Monday, November 7, 2016
It floats!
The 1:12 scale model is now complete except for the sails and the radio control componentry, which are in the works. The maiden voyage went uneventfully: QUIDNON sat quietly on its lines. The first and most important requirement for a boat, and especially a houseboat, is that it has to float really well. And it seems that this hurdle has been passed. More to come soon; in the meantime, feast your eyes.
Looking good! What is your best guess for a bare boat kit cost?
ReplyDelete50k USD
ReplyDeleteCheaper and much more practical (and fun) than a lot of tiny houses!
DeleteHow is it so much cheaper than a production sailboat? A 30 ft boat is more like $150k at least...
DeleteThe reasons it's so much cheaper than a production boat are:
Delete1. It is optimized in such a way that each element of the design serves as many different purposes as possible
2. The price does not include construction labor; it's the price of producing a kit of parts for assembly
3. There is no profit margin or management overhead, since this is basically an open source development
4. Production yachts are designed for luxury, ostentation and sport. QUIDNON is designed for comfortable living aboard and safe travel over water, period.
5. Production yachts incorporate a huge amount of lead ballast, which is expensive. QUIDNON uses seawater for ballast.
And so on...
Fantastico!
ReplyDeleteDid you doubt it?? you guys know your stuff
ReplyDeleteSuperb! Well done. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm still concerned about that checkerplate deck. I thought it would be extremely hot underfoot if you're in the sun. Now that I've seen the photo of the model I see that it's also going to be quite dazzling.
Here's an example: my marina neighbor Peter did up his entire deck in diamond hatch. It is not dazzling, it doesn't burn one's feet, and it looks the same after more than a decade.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! I can't argue with "Tried it. Liked it." :-)
DeleteI too am enjoying the vicarious adventure. Many thanks.
Absolutely sweeeet, Dmitry. It looks more and more like a fantastically awesome design.
ReplyDeleteThe checkerplate deck is s.s., correct? How thick, how fastened-down and how much weight per sf? (Sorry if I missed it if mentioned earlier.)
I am fascinated and can't wait for her maiden voyage once 'completed', and I am certainly not alone.
Thanks also for this 'challenging' vicarious adventure, and for utterly destroying my long-held 'idyllic sailboat dreams' with your 'build-logic'.
With much respect,,,locojhon
It's aluminum tread plate.
DeleteAny chance of a picture of it upsidedown Dmitry?
ReplyDeleteI haven't followed your posts on this, but how much studying of naval architecture was needed for your design? I've been wanting to understand the best sailboat designs for purchasing a used boat, and it seems you've gone through the work already.
ReplyDeletePrecisely zero. I've read Chapman's, Gudgeon bros. and various seafaring testimonials. I have also done a fair bit of seafaring and boat repair. Experience counts for a lot more than academic knowledge, especially if that experience was on a custom, home-built boat. What qualifies me to design a houseboat that sails is living aboard and sailing for a decade or so.
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