Praise for WB design contests

[B. Parkes]

I've noticed in the most recent WB that, after a long period of time, they've once again decided to have a design competition. As always, it's a very practical one. In this case it is a simple CNC driven design for family boat building. I wish they'd do it more often.

However, I'd like to propose what I think may be viewed as the antithesis of family boat building. I'd love to see WB sponsor a design competition for a practical live-aboard sailing cruiser for the guy whose wife has thrown him out. Living afloat he can avoid all the school taxes and property taxes while making his spousal and child support payments.

I mention this only because Phil Bolger seems to have designed a few boats specifically for men who have become persona non grata ashore.

[mmd]

Yeah, I think design competitions are a good idea, too. Should have an annual one, with pro & amateur divisions, alternate sail & power each year, and have varying size classes such as "under 18 feet", "under 30 feet", and "obnoxiously opulent". Bonus points for glass bottoms and heli-pads. ;)

[Lewisboats]

Originally posted by B. Parkes:
However, I'd like to propose what I think may be viewed as the antithesis of family boat building. I'd love to see WB sponsor a design competition for a practical live-aboard sailing cruiser for the guy whose wife has thrown him out. Living afloat he can avoid all the school taxes and property taxes while making his spousal and child support payments.

I mention this only because Phil Bolger seems to have designed a few boats specifically for men who have become persona non grata ashore.HEY! I resemble that description :eek: 6 months in a 13 ft travel trailer, 4 months in a 28 foot TT, 4 months in a homebuilt pick up camper and the past couple of years with a buddy who's wife left him. I had to dump the big TT because someone tattled on me when it was parked by another friend's garage...they called the city :mad: . On the water would have been nice but on the Mighty Mo. if you ain't in the middle you'se on someone's property.

Steve

[Paul Pless]

I'm really surprised that WoodenBoat doesn't have more of them myself. It seems as if such contests have been a hallmark of boating magazines since the very early days of The Rudder .

[Paul Pless]

Bonus points for glass bottoms and heli-pads.
Do you feel particularly inspired to do one of these? :D

[Thorne]

Several different pro designers have expressed dissatisfaction with contests like these by other organizers -- either with the concept or judging. So it may be a case of too many contests, too poorly conceived or judged.

Personally I find 'em interesting if the concept appeals to me -- otherwise they are boring.

"Design a trawler that can be rowed by an 80-year-old Granny, containing a swimming pool and self-bailing cockpit"...

[ 02-26-2006, 07:44 PM: Message edited by: Thorne ]

[Hwyl]

I did not see a competition what page is it on ?

[ 02-26-2006, 07:40 PM: Message edited by: Hwyl ]

[Chub]

We could just do our own design competition on this forum.... :D

Home Depot / Lowes bachelor pad boat design competition!!!

LOL!!! ;)

[ 02-27-2006, 12:40 PM: Message edited by: Chub ]

[Stephen Hutchins]

I think this contest is very interesting. To design a boat (that is not a box or flat bottom skiff) to be built in two days- possibly by people who have never done any carpentry is plenty challenging. I've already got a set of lines drawn and all the major contruction details fleshed out for my entry. I might even build a prototype.

[PaulC]

Gareth, the Design Contest is on the bottom of page 21 (WB-189).

[Hwyl]

Thanks, I thought I'd read it cover to cover. Missed a bit.

Edited to add $1000 cash hmmm.

[ 02-27-2006, 08:24 PM: Message edited by: Hwyl ]

[John Bell]

I've already got one in the tube, so to speak. But it's YAF (yet-another-flattie), and I don't know if that's what it will take to win. It's a bit on the beamy and heavy side for cartopping, but it's would not be impossible, either.

The big challenges are TWO DAYS and CAR TOP.

So my way of thinking is that you can't do taped seams in that amount of time. Jigless construction is a must. All bevels for keels, chines, stems, frames should be constant and be able to be cut on a table saw. Screw or nailed construction, with all joints bedded in 5200 or Sikaflex. Beacuase it needs to be cut by CNC, nesting is critical. The more bits that can be cut by the machine with the least amount of waste the better. And don't forget to make it light. Car-top means you better be 90 lbs or less. And the boat needs to be capable of hauling around a couple of kids and an adult.

The more I think about it, the more I think the boat on the board isn't all that far from the mark. Hmmmm...

[Stephen Hutchins]

All bevels for keels, chines, stems, frames should be constant and be able to be cut on a table saw. John,
Am I right in thinking rolling bevels can be cut on some cnc machines? I hope so. My design depends on that in order for it to be built in two days.

[ 02-28-2006, 05:45 PM: Message edited by: Stephen Hutchins ]

[paladin]

rolling bevels can be made on a three axis cnc....

[Keith Wilson]

Aren't they thinking of a 2-axis panel router like a Shopbot? Complex shapes in plywood are simple in that case. Something clever with interlocking plywood pieces forming the building jig and seats might be possible, but 2 days is pretty short. No taped seams for sure, unless you time it perfectly so that it's done at the end of the first day and sets up overnight, and even then you could only tape one side. Hmmmm - I'll have to think about this a bit.

[B. Parkes]

I've never been much of an enthusiast for family boat building. Although I've never taken part, the people seem to come away with half finished boats they don't really need or want. The kids seem distracted because the whole process vastly exceeds the fifteen or twenty minute non-ritalized attention span of most of them. I suspect that whatever cute pictures are taken, happen in the first hour or so of FBB. After that, the kids are having DTs for want of their gameboys, and the fathers are covered with epoxy.

Boat building is really an adult activity, mainly though by no means exclusively for men. It's an antidote to wives and children, not a supplement to them.

WB needs to find something more realistic to inspire the minds of designers.

[Stephen Hutchins]

My grandfather, father, and uncle built boats together as a family before the days of childrens' drugs. Back then if a kid didn't pay attention to his elders, a good swift kick in the ass seemed to work much more effectively than the drugs parents are supposedly feeding their children these days.

[paladin]

shop bot can be three axis....I have the stuff and all the programming...