New member, new website

Hi all!

Just happened on this forum and glad I did. It looks like a great dialogue going on here. I'm a yacht designer and marine engineer, and after many tears of working for and with other more well-known designers, I've decided to hang out my own shingle. Risky business when few know you or your work...

Anyway, I just got my website up and running. It's not complete yet and I only have a few projects featured on it, but I could really use some feedback and comments about the site.
Thanks!

 

Welcome to the forums Tim!

Your site looks great, and I'll be sure to check back as you add more projects. Some great looking sailboats too!

 

P.S. how does your 28's FASCAT design compare with Hysucat Hydrofoils or Boatloft's Bobkat Hull designs ?

 

Hello Tim - welcome aboard.

I'm a newbie here also. Total amateur. Long-time recreational sailor, but not "in the biz" really. I stumbled across this site in June sometime I guess. I'm trying to develop a proposal for a 40-persons electric cattlemaran ferryboat for small harbours. I have a site at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/QCYCTender/

Anyway, I just wanted to say, I continue to be in awe of some of the good folk here aboard BD.net... it's been a pleasure for me, and I hope for you too.

Tried employment once - didn't like it much. `Been independently broke (self-employed) for years now, and wouldn't have it any other way. I'm always pleased to hear of new businesses coming down the ways. So best wishes for every success.

Site's v.nice Tim. The pics of the hull in progress - well, who needs centrefolds!!!

Regards

Lock Hughes

 

Hi all,

Thanks for the feedback. It is tough striking out on your own in this business. I still do sub-contracting work for other firms, and right now do alot of work for Morrelli & Melvin, designers of "Play Station" in Newport Beach. I also teach Rhinoceros classes in Irvine for McNeal & Associates (developers of Rhino) in Irvine. Just finished a level I class today, actually. Rhino is a godsend to this business, and it really is interesting to see how the software is being adopted by so many different industries, from automotive to industrial to jewelry design.

Jeff: FASCAT is in fact very similar to HYSUCAT's system-different Acronym....Essentially there is a foil roughly amidships that spans between two asymetrical hulls, and a "trimming" foil aft. The primary foil provides lift and increases the efficiency of the hulls, but the vessel does not become completely foil-bourne. The basic hull form is different from the HYSUCAT and addresses some of the pounding problems experienced at low speeds. We've done a fair amount of testing and built on the research done by Professor Hoppe in SA. Apart from the difference in hull form, the primary difference in the foil system is that the aft foil is trimmable-this allows for greater flexibility in loading, particularly useful on smaller vessels where trim is affected so much by passengers, and allows the vessel to operate more efficiently at a variety of speeds.
Jeff: I think electric vessels have a future. Down here where I live in Long Beach you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a "Duffy" electric boat. WHen I worked for Bob Perry up in Seattle we drew the lines for a couple of these. Duffy guards his electric "technology" like national secrets, but I suspect there's nothing to magical about his electric propulsion systems. Having poked aroun on a couple of Duffys, the components seem pretty stock. They run great though! No polution, quiet...
Now I'm writing a novel. Thanks again for the feedback!
Tim

 

Wish you were local (Toronto) Tim! ...been struggling to learn Rhino on my own. Especially tough as I have no background in boat (or anything else) design. I'll try and find a local user to give me a leg up. It's very much fun to play with. Just taking some work to understand it all!

How low speed Tim - like, 6kts? For my ferrboat project (40-persons catamaran(pontoon boat-style) config., 6kts harbour speed limit), d'you think your trimmable foil would make a diff? (Guessing the foil could be optimized for this speed? See:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/QCYCTender/

Gawd, I love hearing stuff like this!!! (EBoats, I mean)
Thanks Tim

Lock

 

Tim, interesting stuff you're doing there, best of luck with your new venture.

I'm building...almost done, in fact, an 8 meter alloy powercat, a Roger Hill design. Before choosing this design I strongly considered a foil assisted style craft but due to the very limited selection of proven designs, made the decision to go with the symmetrical hulled cat.

I remain intrigued with the foiled powercat, though. I see Hysucat has retro'd foils onto symm hull cats, successfully according to them. Is this a possible option for my present boat or is the asymmetrical style a prerequisite?

Regards, Chuck

 

Chuck,

Retr-fitting of foils on symetrical hulled craft does provide increased efficiency and speed. We have done several retrofit projects and indeed most of the commercial work done by prof. Hoppe et al. in Sout Africa has been retrofitting of existing craft. Adding a properyl design foil to your boat would almost certainly yield increased efficiency and provide a smoother ride. The increases generally seen typically far outweigh the moderate cost.
That said, the asymetric hull forms that have been developed specifically for use with foils do take greater advantage of the foil lift in terms of reducing wetted area, etc. and provide a more convenient geometry for attachment of the foils.
Best of luck with your project.

 

I noticed you're showing the Columbia 30. You used to have another design on your old site that looked exactly like the Columbia, but was called something else. This was before anyone heard about the M&M Columbia 30.

So can you tell us the real story about that design? Was it an existing desgin of yours before it was sold to Columbia? What is the M&M involvement if it was pre-existing?

 

Long story. I started designing the Columbia 30 as a sub-contract job with M & M. Soon thereafter (due to various reasons), I stopped doing sub-work with M&M and started focusing on my own work. As the C30 was my design with their name on the design contract with CY, we negotiated an agreement in which we would share design credit, royalties, etc., and the design was not completed yet. - Gino Morrelli was formerly building some of the tooling, but the relationship between CY and MM has seriously deteriorated and essentially terminated. Can't really say more due to current legal situation.

Tim

 

Thanks for the insight. That's some surprising info, and more than I expected.

Good luck finding a niche out there. I know some folks in the game are finding it tighter now than ever.