If you are interested
in a new catamaran or trimaran design, what next?
A proper Design Process begins with full information
about the client's needs ends with a boat that best
meets those needs. I need to know
the answers to the questions below.
| Sail or power? |
|
| Cat, Tri or even Proa? |
|
| Oceangoing
or Coastal? |
|
| Duration of trips? |
|
| Vessel length intended? |
|
| Sleeps how many? |
|
| Estimated budget? |
|
| Speed and range desired? |
|
| Any additional requirements? |
|
Copy and paste this
information into an email to
me by clicking Email:
Kurt
Hughes
Lets
start talking. A more complete questionnaire can
be found by clicking here
for power multihulls or here
for sailing multihulls.
Other thoughts
A
superior and coherent vessel design is more than
an armload of features found at a boat show.
More, designing a new boat from old features can
be, as the industrial guru W. Edwards Deming noted,
designing by looking backwards is like driving with
your rear-view mirror. I have many design tools
to help keep your project driving forward.
Some
more on why have a custom multihull designed instead
of just buying one can be found by clicking
here.
A list of services
can be found here.
Steps in the
Design Process
Schematic
Design Schematic
design stage is used to gather information on
the vessel uses and your design needs. The work
usually consists of freehand scaled drawings showing
various options. The idea is to brainstorm concepts
using broad strokes. Client input comes from many
sources, including a questionnaire above.
This stage also includes preliminary hull lines,
preliminary weight/trim spreadsheet and power
requirements.
Design
Development
Design development stage takes the information
gotten from Schematics and uses it to create hardline
drawings; basically study plans. The
first job here is to create a 3D model to pull
the various views off of. These allow you to understand
the space and how it is arranged. This stage also
includes final hull lines, updated weight/trim
spreadsheet and preliminary materials list. These
drawings later can become the foundation for the
Construction Drawings.
Construction
Drawings The construction drawings
infil the Design Development drawings to instruct
the builder fully on how the vessel is to be built.
This includes laminate work, details, a full set
of construction drawings, final weight/trim spreadsheet
and final materials list, specifications list
and any other spreadsheets. Full size patterns
or CNC code can also be provided.
