Hard Chine vs Radius Chine/Round Bilge

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by NewEntrant, Feb 14, 2016.

  1. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Once you look into what you'll need to learn, the idea of purchasing plans will seem much more appealing, particularly when you're farther from shore than you can swim back to, in you self designed boat, with a sudden storm rolling over you.
     
  2. Mr Efficiency
    Joined: Oct 2010
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    I see little sense in designing your own boat unless you have a brain-wave that you can't see duplicated in existing designs, and are very curious to see whether the idea is an improvement on established boats. And the odds of that happening with a person not thoroughly grounded in the subject matter, is very much a long-shot.
     
  3. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    We're on the same page. What I've found is real contrivances with self designed boats. Terrible handling, lousy stability, way out of balance with the need for excessive upper body workouts in 5 knots of wind, etc., all wanting to know what they did wrong. Agreed, unless you're needing to prove an untried concept and have considerable understanding. I have built a number of "test mules" for just this reason over the years. My last was to try out a semi rigid luff, wing sail and a few other things, which this particular hull could accommodate. I sold it this fall with a pretty conventional rig back on it, recovering mostly the materials and trailer costs. The semi rigid luff thing didn't work out nearly as well as I'd hoped, BTW.
     
  4. Mr Efficiency
    Joined: Oct 2010
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    There are probably quite a few residing in Davey Jones' locker from self-designed novice boats. This is seemingly something akin to people who have an impulse to write a book. Be an author, liken themselves perhaps to an accomplished author. The only merit is in the content of what is written, or designed, not in the act of writing or "designing" it. I guess the proliferation of CAD programs is a big factor in the inreasing numbers of people who appear here on a regular basis with their designs. Rarely do I see much that meets with acclaim from the many experts here, though.
     
  5. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Yeah, but this would be typical of most design in any field - the rare appearance of something new, innovative or even simply clever. I too think low cost and free design software had lots of folks thinking, well hell, I can design a boat, a house, etc. I find it interesting that people don't try to design airplanes and elevators with free software. Well, maybe they do, but no one is willing to fly a self designed and built airplane, because they respect not falling from further from the turf than a broken leg is worth. I mention this because as a kid (I think I was 12), I did design and build a hang glider. I climbed up my father's 8' step ladder, with it on my shoulders and jumped off. I flew about 15' forward, stalled as my body swung forward under the rig and broke my leg on impact with the backyard. Apparently my mother saw this occur from the kitchen window, but couldn't get out the backdoor quick enough to shout my ******* off the ladder, before it was too late. Later that night, as I was supposed to be in bed (I was, just not asleep), I over heard both my parents discussing how clever (and stupid) the "contraption" was and the idea that I could fly it. I can only imagine what I would have done, if the software and computing capability that exists today, was available to me in the 60's, when I was jumping off ladders with home made gliders. I'm sure it would have been an exhilarating death.
     

  6. nzboy
    Joined: Apr 2011
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    nzboy Senior Member

    While it might be a great idea to design and build your own boat most designs are to a degree closely following other successful designs .Keep an eye on trademe At the moment theres a complete Olympic class for 1500 ,a hull from a Bruce Askew design needing a tidy up . Even some great deals on trailer sailers
     
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