10 Important Books on Naval Architecture

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Naval architecture and ship design is an integral part of the ship construction process. Safety, stability, and performance of the ship at the sea greatly depend on the amount of research and work done in designing and constructing a ship.

Students and maritime professional involved in ship design, construction, operation, and maintenance are required to understand important principles of naval architecture and ship construction to understand the performance of ships at sea in a better way.

In this article, we have brought to you some of the most important books on naval architecture and ship design that are available in the market and which are widely used by maritime professionals around the world.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it still covers all the important books which maritime professionals need to have in their collections.

1. Introduction to Naval Architecture – Eric Tupper

Introduction to Naval Architecture by Eric Tupper is a world-famous book which describes fundamental characteristics of ship’s design and how they affect ships at the sea. This is an important book for people involved with the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of marine vessels.

Introduction to Naval Architecture, Fourth Edition: Formerly Muckle's Naval Architecture for Marine Engineers
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Tupper, E. C. (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 464 Pages - 01/04/2005 (Publication Date) - Butterworth-Heinemann (Publisher)

2. Ship Construction – D.J. Eyres

Ship Construction by David Eyres is also a well-renowned book for both students and professionals of marine engineering and naval architecture. The book comprehensively explains the construction process of ship from start to finish, along with relevant technological developments and regulations.

Sale
Ship Construction
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Hutchinson, Keith W. (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 376 Pages - 04/09/2007 (Publication Date) - Butterworth-Heinemann (Publisher)

3. Introduction to Naval Architecture – Thomas C. Gillmer

The Introduction to Naval Architecture by Thomas Gillmer is an excellent resource and a complete reference for the subject of Naval Architecture. It provides a brief yet dense overview of all the important topics of naval architecture such as hydrostatics, hydrodynamics, ship structure etc. If you are a maritime or naval architecture professional, then this is the best book out there for understanding the concepts of naval architecture.

Introduction to Naval Architecture
  • Hardcover Book
  • Gillmer, Thomas C (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 324 Pages - 08/04/1982 (Publication Date) - Naval Institute Press (Publisher)

4. Applied Naval Architecture

Applied Naval Architecture by Robert Zubaly is yet another important book for professionals working in shipyards or on ships. The book includes important technical details about the naval architecture and other topics related to ship design and construction. This is mandatory literature for all naval architects.

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Applied Naval Architecture
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Hardcover Book
  • Zubaly, Robert B (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 360 Pages - 06/30/2009 (Publication Date) - Cornell Maritime Press (Publisher)

5. Basic Ship Theory – E.C. Tupper and K.J. Rawson

Basic Ship Theory by E.C Tupper and K.J Rawson is a widely known introductory text for naval architecture students as well as maritime design professionals. The book is a perfect mixture of theoretical and practical knowledge, and also includes great case studies of different types of vessels.

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Basic Ship Theory, Combined Volume
  • Hardcover Book
  • Tupper, E. C. (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 784 Pages - 11/21/2001 (Publication Date) - Butterworth-Heinemann (Publisher)

6. Reed’s Naval Architecture – Volume 4 – E.A. Stokoe

Reed’s book on naval architecture from the famous Marine Engineering Series is based on the syllabus of the certificate of competency examinations. The book is a rich resource of naval architecture principles and offers explanatory diagrams and worked examples.

Volume 4: Naval Architecture, 4th Edition
  • Stokoe, E.A. (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 408 Pages - 01/01/2004 (Publication Date) - Thomas Reed (Publisher)

7. Ship Hydrostatics and Stability

Ship Hydrostatics and Stability Adrian Biran is a comprehensive book which explains various topics which deal with the stability of the ship. It is one of the best books available in the market to understand the ship hydrostatics in ship design and performance.

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Ship Hydrostatics and Stability
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Biran, Adrian (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 368 Pages - 12/17/2003 (Publication Date) - Butterworth-Heinemann (Publisher)

8. Reed’s Ship Construction

Reed’s book on ship construction is yet another valuable book from the famous Marine Engineering Series. Ship construction for marine students covers all important topics from the syllabus of naval architecture. This is an important book if you are a student of naval architecture or are preparing for competency exams.

Sale
Reeds Vol 5: Ship Construction (Reeds Marine Engineering and Technology Series)
  • Stokoe, E.A. (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 208 Pages - 11/15/2004 (Publication Date) - Reeds (Publisher)

9. The Marine Engineering Reference Book – A Guide to Ship Design, Construction and Operation

Though The Marine Engineering Reference book by Anthony Molland is not a book solely on the naval architecture subject, it is a good resource for both basic and advanced topics of ship construction and design.

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The Maritime Engineering Reference Book: A Guide to Ship Design, Construction and Operation
  • Hardcover Book
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 920 Pages - 10/28/2008 (Publication Date) - Butterworth-Heinemann (Publisher)

10. Design of Ship Hull Structures

Design of Ship Hell Structures by Yasuhisa Okumoto is a great practical guide for naval architects and marine engineers. The book explains with great depths on topics such as how to design ship hull structures from a practical viewpoint and how to achieve reliable and efficient ship structures.

Sale
Design of Ship Hull Structures: A Practical Guide for Engineers
  • Hardcover Book
  • Okumoto, Yasuhisa (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 595 Pages - 01/13/2009 (Publication Date) - Springer (Publisher)

Which is your favourite book on naval architecture?

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About Author

Raunek Kantharia is a marine engineer turned maritime writer and entrepreneur. After a brief stint at the sea, he founded Marine Insight in 2010. Apart from managing Marine Insight, he also writes for a number of maritime magazines and websites.

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4 Comments

  1. We used Rawson&Tupper, it was very good. Also SNAME’s Ship Design & Construction. As an aside my roommate for a few years was Robert Zubaly’s son ! (a grad of USMMA).

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