The First Ever Guide for Optimizing Boat SystemsThis guide is invaluable for anyone designing or installing mechanical systems on a new boat, retrofitting an existing boat, or evaluating a boat's operating condition. Writing for designers, builders, owners, buyers, mechanics, surveyors, and insurers of sailboats, powerboats, and commercial vessels, Dave Gerr provides design and installation guidance for each major mechanical system plus pragmatic guidelines and real-world interpretations of American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) and European standards. No marine professional or serious boater should be without Boat Mechanical Systems Handbook."Dave Gerr has a knack for breaking down the more esoteric concepts of naval architecture into language that's easily understood by the layman, which is one of the reasons why his writing often appears in the pages of SAIL. Another reason is his deep practical knowledge of the intricacies and subtleties of boat construction and systems, and the way they relate to each other. The subhead of Boat Mechanical Systems Handbook says it all—'how to design, install and recognize proper systems in boats.' Light reading this isn't, but if you're about to refit your boat or upgrade outdated systems, perhaps with some serious voyaging in mind, this book is a worthwhile investment. This is a unisex book, for both powerboaters and sailors; there's no mention of sailing rigs, but every other conceivable system is covered more or less exhaustively.—PETER NIELSEN, SAIL, November 2009Praise for Dave Gerr's previous books:The Elements of Boat Strength:"Certain books, because of their thoroughness, tend to become industry standards; such is the case with The Elements of Boat Strength.—Ocean NavigatorPropeller Handbook:"The best layman's guide we've ever read.—Practical Sailor"Gerr made a complicated topic understandable and put it into a handbook that is easy to use.—WoodenBoatThe Nature of Boats:"Offers, in a disarmingly charming fashion, a look at all aspects of what makes a boat work. If you are not nautically obsessed prior to reading this book, you most certainly will be afterward.—Sailing