Choosing a yard to build a new yacht?

You are correct. My bad! Trying to migrate JF to a new platform. My mind is in another place!

What is your concern regarding todays modern vacuum bagged cored hulls - are you talking below or above the waterline or the entire hull?

This may be the start of a different thread, but I would suggest you sit down with the Nordlund team to discuss solid frp vs cored construction.

You should make your decision on sound engineering principles as well as best practices.

Generally, a suitable cored hull (vacuum bagged construction) will be stiffer and flex less than a solid frp one. It will also be heavier than solid frp construction.

If you are looking for a conservative approach you could have solid frp construction below the waterline and cored above the waterline. You could also limit the solid frp along the hull bottom from approximately the owners stateroom to the transom, and core the hull forward at this point for best structural impact performance in rough seas.

You have some work to do in making this decision.

NE056

A good friend of mine Captains a +110 Nordlund. If you have a desire to talk with him about Nordlunds vs other +100 size yachts PM me and I'll try to get you together.

They have been using cored hulls for many decades and they survive just fine. Fixing them is not a problem either and can be done just as well as FRP. Look at the custom sportfish's that have been using the cold molded method since the 1960's or 1970's. Coring is definately stronger and lighter. I wouldn't be afraid of it. I prefer a glass hull with cored sides if I was going typical FRP with it. Cold molded would be no issue for me, and in a lot of aspects better than FRP, quieter, lighter etc.....

While I think you're worrying about the wrong things. If you insist on adding steel to the hull, I'd put it on the outside of the hull not embedded into the hull.

You should invite any yard considering bidding on your boat to read your posts here. You are all over the map. Kevlar ... Steel ... Screw it, why not write a couple of layers of unobtainium into your spec.

And a sledge hammer ????? Oh man.

Running a boat is not like flying a plane.

Nothing wrong with cored hulls. I've not heard of any Hinkleys having a problem since they started to build hulls that way. I also used to build 70/80 footers with a blend of solid and cored hull and superstructures. These boats were as tough as a battleship.

I do agree that Yachtfishers around the 100' mark are some of the best looking yachts around and so practical.

Truest words you've said. You're going to be talking to a builder that has built quite a few boats in the range you're looking for. To my knowledge, you've never built one. Yet, you're talking about one thing after another that is far outside any norm. Have you read the full story of the build of Baden, the Northern 90'? That was a build intended to do more and more and more in many different directions. It was to be something they'd never done. And it turned out to be. If you respond to their suggestions as you have here by giving a reason each of their suggestions is invalid, you're going to end up in trouble. You're reinventing the wheel when the round one works perfectly well. You'd be far better served to make very slight modifications to proven designs and construction methods. And I'd certainly recommend you finding someone experienced in new builds of boats that size to serve as your representative throughout the process.

Thousands of great boats have been built and are on the water. Yes, each is a little different. But within all those boats you can surely find some methods that have been used and would meet your needs. There is no better built glass or composite hull for a 100'+/- hull than Hatteras. They use resin infusion. Nordhavn uses solid laminates in the hull bottom but they even state that they're able to do this because in their boats weight isn't important. You want the characteristics of steel when you run into containers and you want the performance of a semi-displacement glass hull. I don't know your thoughts about aluminum as an in-between option. You want a motor yacht and sportsfisherman and there are two builders who I know of who do that.

Every boat is a compromise. You have to sacrifice some features you'd like along the way. Someone said you should show your posts here to your builder. Well, the builders I know best would run away quickly if you insisted on what you've been saying here. And if a builder tells you, "Yes, we can do that" then you may be headed for the biggest disaster of your life.

You used an airplane analogy. So, I'll use one. This isn't rocket science. Boatbuilding isn't. It's been done for centuries. People with far more knowledge than you or I have are actively involved in boat building. There are brilliant naval architects around the world who could help you design a boat, if you'd listen and if you were willing to compromise. You want a solid hull with Kevlar and Steel and unique equipment in every way, your 100' boat will end up costing $20+ million and being worth $3 million.

I'd strongly suggest you charter a few boats in the range you're looking and learn the pros and cons of them. You'll find some pretty incredible boats already have been conceived. But you won't be the first buyer to want to revolutionize the industry with their ideas and without experience. If it works for you though you may be the first for whom it has. I don't know much about the technical aspects of building, but I know enough to know what I don't know.

Just curious, is this basically the style you seek?

http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/a...4639-welland-canal-yacht-lady-sandals-009-jpg

Have you ever been on a boat that had Kevlar in the hull? I was on a 65' cold molded kevlar hull sportfish. At cruise it was the noisiest yacht I have ever been on and sounded like the entire boat was disintigrating everytime it hit a wave, but it never did.

Neo, I think you need to find a builder who is trustworthy, and tell them what you want. Let them use the methods they are familiar with. Their best product will be what they specialize in, correct?

I think you worry to much about hitting stuff. Yes, it would nearly always be fatal in aircraft, but remaining calm and having the right safety gear would keep you safe in most nautical situations.

Why not just have your yacht built out of Titanium?