All posts by kurt

Miami Bed Boat

I got a commission to design a niche charter cat for Miami. The customer has built boats before but knows nothing about cats nor naval architecture. With the outboards they insisted on, the adjustable swim platform and its mechanism, the Cg is a full four feet aft of Cb. I am having a hard time convincing the builder this is bad. i may have to walk away from this one. Foam/glass.

Carbon Fiber Crosstubes Installed

When I ordered the carbon fiber cross tubes for my yellow 12′ trimaran, I assumed a modulus of about 16 million. And I speced the thickness accordingly.
I just got the spec sheet from the manufacturer.
8.5 x 10 to the 7th.
I checked with a scientist I know. That is 85 million.
That is more than 5 times the modulus. Wow.
They aren’t going anywhere.

Painted with Awlgrip clearcoat.

New Carbon Fiber Cross Tubes

On the spur of the moment I decided to go to White Salmon to pick up the carbon fiber tubes I had made for the little yellow trimaran. Innovative Composites Engineering.
I also got a tour of the place. Amazing. Stuck in the woods outside of White Salmon. Space X is their biggest customer. They have giant presses to compact the laminate even more than bagging. I wasn’t allowed to take any pictures inside the building. And also warned not to touch anything.
They consulted on Oracle. Hence in the boneyard.
When I ordered the carbon fiber cross tubes for my yellow 12′ trimaran, I assumed a modulus of about 16 million. And I speced the thickness accordingly.
I just got the spec sheet from the manufacturer.
8.5 x 10 to the 7th.
I checked with a scientist I know. That is 85 million.
That is more than 5 times the modulus. Wow.
They aren’t going anywhere.