Product Description

"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, you'll be able to design and specify all the components necessary to build a sound, long-lasting, rugged vessel.

What reviewers have said about Dave Gerr's books:

Propeller Handbook

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

"The best layman's guide we've 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 today's boats, modern and traditional."--WoodenBoat

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49245 in Books
• Published on: 1999-08-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Ocean Navigator, November/December 1999
"Certain books, because of their thoroughness, tend to become industry standards; such is the case with Dave Gerr's latest reference volume, The Elements of Boat Strength. The book details construction methods and recommended scantling dimensions for fiberglass, wood, aluminum, steel, and composite hulls. "

From the Publisher
"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 Naval Architecture

Boatbuilding

Boat Design

Boat Construction

Boatbuilding Materials

Scantling

Yacht Design

Marine Engineering

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

Customer Reviews

Delivers the goods
As a degreed aerospace engineer, I've used the formula's in this book to easily calculate the scantlings for aluminum hulls from 14' to 30' in length, without exhaustive structural calculations or the need for finite element analysis software. Properly applied, you can build your boat with confidence that it will perform safely in the operating limits described. Are there other ways to calculate scantlings? Absolutely! But if you want "rule of thumb" formulas that are reliable when confined within the operating envelope, this is the way to go. I've plugged the equations and operating parameters into an excel spreadsheet that gives me all the scantling dimensions needed when entering the length, width and depth of the hull. Previous reviewers who stated the subject matter is "wide but shallow" didn't understand what they were reading. If you want to design a boat from scratch and will read and digest the material, this book is a bargain.

Read every word!
Great book! This book was just what I needed, while making boat repairs and contemplating my next purchase (or perhaps build).

With an undergraduate degree in Ocean Engineering with a couple of naval architecture courses under my belt, I really needed a professional's common sense, savvy discussion of boat design. With each page read I visualized the different construction details seen at boat shows and on friend's boats, I can trace failures observed back to the discussions.

The author's writing style really livens up the reading! I have read many books on the subject, this and "The Nature of Boats" are my favorites to date.

My only criticism is that the scantlings were noted to be appropriate for speeds up to 45 knots, I would have liked to book to include higher speed designs as that is my current interest, still looking.... Otherwise, five stars!

Already applied it
As an amateur boat builder, it helped me a lot to understand the subject. After finishing this book, now it is much easier for me to understand the class rules. It already paid back, since it made me realize a mistake on the number and thickness of the scantlings on my friend's boat.