What floats your boat.

You don't seem to be in a position to judge the competency of engineers Tom, which makes me suspect that you also may not be the person to judge someone's maths abilities.

 

Tom, take a look at this plan.....modernize it a bit and read the specs 6" draft. I've always
licked the hull. http://www.atkinboatplans.com/Utilities/RescueMinor.htmlthere is a video some where of it running in shallow water

 

Good post rasorinc, and interesting set up and this design has been tried here in NZ and found wanting in many respects and I think it would have to be redesigned completely to be a family boating and camping and sleeping aboard boat that tourists would want to hire just as a C-dory classic cruiser would be.
My old 1960`s boat can compete in draft 4 to 6 inches. Still I will try to find the video.

 

More assumptions and vivid imagination you could be a grate boat designer.

 

I agree about committees they designed the camel.
And more assumptions.

If I employed a NA I would just get a copy cat design not suited to requirements.

 

Don't forget to work beautiful bikini clad women into your grant application.

 

Actually, all silliness aside, peope are out there who hope to use a kite this way, not to lift the hull but to lighten the kite and make it not so susceptible to loss of wind. I suppose a sail could be made this way too, again, not to lift the hull but to lighten the sail. It might make an interesting take on a junk rig.

 

This customer reminds me of someone I knew who purchased some trailer sailer molds. He was going to make a fortune building new trailer sailers. He gave up after the 1st two sold for less than cost.

 

Both assessments are incorrect, at least in terms of the assumptions. I find it an absurd proposition that someone would hire and direct this course of endeavor, in regard to a new design. It's also equally as ridiculous to assume (yours) that an NA or designer would simply copy something. This would fly in the face of the SOR's goals. The design spiral is a fairly straight forward thing and will, eventually sort out the best combination of concessions, for this particular boat. This is what I see as the major difficult with this project; no professional guidance in assembling a reasonable SOR.

This is one of the most difficult initial tasks for anyone doing a custom design, for anything - pinning down the client's wish list(s) into a reasonable assemble, that has the potential of getting it's goals met. Some clients are like pulling teeth, with their insistence on conflicting requirements, but with some experience and diplomatic courage, you beat them over the head long enough and they get the message. Simply put, I can't see how this project could ever possible succeed, given the approach currently employed. I've walked away from nice projects with unreasonable clients previously. Maybe not the best business model, but I don't believe the client is always right. In fact, they're usually wrong and confused, which is why they sought a professional in the first place. Only a novice would permit the client to dictate or take control and only a foolish designer would permit it. This is one of the tenets of business, you must have and show the leadership on the project. Again, some clients can make this difficult, but you have to maintain control or you'll bluntly lose it and the project will spin into something quite different, then the SOR requires and this is self defeating, from a professional and business point of view. This is what I see here, a curious, not well defined exploration into areas, previously well covered, from many different engineering and design approaches, with no limits or guidance from the assumed professional they've sought out. Sad frankly.

 

The elusive Phase #2 ... or The Curse of the Underpants Gnomes.

 

I had a customer who had his engineer marine surveyor mate inspecting the final marine requirements at the end of the build, I end up telling him to F off and kicked him out of my work shop as he was throwing his authority around as if I had to suck up.

He came back with his tail between his legs and was more polite as my customer begged me to keep him on the job.

I end up doing the designs my way and he was very polite and humble as he was used to suck ups "crawlers"

The customer was very happy as I built the Myark trailer barge pictured in 6 weeks which was fully serveyed with built in gas tanks and glass bottom for underwater viewing.

The picture shows the Myark trailer barge very first test on water and was the day it was commercially put to use with the customer giving the thumbs up with a big smile as they headed out to sea with a large load to an island 50 miles away.

I understand what Tom is talking about when it comes to engineers, many do not think out side the box with their conventional thinking.

 

So when will Tom's hovercraft be launched ? No draft problems !

 

With such a gaping lack of competent engineers around, it will be a hell of a task.

 

Tom is determined to struggle on, despite dodgy engineers !

 

Yet another thing you'd be unfit to judge.