Design law

Petros, good point. The competiton may not even be a similar product. A few years ago makers of high end sports cars were viewing private helicopters and aircraft as significant competition for prospective customers' money. It is also possible to sell a product with demand that has alternatives available if you can offer a significantly more desirable product and/or lower cost, and the competition can not respond effectively. But that usually means you have to have some knowledge skill or other factor which the competion does not have and can't easily obtain.

An interesting market which has developed during the last decade is individual craftsman made high end planes for woodworking, with prices ranging from around $250 to close to $10,000. Currently active makers include:

Holtey
Sauer & Steiner
Brese
Daed
Marcou
Philly
Bickford
Old Street (Clark & Williams)​

Each of these has found their own niche taking advantage of their own skills, knowledge and experience. In several cases they have essentially created their particular place in the market.

 

At the moment my day job is carpenter most of my work is complex high quality work ,can this transpose to boat building. cheer's

 

The more common path in the US at least appears to be many graduates of boat building schools who hope to build wooden boats eventually wind up as finish carpenters and cabinetmakers, at least as the source of a significant portion of their income.

 

The problem with boatbuilding schools is the USA and the UK is that they don't teach how to work fast. Ultimately a job pays a certain amount. Anyone can make a scarf in thirty hours. However, it pays maybe $25.00, so you better make three an hour to stay in business. Coming from the construction industry, working at a speed you can make a profit will help you be realistic.

 

I dont think any school in any subject can give you that ,it is reconed to take10,000 houres to become skilled no short cut's and your still learning every day. Cheer's

 

At that stage of thier career they wouldnt cut it at either job they just wouldn't have the skill base or the knowledge.they would only at 2nd year apprentice in boat building.

 

Many of the folks I was refering to have spent a number of years repairing and building boats after boat building school before eventually moving into carpentry, cabinet making, etc after discovering that their dream of building wooden boats on their own isn't feasible as a fill time occupation for them. Not a lack of skill or knowledge; rather the financial realities of building wooden boats.

I added "eventually" to my earlier post for clarification.

 

yesDC I can well believe that, woodwork is a broad church the two best chippies Iv'e ever worked with were an ex graphic designer turned cabinetmaker turned chippie and a product designer turned carpenter and helped me lay a teak deck on a nicolson 35 and he just needed pointing in the right direction.

 

difficult or impossible to make living building boats.

The only successful serial boat builders I know have a real job and keep the new boat build bubbling away in the background.

And speaking of boats , I really like Biekers " nesting Dingy" unique and desirable for the owners of small yachts who would like a true, rowing sailing tender. Might be worthwhile pursuing a similar project

http://www.biekerboats.com/Bieker_Boats/Nesting_Dinghy.html

 

That could be the truth MP. t maybe that that boat building is just another facet of woodworking that I do along with funiture building, boat repair 1st fix 2nd fix carpentry roofcutting, re furb, kitchens, shopfitting and the latest, model roof building. But I will persue this latest objective, and I liked the boat floating in two halves. It should be up to safety regs ,the niche market has got to be the way to go.

 

Niche markets are the way to go. You can never compete with stamped out plastic and its marketing .

This stamped plastic is for the masses.

If you are a special client...a duckhunter for instance, who needs a purpose built boat with a dog boarding ladder, you will only get it from a custom builder.

 

My mother nagged me until her death to stop playing with boats and plan on getting a real job. At 54 I still play with boats and make a good living.

 

You may like to familiarise yourself with the Ikea Affect ( google "The “IKEA Effect”: When Labor Leads to Love ") , a study about stuff that a person builds, becomes extremely valuable in their eyes.

A good thread to see this ate work is at :

http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/all-things-boats-and-boating/pardon-me-talking-about-42020.html

Its very difficult to cold-bloodedly assess your own work in comparison to other products in the market, once you have invested your own sweat and tears into something.

 

Another good niche market is toys for Megayachts and Range Rover guys.

Check out Gartsides 10ft long, toy tender from the Falmouth Maritime museum.

1000 hour build time !!!!

or very special niche market toy for a rich boy with a Mega or Range Rover.

http://store.gartsideboats.com/collections/all/products/10ft-motor-launch-pims-design-156

Gartsides plywood on frame Flashboat also has a British Appeal.

 

time travel is possible then