The Why Book of Sailing

Product Description

The Curious Sailor’s Guide to the Science of Sailing and Seamanship

Scott Welty

Foreword by Capt. David Appleton, Head Instructor, Maryland School of Sailing & Seamanship

“The Why Book of Sailing is a most informative and useful collection of observations which answer many of the ‘whys’ that occur to us sailors as we ponder the wonders of the sailing experience. And it does it with a sense of humor and style that beguiles even the most scientifically and mathematically challenged of us sailor folk.”
—Capt. David Appleton

Sailors know that Nature’s forces are always at work, affecting the boat and its surroundings in countless ways. The Why Book of Sailing examines these laws and how they come to bear on the sailboat, with intriguing, surprising, and entertaining answers to such questions as these:

• Why does it get ever harder to make your
  sailboat go ever faster?
• Why are golf balls dimpled but hulls are
  smooth?
• Why do boats float higher in salt water?
• Why are tsunamis nearly undetectable at
  sea?

. . . and many more. The Why Book of Sailing takes the helm to look at everything from vectors to leverage, the physics of floating and the science of navigation, the laws of electricity, optics, waves and more, in a book that will intrigue and delight every sailor.

Scott Welty is a recently retired teacher of physics and now full-time cruiser aboard his 30-foot sailboat Enee Marie. A lifelong sailor, he writes for Sailing, Ocean Navigator and other publications.