How obsolete is "The Ocean Sailing Yacht?"

I was just able to get copies of Donald Street Jr's "The Ocean Sailing Yacht" (copyright 1973) and "The Ocean Sailing Yacht, Volume 2" (copyright 1978). I think of these as classics of sailboat design, but I'm wondering if their advice is dated and obsolete. For instance, I don't think too many current sailboats use "two hundred pounds of blue anthracite coal" for a season's heating requirements.

Should I consider the advice in these books as historical or only applying to classic yachts, or is most of the advice still practical and useful?

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

-Kevin

 

Hi,

I'm not familiar with that book. But I do like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Proper-Yacht-Arthur-Beiser/dp/B000GLH75O . He has some pretty dated sexest comments, but worth a read.

Do you want a boat that can burn solid fuel ? Our last schooner had a woodstove, and we are going to do the same on our new boat. For me, that detail is not dated.

Mark

 

Mark, thanks for the reply. I hadn't seen that book. -Kevin

 

Little similarity between those two books although both are pretty old. Street is rally more old school and, if I remember correctly, intended for the self sufficient sailor. Beiser is more a review of many cruising boats of that day and starts small before taking you bigger and bigger. I thought both arm chair or dreamer books when I read them because neither covered a lot of what was considered my own sailing future. Interesting reads though if your are into boats of those types.