| Building a yacht is one of the most satisfying things | | | | end result, you have to follow their instructions to |
| you can do - if you're interested in yachting and | | | | the letter. If you don't, you'll end up with bits that |
| yacht design, that is. And I guess you wouldn't be | | | | don't fit where they should fit or that don't match up |
| reading this if you weren't serious about it. But | | | | with the other bits that you haven't changed. If you |
| recently I discovered that although building a yacht is | | | | draw up your own yacht design it yourself you can |
| great fun, it gets even better if it's a yacht that | | | | modify your design as you go along. |
| you've designed yourself. | | | | Check and go |
| Insight | | | | Not that I'd recommend it, but sometimes, as you |
| Firstly, you'll find that it gives you a whole new insight | | | | proceed with your build, you'll suddenly come up with |
| into the technicalities of yacht construction. When | | | | an idea for an improvement or a realization that |
| you're following someone else's plan, you just put | | | | something could be done better. In that case you |
| things where they are because that's what the plan | | | | can go back to your yacht design and re-jig it as |
| says. But when you're designing a hull, you put things | | | | necessary. Check the hydrostatic and drag |
| where they are because you've developed an insight | | | | calculations to determine the effect of your changes, |
| into the design and that's where you think they will | | | | and carry on. Improving as you go. |
| be most effective. The same goes for shapes and | | | | The key to all this is having the software to realize |
| sizes. It's the difference between a blind man | | | | your yacht design and develop it as you work |
| following a handrail and a sighted man boldly striding | | | | through the construction phase. The average Joe |
| out on his own into new, unknown territory. There's | | | | could never have afforded such software in the past |
| just no comparison! | | | | but fortunately for us there's now software that will |
| Flexibility | | | | enable you to do all this and more for just a fraction |
| Secondly, you get flexibility. Following someone else's | | | | of the price that it used to be. |
| design means that, if you want to achieve the right | | | | |