In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Roger Taylor, a card-carrying boat nut, wrote four books about his obsession. Beginning with Good Boats and ending with The Fourth Book of Good Boats, each of these presented dozens of what Taylor considered the world"s best boat designs. His easygoing but insightful commentary on the strengths and compromises of each design (and there has never been a boat design that did not require some compromise) was accompanied by study plans and photographs or, if the design had not been built, by the author"s plea that someone should build it. The books were eagerly awaited by boating aficionados, and though the last one has been out of print seven years, their influence has continued, as has the flurry of building projects they inspired. So it is with pleasure that we present Thirty Classic Boat Designs, the best of the best selected by Taylor from his earlier books, every one an enduring classic within the reach of a small-scale builder. From the large volume of mail he has received over the years, Taylor selected the designs that have generated the most interest, and for each he has written an introduction reporting what new owners, and in many cases new builders, have to say. So let the fiberglass look-alikes continue their reign on the showroom floors; these pages are ruled by a fleet of individualistic gems, from a 16-foot daysailer to a 61-foot schooner. Most are sailboats, all are interesting. They come from the drawing boards of, among others, N. G. and L. F. Herreshoff, Sam Crocker, Olin Stephens--names to quicken the salty pulse. This book is dedicated to the wayward sailor in us all.