Good reasons NOT to design

Airplanes

Found some good reasons not to design airplanes here.

 

The issues are more or less the same, as far as I can tell. If you know of something similar for boats, then post it up! If not, then maybe there should be. (hint hint)

 

OK since no one with more knowledge than me has stepped up... I'll try to modify the EEA version and adapt it to here... the moderators/administrators can figure out were the best place to post it would be. I'll try to get it done this weekend.

I'll post it as a new thread for review and comment... then edit accordingly, and try to get a final form that the administrator can post as an info/suggested read at the begining of any subject group that involves design/build. Hopefully he/she will be inclined.

Well, before doing this... we should ask the moderator/administrator for his blessing. How 'bout it moderator/administrator?
Dave

 

Maybe you should consider a simpler format though... My humble suggestion-


DAVID SHMETTERMAN'S TOP TEN REASONS NOT TO DESIGN A BOAT!!!!

10. You don't know wtf you are getting yourself into

9. You'll have less time for nookie

8. Freeship isn't for sissies




You get the idea....

 

I tend to like the positive rather than the negative, but this might be fun and useful too as every once in a while we get the post from a new member wanting to design and build their yacht "just like" this or that production boat thinking they can do it to save money

 

This setting up of guidelines is a good idea but unfortunately wont work.
Probably on the day after it appears on this forum some one will see something like the following: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://boatdesign.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8580&d=1155333686

That person might write in and say: "After many years thinking about it I have finally decided to build a boat. I am pretty sure that I have found the yacht of my dreams but I was a bit shocked when I checked out the plans for that yacht and the cost is $6,000. Does any one agree that this is a rip-off? Do you think I could build the boat not including sails for around $10,000?"

The fact is that a few will read the result of all this well meaning effort, the majority will have no f-----n idea that such a thing might exist!
Worse than this a certain percentage who read the new guidelines will resent the fact that those "supposedly in the know" refuse to pass on the knowledge needed to design and build the boat of their dreams!
Then there is the risk that a few might agree that the " newbie" is on the right track and just go for it, as experience is the best teacher. I make no apology for saying that this type of response is just bloody irresponsible!

 

If I may add, economy rules does apply and dreams come in different packages of different weight. We cant dream a boat and expect to opt for a mega yachts, the industry is a logical one which by istself will eliminate all obsurd suggestion that may not be realistic. I hope this help. I myself would like to draw my own dream, when it is drawn, it will equal to the tuition fee I have paid so far.

Student

 

That's what HYPERLINKS are for!!!

The solution to that is simple! Introduce yourself. Tell them you will be happy to tell them everything they need to know to build the boat. You only need $100 per hour to start. Then ask then, do they think you can explain everything you've learned in the past 5/10/20/30/50 years in 2 hours? Or will it be more like 10? The math ought to quickly add up in their head...

Nah. I disagree. Some of my most enlightening moments came when I started sketching and dimensioning things, flipped through a few catalogs to estimate prices, and realized what a hundred screws, or a plank of mahogany costs. Reality comes quickly when you sit down to actually do the work.

 

Potential boat designers

In general i think we are a bit hard on people with little experience in the design field.

Agreed, there are plenty of posts from people wanting to design something who don't have a clue. Most of these will stop their attempts anyway regardless of what we predict here about their chances of faillure.

About design quality, a "design" like the Spray managed to crawl around the world in an age where epoxy and GPS were unknown. Proof that quality of build and design are not the only factors in making a voyage successful.

 

New design on the block

The ride will not be very comfortable but to prove my point i am willing to cross an ocean in something shaped like this:

Hull material: steel
Sail: tarpon

 

apologies

A new thread has been posted, i'll take back some of my remarks.

http://boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=13214

Still willing to make that crossing in the hillbilly design, it does have some good points and i think the colors blend in nicely with the forum style.

 

There! I told you so!

Seaspark, it didn't take long did it. No I didn't bribe the guy to write that ********. Maybe any sort of answer on the forum just encourages more of this type of uninformed lunacy.
I had a reply yesterday to a thread I started many weeks ago re design of a high performance trimaran (5.6 metre length, and ultra light). Even though I am using Klegecell and carbon a dude from Bali suggests that I should be building the amas from PVC tube and stainless steel, or if I prefer, bamboo.
From now on I am not going to respond to postings that indicate such a degree of stupidity that there is little hope!
If we all made a policy of not responding to this type of posting that has absolutely no merit whatsoever, I think it will go away very quickly.

 

do you have any pics of the boat?

 

www.foldingcats.com

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This is getting all out of hand.

Unfortunately the "design" aspect is being confused with "low end/cost homebuilding and modifications which is likely not the original intent.

To aid in the reduction of the repetitive "I’m too ignorant to breath" questions I suggest the following be considered:

1) Break out two new sub-categories

2) the first call Hull Modifications / Conversions (or similar)... this would direct the newcomer with wild ideas about this category and away from "design" which was never likely conceived for that anyway.

3) the second call Building your Own from Plans or Kits (or similar) for people in this category that want to mod this or that.

3) In the beginning of each category place a mandatory must read (to go on) post.

4) for the hull modification/conversions mandatory read, describe the several major downfalls to mixing and matching hulls and designing cross framing and the forces involved, and the changes in rig dynamics etc on the relative unyielding multi vs. the heeling over mono, the differences and tradeoffs ETC. I suspect for the basics this could be summarized in one page full. One would have to be careful here with the wording and applicability so it doesn’t generate the WHY questions.

5) for the building your own group do a similar mandatory read to go on and describe the advantages and disadvantages of building you own. Again by default deferring design changes to the design portion of forum.

This way, those that are designing their own would be segmented from those that are building from previously designed concepts… and the converter’s would have been provided with enough basics to answer the preliminary questions (like mine was) before bothering everyone of the designers.

Just my humble idea… but tracking who read and who hasn’t could be a problem. One doesn’t want to have to do it but only the first time. This could be a problem (and limitation) of software.

The administrators may have some more ideas on this. They know what it takes to modify the prog.

Just an idea.

Dave