“Messing About On the Water” Will Never Go Out Of Fashion

One of the finest pastimes that is never going to go out of fashion is “messing about on the water”. There are so many things that you can do if you have a small motor boat, and there are so many different types of water to explore. There are lakes, there are endless numbers of rivers, and you can potter around the coast, or you can travel across the channel to France. You can also put to sea and cross oceans in some of the larger motor yachts. This is why at any given moment there are so many motor boats in build because being on the water is something that so many people want to do in their spare time these days.

You can go fishing, you can swim, you can water-ski, you can dive, and you can explore places that get you away from the crowded streets of city life. It is wonderful on a Saturday and Sunday to get away into the countryside for some peace and quiet and potter along at four or five miles an hour rather than the hustle and bustle of the working week.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to do away with the 21st century pleasures that we have such as TV, wi-fi, the internet, chatting on Facebook, and so on, although it has to be said that in some places out in the wilds there is no internet connection. But that is part of the beauty of it: being able to get away from it all and actually relax – properly relax - because there is no urgency to do anything. It is why boatbuilders are busier than ever with motor boats in build for people who want to do just that.

Owning a boat is not what you would call a “cheap” hobby like playing darts or chess – both of which can relieve the stress of 21st century life as well – but once you have one you will wonder why you never thought about it before. If you Google “motor boats in build” it returns 227 MILLION results! This includes things like “Build your own motor boat”, “How to build a speedboat”, “Build a boat in your back garden”, and a whole lot more.

A Look At The Processes Involved In Yacht Design

Yacht design begins with a brief from a client, or perhaps just an idea. While any motor yacht design should look at the project as a whole, there are three main areas of development. The basic design side is where the overall arrangement and styling are developed, and this has to include the technical spaces for engines, electrics, perhaps a passerelle, a garage for a tender, and so on. The whole has to come together so that the end result is a thing of beauty with plenty of space and as comfortable as can be. For the interior, it is customary to include an interior designer to create the desired effect. 

The desired underwater shape is part of the naval architecture process, and the hull will be designed according to the use for which the vessel is being constructed. For a racing yacht, performance is the key consideration, which is very different from a motor yacht for round the world sailing where comfort and stability in the water may be the most important consideration, along with low fuel consumption and achievement of the desired speeds. This can involve tank testing, and/or CFD (computational fluid dynamics) programmes which can include RANS code testing to achieve maximum stability in rough weather.

The yacht design engineering is the other important consideration. Yacht design engineering analyses the deck loads and hull stresses and loads in order to produce a reliable yacht and also with the object of working out the optimum build procedure with the builder. 

Another part of the yacht design engineering involves consultation with the skipper or owner of a sailing yacht to work out the optimum layout for equipment and fittings. This is also a very important part of the design of motor yachts where the overall styling and aerodynamics have to be not only functional but aesthetically pleasing as well. Many owners today are very concerned about the environmental footprint of their motor yacht and require a design that uses as little fuel as possible, while still producing the performance and comfort they require for themselves and their guests.