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Mark Dunlop
 
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In article , Thomas Veber
writes
Hi all,

After building a simple plywood dinghy to test my capabilities, I now feel
confident to go on and realise an old dream: To build my own sail boat. It's
going to be trailer-able and around 15-16 feet. With centerboard and a
little cabin with sleeping capabilities for two and a half.

Sounds rather like a Wayfarer dinghy, minus the little cabin.

I have searched the net, read a lot, and found many nice designs in this
category. But then I realised... Why not take it one step further and make
the design my self?

The only reason to design a boat yourself, is if you believe you can
produce a boat which is better, in specific ways, than existing designs.
What specific improvements do you feel your design would incorporate?
Would you be better off taking your design ideas to an established yacht
designer for them to incorporate in a professional design? Eg, if you
have an ingenious idea for a demountable lightweight folding cabin,
which offers advantages over existing cockpit tent arrangements, that
could possibly be a goer.

If you really want to design and build your own sailboat, then first
design and build a model racing yacht or three, or maybe an
International Moth, and race it. That will give you the most practical
insight into sailboat design for the least cost, plus contact with a
supportive community of similarly minded eccentrics.

I have Googled some more, and found Carlson Designs "Hulls" program and
started playing with it. Fantastic that you can get such a program for free!

But I know, that designing a Hull is one thing. Designing a seaworthy and
yet beautiful hull is another. And then designing centerboard, rudder, rigg,
cabin, deck and so on is another thing. How do I know that the sails will
not tear it all apart in the first breeze?


You could buy an old Wayfarer or Leisure 17 or whatever, use the rig and
rudder on a similar size and displacement hull of your own design.

How do I ensure that the sailing
capabilities will be Ok?


By sailing it, that is the only way (unless maybe you have your own
testing tank and computer modelling facilities, or you are already an
experienced designer)

For this I am now asking here for any good advice, books, web pages etc.
which can help me. I have no particular time-frame, and I will rather do
this good, than ending up with a useless boat after spending thousinds of
hours in the shed building it.


More than 500 hrs for a 15-16 foot boat is a bit excessive. 50 hours,
once you get good at it. 20 hrs for a model yacht.

--
Mark Dunlop