city that withstood a 10-year siege. With almost 6,000 islands in the Aegean and Ionian Seas, Greece is a maritime nation like no other - and according to its mythology this has been the case since the days when seafarers believed their fortunes, good or ill, lay in the hands of Poseidon. Sailing through these crystal clear waters today is a voyage into history, whether true or legendary. Retelling all the myths, from the very well-known to the less familiar, In the Wake of the Gods is a cruising companion to be read and enjoyed in its own right. With the author's in depth knowledge of the region, it is also packed with useful and practical pointers for pilotage and passage planning, including information about prevailing winds and anchoring, along with charts and photography.

Based on his journals, with literary assistance provided by a ghostwriter, this 1832 publication gives an account of the early life and later voyages of the American sealer and explorer Benjamin Morrell (1795 1839). The titular adventures consisted of explorations of the Pacific and Antarctic between 1822 and 1831. The text describes unfamiliar bodies of land, sometimes violent interactions with native populations (several of Morrell's crew were killed in the Carteret Islands), and encounters with the slave trade. Morrell also claimed to have been the first American captain to cross the Antarctic Circle. However, there are doubts about the veracity of his narrative, as reported distances, times and locations, particularly in the Antarctic, have proven to be inaccurate. This has been attributed variously to error, exaggeration or outright deception. Morrell himself admits to enhancing his narrative by drawing on information furnished by other navigators."

'So I began thinking again of those two white blanks on the map, of penguins and humming birds, of the pampas and of gauchos, in short, of Patagonia, a place where, one was told, the natives' heads steam when they eat marmalade.' So responded H.W. 'Bill' Tilman to his own realisation that the Himalaya were too high for a mountaineer now well into his fifties. He would trade extremes of altitude for the romance of the sea with, at his journey's end, mountains and glaciers at a smaller scale; and the less explored they were, the better he would like it. Within a couple of years he had progressed from sailing a 14-foot dinghy to his own 45-foot pilot cutter Mischief, readied for her deep-sea voyaging, and recruited a crew for his most ambitious of private expeditions. Well past her prime, Mischief carried Tilman, along with an ex-dairy farmer, two army officers and a retired civil servant, safely the length of the North and South Atlantic oceans, and through the notoriously difficult Magellan Strait, against strong prevailing winds, to their icy landfall in the far south of Chile. The shore party spent six weeks crossing the Patagonian ice cap, in both directions, returning to find that their vessel had suffered a broken propeller. Edging north under sail only, Mischief put into Valparaiso for repairs, and finally made it home to Lymington via the Panama Canal, for a total of 20,000 nautical miles sailed, in addition to a major exploration 'first' all here related with the Skipper's characteristic modesty and bone-dry humour, and many photographs.

'Experience is said to be the name men give to their mistakes and of the experience I gained in Spitsbergen that may well be true.' The circumnavigation of Spitsbergen is the first of three voyages described in H.W. 'Bill' Tilman's fifteenth and final book, a remarkable example of Tilman's ability to triumph when supported by a crew game for all challenges. The 1974 voyage of the pilot cutter Baroque takes Tilman to his furthest north--the highest latitude of any of his travels in the northern or southern hemisphere. The account of this achievement makes compelling reading, the crew pulling together to avert potential disaster from a navigational misjudgement. A younger, less experienced crew join Tilman in 1975, this time heading north along Greenland's west coast until a break in the boom necessitates the abandonment of the objective and an early return. 'That one can never be quite confident of reaching any of the places I aim at may be part of their charm, and failure is at least an excuse for making another voyage.' The following year proves to be Tilman's last voyage in his own boat, his account beginning with a dry nod to his artillery background: 'As I begin to describe this voyage, the discrepancy between the target and the fall of shot provokes a wry smile.' Tilman never expected crews to pay, covering all the costs of his voyages personally. He therefore held the quite reasonable view that his crew would pull their weight, show loyalty to the ship and take the rough with the smooth. Sadly, the crew in 1976 fell far short of that expectation, forcing several changes of plan and eventually obliging Tilman to leave Baroque in Iceland. Not for the first time in Tilman's remarkable 140,000 miles of voyaging is he moved to quote Conrad: 'Ships are all right, it's the men in them.' Tilman set a high standard and led by example; where his companions rose to the challenge, as they did in the majority of his expeditions, the results were often remarkable. Triumph and Tribulation, his fifteenth and final book, completes this newly extended edition of his literary legacy, a fine testament to a remarkable life.