Product Description

This straightforward guide is designed to take the novice step-by-step through the stages of designing both power and sailing boats, explaining the reasons behind the procedures and using typical lines plans and working drawings to help understanding. Since it was first published, How to Design a Boat has proved itself to be a bestseller. 'A brilliant little book.' Workboat World 'Thoroughly recommended.' Motor Boat & Yachting

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #70911 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Review
'The third edition of this straightforward guide to designing your own craft. A bestseller since first coming out explaining procedures and using working drawings to give a clear explanation.' Gaffers Log (September 2006) 'There is no doubt that this publication is a mine of information and a copy should be kept on board at all times, especially when at sea.' Cruising (August 2006) 'This is the most straight forward guide to designing a boat ever published.' Boat Mart (November 2006) 'A useful book for those who want to understand the principles of design for both sail and powerboats.' The Little Ship (Spring 2007)

About the Author
The late John Teale designed cruising yachts, fast powerboats, motor cruisers and commercial craft. Virtually all his designs were one-offs and were built all over the world.

Customer Reviews

Basic maths and some engineering background helpful.
I give this book 5 stars quite simply because anyone with and understanding of basic maths and some engineering background (even a good diy man)could build a worthy boat after reading this book. This book covers all the essential aspects of boat design and build without being complicated,being laid out in order of priority and explained in laymans terms.I have been involved in larger boats/ships in my working life as a welder/plater and found these writings very easy to follow and know that anyone with an interest in boats will find it equally as easy.

Tony (Erith Kent,S.E. London)

Excellent primer!
They should make two covers for this book: One called "How to Design a Boat", the other called "How to Understand a Boat Design" because you are getting an excellent two-for-one deal here. If you are a boatbuilder, interested in designing your own, or just want to better understand (or even improve or customise) an existing design, buy this book now!

In this relatively small book, Teale has written an outstanding primer on the process of designing a small boat and what the considerations, compromises and key factors that influence how the boat will behave in the water are. The book contains all the necessary information - without resorting to differential equations describing compound curves or otherwise making it overly complicated.

Yes, there are some shortcuts in the proposed design process but, unless you're building a 200ft gin palace or really pushing the performance envelope, they won't make a blind bit of difference to the finished product - they do, however, make the rather huge difference between reading this 1/4-inch thick book for fun and pleasure and taking a 4-year university degree in ship design and mathematical analysis.

I've built a number of boats over the years and am currently working on a wooden blue water cruiser - I only wish I had came upon this book 4 or 5 boats ago and can't recommend it enough.