Soliciting your thoughts on C.A.D. for amateur builder

And another successful and timeless design without drawings, just good nautical sense.

 

Ability to visualize what you're trying to draw varies by individual. It's somewhat similar to musical ability. Some folks have inherently more than others. I have very little ability when it comes to creating music but I can visualize complex geometry before drawing. I also agree that a basic understanding of the math involved is just about essential if you want to really have control over the shapes you create.

Rhino has a "Hydrostatics" command which gives the displacement, waterplane area, wetted surface area, center of buoyance, center of floatation, and moments of intertia of the waterplane. Not a complete set of hydrostatics but very useful during hull design. It's not difficult to use other commands to obtain everything needed for a complete set of hydrostatic calculations.

Rhino and presumably other projects provides a number of different ways to curve and surface creation and manipulation including direct manipulation of points on the curve/surface (edit points in Rhino) and control points. It also has other methods of more global manipulation of the shape. Best way to learn is to spend time at the computer experimenting.

 

The "good nautical sense" is almost certainly lots of experience, and not venturing away from that experience.

 

I should have said "aptitude" rather than "ability" in my earlier post #17. Aptitude is in large part something you are born with. Ability has a lot to do with how you use the aptitude you have.

 

And another. SPRAY, one of the most well known vessels ever, was probably originally built from a design done with a half-model and a pocketknife by someone who knew what he was doing, but she is perfect for her type with exquisite balance under sail and few bad habits. This from personal experience with a near-copy for 27 years so far. When trying to improve the original all changes were done on the loft floor, having been processed in the cerebrum first.

 

And combined with good software for working in 3D there is even more power.

 

This is what distinguishes a living, profit-earning sailor from a drowned yucky body washed up by the tide, which has always kept vernacular design honest.

 

Yes, so true. But a pencil still works when the power is out.

 

Indeed, that's why some can do a really good job, and some are mediocre.

I am aware of this. I was trying to give an unbiased opinion.

 

Tad, Is that boat in our area? It is awesome just wanted to have a peek at it.

 

Pacific is indeed awesome......She's based out of Sointula, hopefully she will come south later this year when I will record her shape and construction for posterity........

another view