Houseboat floats

I think that design is based on this one but I am not sure https://www.all-about-houseboats.com/support-files/new-savanti-houseboat-brochure-1.pdf

I wish if I could get that plan, but it is a bit larger than my 8.5’ beam because I want to trail it too.

Good article on how to calculate the cg and cb Balance your Boat with a Center of Gravity Database - Nomadic Research Labs https://microship.com/balance-your-boat-center-of-gravity/amp/

And this video explains in a very simple way how to calculate the needed buoyancy to support the total weight

I want to learn and build the boat myself with my own design. A plan would be just something like a learning material as much as any of those yt videos. My goal is not to have or own a boat but to build one.

 

Hi Wirescale, I toyed with many of the ideas you are ruminating. I wanted a houseboat with may of the same characteristics you desire, after considerable deliberation I narrowed it down to Millie Hill vs. Aqua Casa 20. I chose the AQ 20. Designing your own boat is a very complex endeavor which this site will offer very little mercy. The AQ20 was a little small for me, but the design makes a lot of sense when the plans are studied, someone with a whole lot of experience and training spent a lot of time working out all the details. I will begin a detailed discussion of this design in the coming weeks. Plans will cost a whole lot less than building a second boat to get it right!

 

Wirescale started the discussion with questions about buoyancy. The man in the YT video gave us an elementary explanation about displacement and flotation. That part is good to know but it is not nearly enough to calculate the essential trim of the boat. That is to say that you cannot merely put the refrigerator, water tank, or anything, else wherever you think is convenient or fashionable. A hull that is nose heavy, tail heavy, or lists, will behave badly, use more power to propel, and in some sea states become dangerous.

I have bolded the key words in the above quote. The forum is practically famous for having perfectly well meaning people insist on designing their own boat. Too many of those aspiring designers are unaware of the numerous pitfalls that are lurking in the design details. In almost every case, knowledgeable forum members will urge the OP to get a set of plans from a professional source, preferably a design that has been built more than once and proven to be appropriate for the intended use.

We humans have creative urges. That is a desirable trait that, over time, brought us to our current state of technical and artistic development. Almost any good craftsman can build a good boat. Building is a creative pursuit. Designing a boat is a whole other skill that is best left to the pros who are familiar with the intricacies and nuances involved in the process.