The Why Book of Sailing: The Curious Sailor’s Guide to the Science of Sailing

Examines these laws of nature and the many ways they come to bear on the sailboat, with intriguing, surprising, and entertaining answers to such questions as: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. Welty looks 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 is a fun blend of sailing and science.