Where to begin?

[eitanwaks]

Hi,
As a total novice to this area I have no idea where to begin. All I know is that I enjoy sailing and would like to build a boat of my own. I have been looking over these threads for quite a while adding to my enthusiasm.

Are there any books that I should read?
Are there any web sites that I should go to?

Where to begin?

Thanks,
Eitan

[DanishBagger]

I think that you should begin by try defining what type of boat you want (just in the general direction, size, propulsion, what the usage will be, how much you're willing to spend, which materials you like and so forth), then, depending on that, it would be easier to recommend something (I am not a boat designer or anything either).

[DanishBagger]

May I add that this site is really good for information, btw, but since none of us can really read it all we/you need to know in which direction we're going.

[twakeley]

I'm currently reading The Nature of Boats by Dave Gerr who I believe is a member of this website. It explains everything you need to know to get started with sailboats or powerboats(and much, much more). The best part of the book is that he explains it all in easy to understand language with a minimum of technical terms. I'd highly recommend it. Great book Mr. Gerr!

[gleetechnologie]

Please can you someone put me through Boat Design.

[Garry Sailor]

I must time for thinking...

[marshmat]

Could the previous two posters (glee and garry) elaborate a little more? That didn't really make sense.

eitan - I suggest you start by taking the Bagger's advice, and writing down what you plan to do with the boat. Where you'd like to use it, how many people you want to take out, how long are your trips. Figure out how much money you can throw at it, and thus how big and fancy to make it.

Once you have a good idea what you plan to do, then saunter down to your local marina- see anything that looks appealing? What types of boats strike your fancy?

Now you'll probably have a picture forming in your head of what you want. Once you know all these things, you're in a much better position to start looking through designers' sites, evaluating their sketches and photos against your needs. You'll probably find a few interesting designs that are within your ability, provided your needs aren't too extravagant.

[eitanwaks]

Hi,
I've taken some time to think it over and I think that this is what I would like to do:
1. Catamaran - I am wheelchair-bound and this would give me freedom of movement.
2. Motorized sail - I enjoy sailing yachts however, I'm not physically able to Captain in one myself. Dealing with all of the ropes is prohibitive. Therefore, I would like to install servos or stepper motors to control the ropes.
3. I would like to have an accessible bedroom and bathroom as well as a galley and may be an additional bed for visitors.
4. Theoretically speaking I would like to be able to travel the world however, I'm not sure that this is feasible.
5. I suppose my regular trips wouldn't be more than two weeks.
6. I would like to build it out if aluminum or steel. I would prefer aluminum for its anti-corrosive properties.

I have several books in my universities libraries. However, they are quite old. I remember taking a look at them about a year ago. I don't remember what they were called but I will take a look at them in the upcoming days.

I'm a student in mechanical engineering so I'm not afraid of the engineering part.

Any recommendations on where to go next?
What questions should I answer for proceeding?

I haven't been on boats all of my life rather only lately so I am not all that familiar with all the questions that I should ask. This just seems like an excellent project for me to take on.

Thanks for the advice