New to this.

Ive been fixing boats up for sometime now, I consider myself really good at it, yet now I'm wanting to pursue my dream job since I am retired and can afford to do so. Here is where my problem lies My dream job is being a Fishing guide I live 3 hours from the coast so Ill be in my boat quite a bit seeing as I will only go home a few times a month. Yet nothing out there is what I want so Ive decided that I should build my own boat.

Specs

40'

ply (stitch and glue)

Center Cabin with pilot house in cabin

full size berth, galley, head with shower, and a decent size sitting area. As far as the electronics go Ive got that totally under control (my favorite part of boats installing the electrical, gadgets and engines i/o and outboards)

What I need help with is coming up with a design, or someone assisting me with figuring out either Freeship or Hull Designer.

REVISON

What I forgot to mention I already have several drawings (In my scratch book) for what I want I am just trying to figure out if there is an easy way to put what I have into something that will spit out a plan for me to follow.

 

Cal.....

I know you mean well....but dude! Just push a button and something will spit out a plan???? That's why they pay us the big bucks

Perhaps scan and post up your sketches, someone may help you out if you ask nicely and respectfully.

 

Im sorry to have offended you, but I only plan on ever building one boat and I want it to be all me, if that means I have to learn a special program or something great where do I find it. I'm not new to the boat world, I'm just new to boat building and I was only asking for advice on where to go from there. Again sorry if I offended you that was not my intentions, on that note maybe I've come to the wrong board as I just wanted help not people on a power trip I do wish y'all the best.

 

Unfortunately, there's no "special program" nor any book that will help you punch a design out.

You shouldn't be offended, Tad wasn't (okay, I'm assuming) though possibly a little tart in reply.

There are software packages you can get that will help you develop lines and dimensional drawings for your dream yacht. The only problem is, these programs (the low cost or free versions) don't tell you if the shapes that you've developed are sea worthy, nor why. This is the education aspect of the deal, which can be substantial, particularly if you had difficulty with high math problems in school. On the other side of the coin are the ramifications of structure. Understanding how to insure longitudinal stiffness without intruding into living spaces, withstanding torsion loads the sea imposes, etc. are fundamental engineering issues that are crunched as the design develops.

It takes no small amount of understanding, across several disciplines, to perform this successfully. I'm sure you could handle it if you put your mind to it. It will require some study, possibly a course or two, but anyone who has graduated high school higher math without much difficulty, can perform the tasks necessary. This is when the software packages begin to shine. You don't have to actually perform the calculations, the machine does, but you do have to understand why you need to perform them.

 

Cal,

Sorry if my reply upset you. We are indeed here to help try to steer people in a productive direction. Folks need (in my opinion) to realize there is more to designing (and engineering) a successful boat than pushing a button.

I am always interested in ideas from folks who actually use boats and decide that stock designs don't work for them. Tell us why other designs don't fit?

Also stitch and glue sounds simple but it gets complex and expensive in larger vessels. 40' is big for S&G construction. You don't mention speed or hull form in your first post so it's hard to talk about construction method.

 

For me a fishing rig doesn't need to go fast 10 - 16 knts would be ideal. The reason stock plans do not work for me is because most fishing rigs are bare bones basic and luxury yachts dont really accommodate for fishing rigs, I'm wanting to build a rig I can live on for 2 weeks at a time and works for fishing, having live wells both bait and catch, ect. As far as what it takes to engineer a boat I fully understand that it wont be an easy thing to do what I said was more of a figure of speech'. I'm also an engineer but for computer Networks so I know exactly how tiresome it is and the great deal of effort and planning things like this take.

For me I want to do this on my own but I don't want to Micky mouse it I want to work from plans so I have everything scratched out on a scratch pad from displacement to LOA, beam, draft, cabin space what not I have all my figures from about a years worth of research and a mental plan but what I am needing is to know how do I take that mental plan and input it to a program or something that will double check my calculations and also help me craft a building plan (blue prints)

 

Well Jack,

There are a couple of avenues you can follow. None of them as simple as having someone on the web tell you how to input your wants into a computer program. I followed your path some time ago as a retired engineer wanting to design my own boat.

You can take courses in boat design like Westlawn. That will take time and effort and after finishing you will be able to start your design. You can buy some plans and study them as well as the boats found in boatyards along with several books. That will take time and effort and at some point you may feel qualified enough to start your own design. When you are able to look at a boat and imagine how and why the design was done that way and how it should perform, you are probably ready to start to design your own boat.

There are other hands-on schools like the Landing School in Maine and Cape Fear in NC that can give you some design perspective as well as practical experience.

The common link in all these paths is time and effort. That is not going to come from this or any other forum. That is why Tad's answer sounded a little off-putting to you but is still the unvarnished truth. These kind of question are very common on this and other forums and working designers like Tad and Paul who take the time to answer them are often thought to be a little sharp but they are just trying to get the questioners attention and explain that there ain't no free lunch. Your questions indicate a practical approach beyond most who may think that a picture drawn by computer software is a design. It isn't.

My suggestion is just to get at it on any or all paths that are available to you. As you learn, it will become clear how much more there is to know. If you really want this boat fast, meaning quicker than several years (not including the actual building time), I suggest that you start with a plan that meets your exterior needs and performance and work on that. It will take some serious study to even select a proper plan to start with and you will likely need several. You need to stay within the designers specifications reasonably closely until you know where you can modify them and where you can step out on your own. This is still not a trivial project and would be a satisfying one for a first effort.

Good luck.

 

If I was thinking of a boat in this category I would look at. http://www.tadroberts.ca/services/new-design/memory38.php
Or contact the designer, paying for advice could be the best thing you ever did. I can use most of the better 3D software and could maybe help to change your ideas into a design but would it be a good boat? Big boats cost big bucks, a professional may save you some money.

 

Calhere, I think your best bet is to select a design that has the sea keeping features you desire. This hull form (shape) will be determined by the types of local sea state conditions, you expect to encounter as an average daily experience. Don't be tempted to go for a hull form that can handle the worst case scenario, because you'll rarely run into to these "events" and the hull will be burdened with things (design features) it can't use, but for the 1 - 2% of the time you actually need it.

Not knowing exactly where and what you'll be doing, limits my suggestions for a design type. My general recommendation would be a moderate V hull with a fine entry, reasonable amount of flare in the forward sections to keep down spray and no more the 16 degrees of deadrise at the transom, less if conditions will merit it. Unfortunately, this hull form will require a fair amount of HP to drive to low plane speeds (15 knots).

If you could live with going slower, but enjoying dramatically improved fuel economy, then a displacement hull or semi displacement form may be the ticket. Your speeds will be limited to 8 to 12 MPH, but you can do this all day long with just a small tank of fuel and a low HP engine. One added benefit of going slower is the ride will be much more comfortable, across every sea state condition. The costs of owning and keeping up a small engine boat are also reduced.

Once you've established a hull form you like you can select a stock plan. With this in hand and your engineering experience, you should be able to redesign the accommodations to suit your desires quite precisely. The net result would be a proven hull form, an interior setup just for you and a deck plan that reflects your needs, not a marketing team's wish list.

There are a lot of low cost stock plans available (less then 100 bucks), some middle of the road (less then $500) and what I call current or active plans, which will bring a small percentage (3% or so) of the total value of the yacht. Of course the low cost plans usually have enough information to build from, if you're an experienced builder. If not, these plans sets will be woefully lacking. The middle of the road plans, typically from the "plan houses" will be complete for the most part, but you may not have the option of literally talking with the designer, which can't be understated. If you purchase a modern plan, from an active designer, then you have options. This can't be taken lightly. I receive calls every week from builders, professional and novice alike, with questions about some aspect of the particular design they're working on. I in fact, have a list of "caller ID" numbers on the wall, with the design they're working on, so the other half can do a "pre-sort" when I'm out in the yard. It makes them feel more comfortable if the other half answers and says "sure I know who you are, your the guy building a RYD-23.11" while she's wandering around the yard wondering which bilge I've crawled into.

You're an engineer Calhere, so you know all about research. First stop is > http://www.atkinboatplans.com/ < A well respected design firm, that has low cost plans. These plans are dated, as both Billy and John are now dead, though Pat (John's widow) is handling the show. The hull forms are still valid, but the styling could stand some updating. Next would be > Glen-L.com < which is one of the larger plan houses. They sell plans and some hardware, but little else. Have a look at their web sites and designs in the range you like. Think of it as finding the right bullets for your gun.

 

Can anyone tell me a good online school where I can take these classes?

 

WWW.WestLawn.org Dave Geer is a good guy and runs the show there. His book(s) have been mentioned here and in previous threads.

 

Do they offer BA or BS or AA or AS degree plans?

 

@calhere
I would recommend to have a look at: http://georgebuehler.com/
there are a lot of choices to implement your own interior into proven designs.

 

No Buehler boat goes 16 knots, let alone 10!

Cal... Living aboard and fishing for 2 weeks? Does this imply a lot of catch? All kept live? A floating (and high-speed) aquarium? The live wells infer lots of flooded volume....heavy man. Probably a fairly unique requirement these days though major live wells were common in the past.

 

website is westlawn.edu and the shool offers Diploma level once you graduate.

PAR at 10 to 16 knots wouldn't it be better if he (Calhere) was looking for a semi displace or full displace hull (monohull) and maybe he should also considered a multihull perhaps since there are new multihulls comming out of Australia that going to be more fuel efficient given the current fuel enviroment.