Elements of Yacht Design
By Norman L. Skene
Introduction by Maynard Bray
272 pp. 30 b&w photos, 182 line drawings. September 2001. Paperback. $19.95
ISBN 1 57409 134 4
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"This book is intended to be a practical and concise presentation of some of the operations involved in designing yachts of all types. Cumbersome and impractical methods which are so often found in more pretentious works on naval architecture have been avoided. Those presented have been in everyday use by the author. The thirty-footer design used for purposes of illustration is obsolete in type, having been designed many years ago, but serves the purpose of illustrating the various operations involved in designing a yacht." Thus wrote Norman L. Skene in his preface to the fifth edition of Elements of Yacht Design.
First published in 1904, Skene's is one of the most famous yacht design books ever written. He performed several revisions, the last of which appeared in 1938 and is now reprinted here, preserved in its original form. The book was subsequently revised further by Francis S. Kinney, whose editions have long since gone out of print. While experts are divided on the relative merits of the various editions, there is strong demand for Skene's original work. With this release, that demand is met; Skene's unaltered text is again available to the many boatbuilders, aspiring naval architects, and sailors for whom it is a much-needed reference.
“ true classic in yacht design.” —Soundings
“An absorbing and classic work…” —Cruising
“…one of the best [books] on yacht design ever written.” —Sailing & Yachting (SA)
“A good overview of small craft design with many useful formulae.” —Good Old Boat
- See what else the press has to say: Reviews
About the Authors:
Norman L. Skene was a noted American yacht designer.
Maynard Bray is a maritime historian, the author of several books on ships, and a contributing editor of WoodenBoat magazine.