This paper is concerned with a variational formulation of a nonaxisymmetric water wave problem. The full set of equations of motion for the problem in cylindrical polar coordinates is derived. This is followed by a review of the current knowledge on analytical theories and numerical treatments of nonlinear diffraction of water waves by offshore cylindrical structures. A brief discussion is made on water waves incident on a circular harbor with a narrow gap. Special emphasis is given to the resonance phenomenon associated with this problem. A new theoretical analysis is also presented to estimate the wave forces on large conical structures. Second-order (nonlinear) effects are included in the calculation of the wave forces on the conical structures. A list of important references is also given.