Kurt Hughes Sailing Designs – design

3123 Fairview Ave E, Suite 203, Seattle, WA 98102 ∙ (206) 719-4893 ∙ khughes@multihulldesigns.com 

www.multihulldesigns.com

EDUCATION

1977-1979                            University of Washington                            Seattle, WA

B.A., Architecture.

1979-1981                            University of Hawaii                                   Honolulu, HI

Graduate work.

1992                                       University of California Berkeley              Berkeley, CA

• Continuing Education in Engineering.

• Composite Materials Workshop XVI.

WORK EXPERIENCE

1984-present                        Kurt Hughes Sailing Designs                      Seattle, WA

Owner/Architect

• Executed the design of over 1000 composite multihulls on all continents.

• Maintaining state-of-the-art 3D Modeling Tool Kit for Design.

• Premier advocate of Cylinder Molded rapid hull construction technology.  Published construction manual and

  DVD describing CM.

• In 1989, with the assistance of Congressman John Miller, convinced the United States Coast Guard to use the

  American Bureau of Shipping Offshore Racing Yachts guide (ABS ORY) to certify charter multihulls.

• In 1990, worked with the United States Coast Guard to accept certification of multihulls for exposed waters

  and severe conditions.

1.                              Geoff Lundquist Associates                     Seattle

1.                              Sibold Associates                                      Seattle

1979-1980, 1981, 1983      Pruess/Kovell International                     Seattle

NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Lectures:

•1990 World Multihull Conference, (Cylinder Mold Construction) – Southampton, UK.

•1992 Marine Applications of Composite Materials (A Finite Element Study of a Wing Mast Using Intermediate Bulkheads) – Melbourne, FL, USA.

•1994 Miami Boat Show, (Floats, Foils & Fibers, Which Way) – Miami, FL, USA.

•1994 Marine Applications of Composite Materials, (Three Rapid Composite Hull Building Strategies) –

  Melbourne, FL, USA.

•1994 World Multihull Conference, (Multihull Structural Design) – Southampton, UK.

•1990s Several annual multihull design conferences at Southampton, UK

•1997 Miami Boat Show, (Cylinder Mold Construction) – Miami, FL, USA.

•1998 Miami Boat Show, (Fins, Foils, & Fibers, Which Way) – Miami, FL, USA.

•1999 Miami Boat Show, (Appropriate 3D) – Miami, FL, USA.

•1999 MAREX Conference (Appropriate 3D) – Auckland, New Zealand.

•1999 IBEX Conference, (Appropriate 3D) – Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.

•2006 IBEX Conference, (Repair of Marine Composites) – Seattle, WA, USA.

•2006 Structural Engineers Assn. Of  Seattle, (Marine Design) – Seattle, WA, USA

•2007Seattle Central Community College lecture for the Wooden Boat School. (Fusion of Composites and Wood in Marine Construction) – Seattle, WA, USA

2019 My Designs                 Newport Yacht Club

Significant Designs in Operation Now:       

32’ trimaran, Smoholla The Shaman – 1979: First KHSD design, fastest boat in Seattle for many years.

26’ trimaran, Nickel Sea – 1981:

44’ trimaran, CHAAK – 1985: Third design, fastest boat in Seattle for many years.

36’ catamaran, Kamanu – 1985:  First wood/epoxy cat Coast Guard certified.

42’ catamaran, Cruising 42 – 1986:  Going around the world now.

42’ catamaran, Akialoa – 1989:  The first catamaran certified by the United States Coast Guard under ABS.

40’ trimaran, Gecko – 1988:  Formula 40 based in Seattle.

85’ catamaran Channel Cat– 1989: charter cat

63’ catamaran, Profligate – 1996:  Latitude 38 magazine company boat.

58’ catamaran, Sunchaser – 1996: Production catamaran.

48’ catamaran, Yellow Bird – 1999: Typical 30-knot charter trimaran

46’ trimaran, Faamu Sami – 2000:  Record-setting East coast trimaran.

23’ proa, Jow Tran – 2000: Power proa.

45’ catamaran, Capricorn –  :  Prominent West coast fast-cruising catamaran.

65’ catamaran, Holo Holo –  :  Power catamaran.

40’ catamaran, Mystere 40 –  :  Formula 40 catamaran.

55’ catamaran, Sierra Cloud –  :   Charter catamaran.

30’ trimaran, Tomcat –  :  High-speed trimaran.

65’ catamaran Adventure Cat 2– 2002: charter catatamaran

65’ catamaran Teralani 2 – 2005: charter catatamaran

85’ catamaran Marina Flyer– 2005 charter cat collaboration

58’ catamaran, Sarabi – 2001: Aero-rig world cruising catamaran.

65’ (2) 65’ passenger ferries for Uganda 2011

Built by Hughes :

32’ geodesic dome – 1974.

32’ trimaran, Smoholla the Shaman – 1979.

26’ trimaran, Nickel Sea – 1981.

40’ trimaran, Gecko – 1988.

23’ proa, Jow Tran – 2000.

Half-size fire lookout – 2004

Composite lunar lander 2018

Kalewa and Profligate were caught racing. I don’t know who won.

For the last couple of years I have been designing an update to my 63′ catamaran Profligate for Craig in New Zealand. Unfortunately it turned out he wanted everything changed. The plan set consisted of 38 PDFs and 75 CADD files, plus all the spreadsheets and Autocad files. I did everything he requested. One of the last things he asked for was instead of the usual aluminum bow tube, he wanted a curved carbon one. I did and I also included how to build it drawings. We agreed that he would send another $5000 for all the changes that were requested. Then on New Years 2023 he caught covid. He has be apparently in the hospital until a few weeks ago.

When I finally saw him online I asked how he was doing. He told me that I was fired and he was going to start another design with someone else. I thought he had lost his mind. Again, I had done everything he asked for and he was enthusiastic about the work, until covid. I told him that I could remind him of our hundreds of positive Messenger messages we shared. I discovered that they had all been erased. No evidence remains. Suspicious.

It is one of the best plan sets that I have ever done. I am offering it for $25,000 to recoup some of my loss. Introducing it here before it goes online.

An example of the detail I did. Of course all the laminates were called out.

A former client got some 36′ plastic cat hulls and he wanted me to design a house for it. Instead he built something simpler and uglier.