home Materials Building a yacht with your own hands from wood. Building a yacht with your own hands. We begin to build: we make a drawing of the future yacht

Building a yacht with your own hands from wood. Building a yacht with your own hands. We begin to build: we make a drawing of the future yacht

What could be better than sailing the sea (or at least rivers) on your own yacht? And don’t think that a yacht is only available to millionaires; in fact, you can make a quite decent yacht with your own hands. If you follow the instructions, you can make a yacht with your own hands without much difficulty, everything will definitely work out.

So what will you need for this? You need to purchase the following tools:

Hammer.
Nails.
Screwdriver.
Drill.
Electric drill.
Hacksaw.

First of all, of course, you can’t do without plywood. In order to fully implement such a project, you need to acquire 7 sheets of plywood, the thickness of which should be 6 mm. It is recommended to take sheets whose dimensions are 1.22 by 2.44 mm, you will also need 3 sheets of plywood, the thickness of which is 10 mm, their size should be the same.

Plywood selection

It should be borne in mind that a variety of plywood can be used, but it is recommended to use poplar plywood, the thickness of which is from 7 to 10 mm. It should be noted that such a deviation is not critical and does not greatly affect such an indicator.

It is acceptable to use birch plywood, but then it can be 5 mm thick. It is necessary to take into account the fact that when a yacht is built, plywood must be used, which has increased water resistance. In this regard, it will be useful to take into account some explanation. The fact is that plywood is a layered glued structure consisting of 2-3 sheets of wood, where the fibers are located perpendicularly in adjacent layers. It is thanks to these properties that plywood has those qualities that provide strength in all directions. It is thanks to this that plywood is the material from which a DIY yacht can be made simply excellent.

If you use large-area plywood sheets, the labor intensity of construction will be significantly reduced. Thus, the cost of building a yacht will also be significantly less. Each groove, which is a connection between the longitudinal edges of plywood sheathing sheets, is made on a scoop or stringer. The one who builds such a yacht does not need to scrupulously adjust the edges of each belt to each other. Concern about the waterproofness of a large number of grooves is also not necessary, unlike the option when a yacht is built from boards with your own hands. Plywood cladding involves transverse patterns that define the contours of the body. In this plan, frames are used that are included in the design. This circumstance suggests that there is no need to make patterns yourself. This is very convenient, since after the assembly is completed, the patterns will need to be thrown away.

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Yacht making

Frames for a yacht made of plywood are made in the simplest form; straight parts (futox) are used for their assembly. This design compares favorably with the design of hulls with round bilge contours, when it is necessary to glue laminated frames from slats (thin).

When making a yacht with your own hands, you first need to take care of assembling the hull. The assembly of yacht parts begins on a workbench and is completed on the ground. The keel is placed on the workbench, then the keel needs to be connected to the stems and frames. This connection is made using nails, small bolts, large screws and rivets.

After this stage of work is completed, you need to carefully check whether there are any distortions; if there are any, then you need to remove them by adjusting them. Porous paper must be placed in all these connections, you can also use a thin cloth, which must be soaked in resin, you can also use thick paint. If nails are used to fasten parts of the yacht, you need to pay special attention to their length. Such nails should protrude freely beyond the parts that are connected. To make working with nails more convenient, it is recommended to first make holes in such places with a drill, the thickness of which should be approximately 1 mm less than the nail itself.

Boards for the sides are applied on both sides of the frame, their ends should be tied to the stem with twine as tightly as possible.

Then the side boards should be carefully bent around the frames, brought to the transom and tied. If there are excess ends, then they also need to be trimmed. Then the sides need to be temporarily nailed, as a result of which the boat has a hard skeleton, which after some time also needs to be sheathed with plywood.

Judging by the editorial mail, amateur boat builders, when starting to choose a project for their new yacht, boat or boat, one way or another turn to the pages of the collection: they use published drawings as working drawings or create new projects based on them. that meet the requirements and tastes of the future shipowner. In their letters, many readers not only set out in detail the reasons that prompted them to choose this or that project, but also report the results of tests of the constructed vessel, and give a description of its operational features. As a rule, receiving several such correspondence makes it possible to get a fairly complete picture of both the advantages and disadvantages inherent in a particular project.

If we talk about the independent construction of sailing ships, then the mail received by the editor clearly shows that the most “running” option is a mini-yacht, designed for a crew of 3 - 5 people. 3TO vessel with a length of up to 7 m, a displacement of 0.7 - 1.5 T, with a windage of 14 - 20 m 2.

Sail variations allow you to increase the windage (sometimes by 30%) in calm winds and reduce it by half in strong winds. It is typical that amateurs try to use ready-made sails from the classic ships available in yachts, since it is very difficult to get sailing fabric, and sewing a good sail without the appropriate experience is far from easy.

The preferred material for the manufacture of the spar is light alloy strands; The boom, as a rule, is made rotating - for winding the sail for the purpose of cleaning at short-term stops and for reefing. Step masts are most often placed on the roof of the cabin. When constructing the hull, wood in all its forms, traditional for small shipbuilding, is used (coniferous and hardwood lumber, plywood), but along with this, steel and light alloys are used. The use of composite structures in which metal is combined with wood makes it possible, while simplifying the technology and reducing the cost of the vessel, to ensure the known strength of the hull with low weight.

It has become common to cover wooden cases with fiberglass fabrics with an epoxy binder in order to protect them from damage and rotting, and sometimes to increase strength. As it turned out from incoming letters, a typical mistake is often made: amateur shipbuilders forget that it is necessary to apply at least two layers of fiberglass, since a single-layer coating filters water through microcracks in the binder (this turns out to be a “disservice” to the skin, and to detect and correct defects under a layer of fiberglass are quite difficult).

Of the assessments and comments on individual projects, those related to the “Seahorse” are typical, according to which quite a lot of mini-yachts have already been built. Thus, when summarizing the received reviews, it became clear that it was necessary to increase the area of the fin in the stern - the yacht is yawing at full speed; it is better to do the deckhouse from side to side - the cabin will become more comfortable; a bow hatch on such mini-yachts is not necessary. Obviously, these comments should be taken into account when designing all yachts of similar dimensions.

The body itself did not cause any complaints. The performance and seaworthiness completely satisfied those who built the yacht exactly according to the project. The wishes mainly concerned the improvement of the “Spartan”, as it was said in the explanation for the project, living conditions. In this regard, we can assume a partial change in the Seahorse project.

The deckhouse from side to side and reaching to the stem will increase the volume of the cabin; It will be more comfortable to sit on the sofas and walk along the deck to the bow of the ship. It is possible to eliminate the bow hatch, which is located at an angle. If the sealing is insufficient, it causes water leakage. At the same time, it turned out that most yachtsmen do not use it to work with the jib, which was foreseen during the development of the project.

It should only be taken into account that without a bow hatch (according to the design, its cover is made of plexiglass), the illumination and ventilation of the cabin are significantly deteriorated. For normal ventilation of the bow biting, a fan is clearly not enough, so it will be necessary to provide for the installation of some effective deflectors. Instead of a light hatch, you can install additional portholes on the coaming or on the deckhouse deck.

Regarding the reproaches for the lack of mechanization of sail control, it can be said that the “Konka” project included ideas regarding the hull and armament, and clew and halyard winches, a device for furling the jib and similar components of the vessel’s equipment can be used by each builder if desired, using other publications on the pages of the collection.

It sometimes happens that amateur shipbuilders, dissatisfied with the resulting yacht, attribute their own mistakes to design flaws. As a rule, this is due to the fact that the project undergoes changes during the construction process. Here's a case in point. The builders of the mini-yacht “Spiderweb”, having increased all the dimensions of the “Seahorse” by 20%, received a yacht that has an undesirable trim at the stern. “Apparently,” they write, “this is a design flaw.”

However, the “Konyok” in its design dimensions does not have any trim to the stern. The real reason is that in the “20%” increased version, the displacement of the yacht should no longer be 700 – 750 kg, like that of the “Gossamer,” but about 1100 kg; Naturally, the vessel's draft became 40 - 50 mm less, as a result of which the center of gravity of the waterline and the center of buoyancy shifted to the bow, relative to the design ones.

We bring to the attention of readers brief descriptions four yachts built and tested by amateurs recently.

MINI – YACHT “PRIVAL”.

Built by V.V. Maratayev from Kaliningrad according to the drawings of the “Seahorse”. We selected this mini-yacht for review precisely to illustrate the point that finished projects should be changed very carefully. Obviously, the erroneous remark made in No. 61 by the builders of the “Spider Web” that the “Seahorse” is trimmed to the stern misled V.V. Marataev. He took measures: so that his yacht did not have this trim, slightly change its dimensions, increasing the spacing by 20mm, and moving the heavy zygomatic keels into the nose.

This led to an increase in the design displacement by approximately 30 kg, which was “compensated” by the fact that the hull was sheathed with bakelized plywood, heavier than the aircraft plywood provided for in the design. In other words, the draft remained virtually unchanged, but an undesirable trim appeared on the bow, which required further alterations and a “return” to the design alignment of the yacht - moving the bilge keels further aft.

The hull set is made of pine, the stem and beams are made of oak; sheathing is made of bakelized plywood 7mm thick. A 40 x 40 fender beam was installed along the sides, which increased the width of the deck by 80mm. The yacht is equipped with four berths on the sides - from sh. 3 to the transom, cabinets, a table, and a galley.

“Halt” is armed with a Bermuda sloop with a top-end (unlike the project) jib. The mainsail is from the “Flying Dutchman”, the main staysail is from the “Zvezdnik”, the genoa is from an “M” class dinghy. The boom is rotating. Based on the results of operating the yacht, the author noted the following disadvantages of the project: the absence of clew winches, which makes it difficult to work with sails in a fresh wind; lack of rack jib; some inconvenience of placement in the cabin due to the ledge formed by the junction of the deck and the wheelhouse coaming; lack of storage compartment for outboard motor; placement of the galley in the cockpit, creating inconvenience when cooking in bad weather.

At full courses, the yaw of the Prival was noted. The advantages include the relatively high seaworthiness of the yacht: good wave riding, stability, ease of movement (maximum recorded speed - 6 g).

STEEL YACHT – COMPROMISE “HELLAS”.

Its author is Marina Shcherbina from the Ukrainian city of Smela. When designing this generally quite original steel mini-yacht, publications about three sailing vessels were used: a 6.8-meter sailing-motor dinghy with two rotating bilge centerboards (designs by V.F. Paramonov, “KYA” No. 62); 6.9 - meter quarter-tonner "Courier - III" (designed by I. I. Sidenko; "KYa" No. 64) and the English serial 6.9 - meter mini-tonner "Sonata - 7" ("KYA" No. 68), as well as nomograms , published in issue 7 (1966).

It can be noted that the theoretical drawing is based on (with minor changes in the stern part) a drawing of a dinghy; The basic ideas of the general arrangement and sailing equipment were borrowed from the two mentioned yachts. The hull of the yacht is made of welded steel: the set is cut from a 2.5X30X30 square bent from a strip; keel beam - I-beam made of strip 2.5 mm thick; The thickness of the skin on the bottom is 3mm, on the sides – 2mm. The deck and deckhouse are made of bakelized plywood 5 mm thick. The inside of the building is lined with plywood and laminated plastic on an oak sheathing.

The successful combination of a hull that is simple in outline and technologically advanced in design, made from materials available to builders and has an effective windage, has made it possible to create a cruiser that is cheap to build and operate and has fairly high speed, seaworthiness and tacking qualities. Tests of “Hellas” at the Kremenchug reservoir confirmed that the creative use of three different prototypes (in itself a rare option) was generally done quite competently.

The Hellas is equipped with two bilge centreboards, cut from sheet steel 20 mm thick, with a total weight of 210 kg. The lower parts of the centerboard wells, protruding from the hull, are made hollow in the form of fairings into which lead is poured (its weight is about 200 kg). The fairly large total ballast weight, accounting for 31% of the displacement, ensures good stability of the yacht. The centerboard wells are made more powerful than on the prototype dinghy, but the same in design.

The spar is made of light alloy pipes. The falling mast is made of 110X2 pipe, the rotating boom is 70X3. The yacht's unsinkability is ensured by foam plastic blocks (total volume 1.5 m3), glued from the inside to the hull, deck and wheelhouse, as well as placed under the sofas.

The construction of the yacht by two people lasted 2 years and 3 months. The slipway was a powerful channel 8 m long. Among the technological devices invented and manufactured during the work, it is necessary to note the original tilter, which consists of two support bearings on trestles installed at the ends of the beam - slipway.

Horizontal trunnions with a diameter of 60 mm were attached to the stem and transom of the hull so that their common axis - the axis of rotation - passed through the center of gravity of the hull. This allowed builders to tilt the hull without assistance, performing welding and painting work in the most convenient lower position.

The yacht is equipped with three berths, a galley, a table, closets and a latrine. The height in the cabin is 1.45 m. (The layout of the cabin is somewhat questionable - the location of the table on the starboard side; it is unlikely to be comfortable to dine at this table, sitting on a sofa installed far from it - along the opposite side.

It would be more rational to install a table with a folding lid in the center of the cabin; or equip an existing table with a retractable lid.) In the stern, below the deck, there is a compartment for installing a stationary engine. There is a sail storage room in the forepeak. The author of the project considers steel to be a completely acceptable material for building a yacht over 7 m in length.

MINITONIK “THREE BOGATYRS”.

Built by Kharkov residents S. Degtyarev and V. Drachevsky. When developing their own project, the authors aimed to create a light yacht, but with a sufficient level of comfort, suitable for both long trips and participation in cruising races. The body design is composite, the set is made of light alloy: the transverse one is made of angles, the longitudinal one is made of channels.

The sheathing is made of waterproof plywood 6 mm thick.

The hull, including the self-draining cockpit and deck, is covered with two layers of fiberglass with an epoxy binder. The hollow steel false keel is filled with lead and cement; its weight is about 280 kg.

The yacht “Three Bogatyrs” is equipped with a Bermuda sloop with a top staysail. The spar is wooden, the steps are installed on the deck. The yacht is equipped with mechanisms and devices to facilitate the work with sails and to fine-tune them. The cabin has four berths and a portable galley.

Unsinkability is ensured by foam blocks attached to the sides under the sofas. Tests of the yacht have shown its reliability in operation, good seaworthiness, and satisfactory stability. With effective heeling by the entire crew, the yacht carried full sail in winds up to force 6.

Having set themselves the task of creating a racing vessel rather than a cruising vessel, the authors made the yacht as light as possible, clearly sacrificing comfort. There is practically nothing inside except for sleeping places. But in terms of mechanization of sail control, the “Three Bogatyrs” is a typical racing car! In terms of handling in any wind and combination of sails, the yacht, according to the authors, resembles a racing dinghy.

As the newspaper “Evening Kharkov” reported, on June 7 and 8, 1980, the yacht “Three Bogatyrs” took part in the cruising yacht race for the Kharkov region championship, where it took first place among 26 participants in corrected time. In terms of absolute speed, she was second only to “Conrad – 24”, 12 minutes behind him during the 13 hours of the race.

The sheathing is made of smooth spruce slats 12x40 mm with waterproof glue. Such a replacement of materials allowed the author to obtain a body equivalent to the design in terms of strength and weight characteristics at the lowest cost. Adhering to the project as much as possible, the author of “Severyanka” managed to obtain satisfactory seaworthiness and tacking qualities of the mini-yacht and its good performance both under sail and under motor.

The Vykhr-M outboard motor is used as an auxiliary engine, with which the yacht reaches a speed of 15 km/h. The use of such a powerful (25 hp) and heavy engine on such a vessel is impractical. The contours of sailing yachts are designed for a speed of about 5 knots (about 9 km/h).

For a mini-yacht to achieve such speed, an 8-strong “Veterok” is quite enough.

The use of engines with excess power gives only a small increase in speed, while fuel consumption increases significantly. It is planned for the future to install a fireplace in the cabin, which will improve the habitability of the vessel operating in the northern regions.

Can't imagine your life without the water element? If you want to have a pleasant and useful time, ensure yourself an exciting period in life by starting to build a yacht.

Preface

If you prepare for the process of building a yacht carefully and with great enthusiasm, then the hour will come when you triumphantly board your vessel to set off on its first voyage across the waters.

First, you need to select a project, having previously studied as much literature as possible on the topic of interest.

Bright prospects

By actively searching for the optimal design, you will speed up the time of construction of the yacht. It will change the usual course of your life and allow you to discover new perspectives and horizons. You can go on a romantic trip or arrange unforgettable days of family vacation, invite friends or indulge in reflection alone, communicating only with the blue element.

After building the yacht, you will have a great ride, you will be able to dive from the side of the ship in a quiet harbor, taking scuba gear with you. You can water ski or just go fishing for fun.

New spaces and shores will reveal their secrets to you.

Where to begin

When selecting drawings of plywood structures, pay attention to the presence of information such as:

knot drawings;
drawing details;
a description of the assembly technique, which will be accessible even to beginners.

Many men are familiar with dreams of a yacht to conquer the waters on it. Not everyone can afford to build a fiberglass yacht. This does not mean that wishes are not destined to come true. You need to make an effort, spend time, study yacht construction projects, but as a result you will be able to create a masterpiece that will surpass expensive ships in quality and beauty.

You don’t have to start with large-scale projects, but make a simple product. Then you can understand the principle of creating a yacht and implement it in full size.

About the features of the building

There are two ways to implement the plan to build a motor yacht. It is much easier to carry out the main process if you first perform as much preparatory work as possible to create blanks. It is more difficult to work from scratch.

In the modern shipbuilding market there are many specialized companies offering varieties of such assembly kits, which include a list of necessary parts. The motor yacht will be built directly from these.

To ensure that everything is done correctly, the blanks are accompanied by detailed instructions and drawings. In addition, it is important to know about the correct assembly and strict adherence to the manufacturing technology of the vessel.

Choosing an option with purchased blanks

If you decide to purchase ready-made elements and assemble a yacht from them, you will be interested to know that pre-sale preparation is carried out for all parts.

As a rule, the model is completely assembled in production to check the quality of fastening of the connections and compliance with the dimensions, and then the vessel is disassembled, packaged and sent to the customer. The buyer will have to go through the assembly process again and be sure to glue the structure as specified in the manufacturer's recommendations. To do this, you will need to carefully study the information provided on building a yacht with your own hands.

Choosing a more difficult path

If you decide to work with the independent construction of yachts and boats from scratch, it will be much more difficult. But no less interesting. It’s just that with such a choice of actions, everything will depend on your attentiveness and skills. If you are well prepared and armed with a wealth of knowledge, building a yacht yourself can be more profitable for your budget.

Do not forget also that to create a vessel yourself you will need special equipment.

Stages of building a ship from scratch

First of all, when building yachts, make sure there is a spacious room where the process of creating a masterpiece, called a boathouse among professionals, will take place. Purchase the necessary tools and equipment. It’s better not to skimp on this, because you want to get a high-quality result. In addition, the amount of time that can be spent with decent equipment of the workplace is important.

Assemble the slipway according to the size of the vessel. This is where its installation will take place. In the process of creating a platform, coniferous timber beams are laid on a section of flat, prepared surface. This is done in rows of two, followed by bandaging the structure and obtaining a surface that will be located exactly horizontally.

Continuation of work

Take care of preparing project documentation. Its independent development is practically impossible for an inexperienced specialist. In order not to risk materials and the final result, it is recommended to entrust the production of project documentation to specialized organizations.

The Internet is also at your service around the clock, where you can study not only drawings, but also the design of yachts, read useful information and reviews from experienced people on this issue.

Preparing materials

Prepare lumber. This one is very important stage construction work, since the better it is organized, the higher the strength and navigability of the future yacht will be.

To create a structure, select two types of lumber: from knot-free softwood boards and timber from a harder species (oak, ash).

It is important that the wood moisture level is no more than 12-20%, which provides protection against deformation. On the slipway, mark the line of the stem and the theoretical position of the frame frame. According to these signs, installation work will be carried out on all structural elements of the vessel.

Assembly

The frame frames can be assembled and glued in accordance with the contour of the vessel. This is done on a special type of device, which is a template.

Creating a frame frame

Apply work area marks to 10 to 12 mm thick plywood. If you want to simplify the problem, create closed frames containing below-deck beams.

When assembling a frame frame that has a transverse shear-bar, use special screws. For assembly, provide yourself with special stops that will fix the position of the frame depending on the initial markings.

Please note that when forming all bulkheads, it is necessary to combine them with the frame frame, and sometimes even replace it. To install the stem blank, it is important to maintain the dimensions of the angle of inclination relative to the horizon.

To assemble the keel beam, select the beams and attach them to the surface of the stem with a button, and to the surface of the floors with screws and glue.

To make stringers, select glued pine slats and install them on the surface of the stem and frames with self-tapping screws and glue.

The installation of stringers ends with a mandatory chalking procedure, which is performed to identify all inconsistencies with the contours of the vessel and eliminate defects.

When creating the hull skin, take bakelized plywood sheets and cut it according to the template. Then they are mounted with stringers on glue and self-tapping screws, recessing them slightly inside the plywood.

Checking the quality of work

The installation of the cladding is completed; now it is necessary to carry out a series of control measurements of the contours and treat the surface over an area of a single radius.

To remove it, you must use an abrasive tool. To give rigidity and tightness to the surface, the casing must be covered in several layers with glass fabric of the T1-GVS-9 brand. For this purpose, an epoxy composition is used.

When the first layer has hardened, cover the surface with fiberglass with a polyester resin base. Do this for up to ten layers.

Stacking the deck

Having turned over the base of the yacht, they proceed to the longitudinal construction of the deck, where the installation of the deck flooring is carried out. To ensure that the layers are strong and airtight, it is important to glue the body with fiberglass, alternating it with epoxy and polyester binders.

Sanding and priming

When all layers have hardened, it is necessary to sand and prime the resulting surface. To carry out painting work, a special moisture-resistant paint is selected, which will provide maximum protection from sea water. Then the surface is forced to dry.

Final stage

All that remains is to complete the interior finishing, install additional equipment and a sailing system. These procedures are carried out when the final stage of construction work has arrived. If you want your yacht to have a power plant, contact specialists. This stage is especially important, as it requires additional knowledge.

Assembling a yacht using blanks

If you decide to quickly achieve results and not take risks when performing all construction work from scratch, purchase factory-made yacht blanks and assemble the vessel yourself, following the recommendations for building a yacht using an assembly kit. This is similar to assembling a construction set, only more responsible and requires clarity and ensuring the reliability of all fasteners.

Preparing documentation

Before starting work, it is also important to carefully study all the documentation provided in order to avoid serious mistakes that may be irreparable in the end. Explore yacht designs for self-build.

Assemble the yacht, starting by first connecting the frames and keel. A satisfactory result will be shown if it is possible to assemble this structure in the form of a permanent connection.

Vessel plating

Install springers on the frames. The ship's skin material, consisting of a special type of plywood that is resistant to moisture, will be attached to them.

Please note that this assembly requires a traditional position. It is required to install the vessel with the keel up. This will allow you to achieve the required level of dimensional accuracy. You can also create the shape of the ideal contour of the vessel.

Thanks to the lining special type plywood, which is resistant to moisture, provides high strength in creating the structure of the vessel.

To ensure sealing, fiberglass can be used. It will be mounted on the surface of a special moisture-resistant epoxy composition. Gluing is performed in several layers. After everything has dried, a uniform, waterproof surface will be obtained.

To ensure attractiveness appearance To create additional protection, treat the surfaces with special varnishes and waterproof paints.

To paint the interior of the yacht, you will also need waterproof paint. After this, you can lay the deck.

Testing

The final stage of work consists of completing the final finishing of the hull, equipping the vessel with the necessary equipment and sailing equipment. Testing in a working environment is essential. This necessary condition in order to ensure safety and identify the seaworthiness of the vessel. It is important to eliminate some shortcomings and shortcomings in a timely manner.

Afterword

To build a complete ship, you need to be prepared to perform a large amount of work with increased level responsibility.

Provided that it is used correctly and has proper care, it will delight its owners for a long period.

Discover the versatility of the amazing natural world and enjoy your travels. But if you are not ready to build a real yacht, you can think about building a model yacht with your own hands. This will create a foundation of knowledge to understand how a yacht works, and will ensure a thorough study of the technology, because you will be able to consider designs of boats and yachts for self-build. Make up your mind - and everything will work out for you.

We are starting a series of articles devoted to the construction and operation of large yachts. He talks about what happens in the first stages of the megayacht construction process. Denis Perevoznikov, motor yacht project manager, author of a blog about the yachting industry.

Denis, let's go in order. There are people who simply don’t know where to start realizing their desire to own a yacht. What do you recommend?

I think there is no point in talking about which yacht to choose. It's a matter of personal preference and budget.

It’s almost like with a car: there are many models - whatever you like, you buy.

- But there is a difference between manufacturers.

Of course I have. But everything is not as obvious and unambiguous as it seems at first glance. If we talk about a new building, then with proper organization of the construction process these differences can be minimized. If we talk about used yachts, then everything depends on many factors; this is a separate big topic.

Let's not touch her for now. If a client has a burning desire to build his own yacht, where should he go first?

No matter how trite, he first needs to choose a company or person who will represent his interests - a project manager. Each of them has their own working methods. I first meet with the customer and find out his preferences. Usually they come down to requirements for speed, number of guest cabins, and sailing area. By the time of the conversation, the customer, as a rule, has in mind several models of yachts that he likes, but which require improvement. It’s not the same here, it’s not the same there.

Based on his wishes, we select a designer and a naval architect. We meet with them, discuss options, negotiate the terms of their participation in the project, at the same time we select a shipbuilder and discuss options with him. As a result, in 1–2 weeks we prepare for the customer several outline proposals and approximate budgets for the design and construction of the yacht. We explain the differences, pros and cons, risks.

- What should you consider when choosing a designer and naval architect?

Basically, it all depends on the type of yacht the customer wants. Some are great at displacement yachts, some are good at semi-displacement yachts, and some are the best at designing catamarans. The choice is influenced by the designer’s current workload, his working conditions and, of course, the price.

Some are asking for 1 million euros for participation in the project (for a 47-meter yacht), others are ready to work for much less money. The same principles apply to selecting a naval architect.

We have chosen a designer and a naval architect and are starting to work closely with them. Of course, everyone has their own approach to working with a customer, but usually it is divided into several stages. First, the development of a preliminary profile of the yacht and a preliminary deck plan of the yacht. During these stages, the designer works closely with the naval architect and systems engineer, allowing early stages avoid problems that may arise at later stages.

Once these stages are completed, we prepare a package of documentation, including: a theoretical drawing of the hull, a preliminary assessment of weight, speed, cruising range, calculations for stability and tonnage. And at the end, a detailed study of the project begins. A list of the main equipment and technical specifications of the yacht are being prepared, the final deck plan of the project is being prepared in AutoCAD and a drawing showing the cross-section of the vessel along the DP with the indicated heights of the interior spaces.

All these documents are equally important. This is the foundation of all future calculations and relationships.

The main thing here is that there is constant live communication between all project participants - “everyone’s work is needed equally.” All client wishes must be taken into account.

- What will the customer receive in the end?

The customer will receive a package of documents consisting of a deck plan, calculations of speed, cruising range, tonnage and weight of the yacht, a theoretical hull drawing and technical specifications. This is enough to start negotiations with shipbuilders. You can hold a tender among shipyards or go to a shipyard you already like and discuss the price and terms of the contract with them.

By the way, the specification of the yacht is the cornerstone of everything.

What is written there is what the customer will receive in the end. It is important that it be as detailed as possible in the description part technical properties and performance of various equipment must contain quality criteria. If it says “the yacht will be painted,” then in the end you will get a painted yacht, but you will never be able to present anything to the boatbuilder if the frames are visible through the paint, and all surfaces are covered with shagreen and blisters.

- Blister?

Looks like paint is bubbling. In general, there is no need to be afraid of appearing boring when preparing specifications. It’s better to spend time finding out all the details than to then swear and anathematize everyone.

- What is the most difficult thing at this stage?

To understand what the future owner really wants from a yacht, to help him avoid options imposed by the shipyard’s marketers.

- For example?

For example, an opening lapport in the owner's cabin.

- What's wrong with him?

In general, that's all. It can only be opened under certain sea conditions, this work is carried out by the crew, the crew will also have to bring and install a railing. This whole operation will take about 30 minutes. As a result, the moment for which all this was planned will be missed. From the inside, the lapport and its mechanisms look, so to speak, unusual and are discordant with the overall interior design.

- Yes, there are a lot of nuances.

There are not just many of them, there are thousands of them. Therefore, it is very important for the future yacht owner to find an attorney in this matter. There is no need to try to resolve the situation yourself or with the help of your home office. You will see a problem when you hit it, but a project manager sees a problem at the beginning of the journey. It's like wandering through a labyrinth - it's better when someone has a map and experience in passing it. What I mean is that everyone should mind their own business. Remember the video with Harry Oldman, where he talks about superfluous people in cinema.

The video is visual, but let’s return to our yachts - the customer received an impressive package of documents from the architect and designer...

Next, we select a shipyard and sign a letter of intent with it (usually the shipyard initiates the signing of this document, for the legal basis of cooperation before signing the main contract). This is where work begins on final approval of the specification and deck plan. The shipyard will always have comments, comments, clarifications. And the task of the customer’s representative is to ensure that his interests are not infringed.

In parallel with this, we are starting to work on the draft construction contract. It also needs to take into account many nuances: from the cost of standard hours when calculating changes to the contract to the liability of the shipyard if the yacht does not achieve specifications.
At the end of this stage, we have a set of documents that includes: a construction contract, a payment schedule, a customer delivery schedule, an overall project schedule, a technical specification and a deck plan.

- Who checks all this information? I doubt it can be done alone.

Checks a lot of people. In each specific case, you need to make a decision on how to proceed optimally. If you are building a serial project somewhere on Heesen, then it makes no sense to climb up to them with a drawing board and teach them how to build. If you are building a boat to order at the same Heesen, then it would not hurt to check the drawings in more detail. But again, it all depends on the contract terms and specifications.

Of course, if you build somewhere in Turkey, Russia or China, then you need to control the installation of each bolt (what material, who the manufacturer is, where it was purchased, how it was installed).

For such projects, a project team is formed, which includes assembly and welding specialists, electricians, mechanics, insulators, painting and interior inspectors.

-What role do you play?

In this case, I act as the project director. I do the same as any director: I am responsible for the work of the entire department, for its policies and development as a whole.

- Is it difficult to manage a project when employees are not in an office behind a wall, but are distributed across countries and time zones?

Yes, in general, it’s hard for the first hundred years, but then you get used to it. The main thing is to organize the process correctly. We have our own reporting system, we have a common documentation base on a dedicated server, we have graphics, we have the desire of people to work for results with soul and passion. In the end, the project is a well-oiled and verified mechanism that moves along a pre-planned trajectory, and you certain moments you give it the required motion vector.

We present to our readers brief descriptions of four yachts built and tested by amateurs recently.