Yacht Designs
by
William Garden

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There was a time when just about every issue of a boating magazine would have some fascinating William Garden design in it.  It might be a boat for commercial salmon fishing, a small gaff cutter, or a graceful sailing yacht of modern type.  You never knew what would be next, but you knew it would be fascinating.  As well as designing fascinating boats of all sizes Mr. Garden often wrote about them in a very charming fashion.  The combination of beautiful drawings that drew you in emotionally and the writing that made you feel that being on these boats would be the best thing in the world were unbeatable.  I doubt that there have been very many years when Mr. Garden has ever worried about having enough clients with projects to keep him busy.

I suppose that Mr. Garden's influence on me was very strong certainly without ever having worked for him I sometimes seem to be using his drafting style.  Also the lesson that if you would just design boats that people would fall in love with and write about them in a way that helps them feel what the boats are like and how you will enjoy them was not lost on me.  Without him and some other early influences I probably would never have become a yacht designer, let alone had the wonderful life I've had.

This volume seems to concentrate on smaller yacht with a few larger ones thrown in.  They are all terrifically interesting and inspiring.  It would be a rare person who would not find some vessel here that they would dearly love to own.  Further if you are a student of drafting and design you can learn a lot about design and presentation from this book.  This is a book you will return to over and over again, and probably wear out completely  (328 pages, with a large number of compelling drawings and photographs.) (tm)  $49.95

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