Services

In addition to complete designs we offer a full range of design-related services including:

Optimizations | Alterations | Consultation

Optimizations:

(Click here for Case Studies)

Of paramount importance to any owner is how precisely the characteristics of his yacht suit his intended use. Certainly the optimum mix of stability, sail area, and appendage details is fundamentally different for a boat that will be cruised shorthanded, than it is for a boat that will be raced with a full crew on the rail. For example, for inshore cruisers, shoal draft is an absolute requirement in some areas. For closed course racers, however, deep draft is usually an advantage, as is carefully tuning various performance parameters to the handicap system used for those races. We have earned our reputation for maximizing the enjoyment that a wide range of owners have gotten from their existing boats via a long list of successful projects.

Alterations:

Many times an owner has a general idea of changes he would like to make to his boat, but needs professional help implementing those changes to maximum benefit. Our long experience and expertise can make a vital contribution to the cost/benefit choices that must be made, and the design details that must be decided. Working drawings need to be developed, and a yard with the appropriate skills needs to be selected, and in some cases the work needs to be supervised. We have 'been there and done that' with a wide variety of alteration projects, both large and small, and we welcome the opportunity to participate in them.

Consultation:

Choosing the sailboat that best suits ones needs is a daunting task for even experienced sailors. Reliable and objective comparison data is typically hard to find, and interpreting it can be even more perplexing. Our professional knowledge and perspective can provide some very reassuring guidance towards making informed and appropriate boat-buying choices. We can provide useful insights as to why one brokerage boat may suit an owner's objectives better than another, or whether an optional carbon mast might be a good match with a new model's shoal keel design. We are not affiliated with any sale or brokerage firms, (except in connection with our own designs, of course), so any recommendations we make can be objective and impartial.

Case Studies

Racing: Performance and rating optimizations

  • 12 Meter Design Optimizations:
    • Valiant; New rudder, keel, aft overhang; Marblehead/Halifax winner
    • Freedom; New rudder, measurement optimizations
    • KZ5; winglet modifications, measurement optimizations
    • KZ7; As part of A^3 Design Team, extensive modifications
  • Aerodyne 38; (Gryphon) Custom water ballast system for singlehanded racing
  • Dawn 48; Performance upgrades via new rudder and keel shoe
  • Farr 36/38; Extended stern overhang, IRC rule optimizations; startling speed increase
  • Frers 65 (Kodiak); Stability optimizations via keel shoe and reshaping
  • IMX 45's; Performance upgrades via new rudder and new high stability keel; Bermuda Race Winners
  • Paine 45's; (Firefly & Poppaea) stability optimizations via keel shape modifications
  • Peterson 38; (Cilista); Performance and stability optimizations via new keel
  • Seguin 44/46; Performance upgrades via new spade rudder and keel shoe; Bermuda Race Winner
  • Swan 411; (Dawn Treader) New spade rudder and keel shoe
  • Swan 44's; (Diane & Temptress) New spade rudders; remarkable race record
  • Swan 51; (Temptress & Tatoosh); new rudders, keels, stern shape & rig; Bermuda Race winner
  • Swan 68; (Chippewa); Performance and stability optimizations; reshaped keel bulb
  • Tartan 41's; (Drummer Boy/Aura, Family Affair) New spade rudders
  • Taylor 44; (Sforzando); IRC draft and stability optimizations, via new keel

Cruising: Alterations and upgrades

  • Bennett 46; New rudder (as-built rudder failed), then new shoal draft keel
  • Freedom 44; Higher stability via new keel
  • Frers 38; New shoal draft keel
  • Hinckley Pilot 35; New rig geometry
  • Hinckley 51; New shoal draft keel.
  • Morris M-42; Custom keel and tall rig geometry
  • Morris 45c; Shoal and medium draft keels, 'Waterway' height rig geometry
  • Morris 486; Custom keel and tall rig geometry for hull #4
  • Morris 52; (Far Out); stability optimization via new keel, improved control via new rudder
  • Serendipity 43's; (Jam & Fruition); New shoal draft keels, improved interior, hard dodger.