There are literally thousands of questions that run through your mind when you start the search for your first or next great boat. Fortunately for all, Art Edmunds has put his many years of experience as a naval architect, engineer and surveyor into this book. The book will answer those questions and more. Regardless of your boating knowledge, this book should be the first stop in the quest for your next boat. Art begins with the type of boat that is proper for your type of use, whether it is diving, fishing or cruising. He then moves on to all the facets of a boat, its power and its systems. This will insure you have the understanding needed to choose the correct boat for that usage. As you read further, you will learn what makes the difference between a poorly built boat and a well built boat. Many of the glossy boat brochures fail to mention more than the eye appealing details of the boat. This book explains what the brochures can't: the methods of manufacturing, what works and what doesn't. The author will be the first to point out that just because a boat looks good doesn't mean it is good. When you are finished with this book, you too will know the difference