Cardboard and Sticks, Why an Interior Mockup is a Good Idea
What is a mockup? Generally it is a quickly built prototype.
• a mockup gives a good feel for the real space
• a mockup helps focus on usability and function rather than materials and small details
• a mockup allows you to interactively problem solve
• encourages experimenting, the materials are easy to work with and inexpensive
Mockups are commonly used by designers and builders to get real world feedback on a design or space. Yes there are drawings, but those don’t give the full-scale walk through the space experience. And in reality most people can’t visualize from a 1/2 inch to the foot scale drawing. In a yacht interior, often we are balancing taking an inch here and giving an inch there just to make everything work. Sometimes this is due to a constraint such as, the size of an appliance or equipment access and sometimes it is more related to what works for the specific customer. Is there room to walk through reasonably? Does that cabinet block my view? Will I hit my head going down the stairs? It really is much better to discover any problems before the actual building begins. Generally they are not that hard to fix, in fact you can work them out in the mockup quickly, then make sure that the changes are documented. This information does need to be incorporated into the build drawings and notes or it will do no good. This pdf, Mock-up notes , is from the documentation of a Northwest Trawlers 50.
Read MoreMaple with a Few Variations
I thought that it might be interesting to look at a very common north American wood, Maple. Now there are actually quite a few different species that grow in North America but for most purposes they are broken down to Hard Maple and Soft Maple
Hard Maple, includes sugar maple and black maple. It is a hard,dense, tough wood. The weight ranges from 40 to 45 pounds per cubic foot. The working properties are generally good. Being denser it tends to hold up to high wear areas better, you can damage it but not that easily. It is generally considered a very good cabinet wood. This wood tends to lean towards the lighter tones to almost white.
Read MoreIt’s Just Wood, How Many Decisions Can There Be?
Actually this may seem simple at first, but it is commonly a challenge to come up with the final choices. There are many factors to consider. Availability, color tones, grain patterns, density and workability are some of the decisions. Once you have picked the general species, you still have to determine the actual look, within reason, that you would like. Some of this will be solid lumber and much will be veneer. These do not have to be the same wood, often I like to use something simple for the background (cabin sides and bulkheads) and something a bit more interesting for the cabinets and door panels. This becomes more important when the majority of the interior is wood, less so when there is some fabric or wallpaper to break it up.
Read MoreCustom Yacht Tables, by Shipwright Style
Tables from Shipwright Style
The flier above is for my custom and semi-custom yacht tables. I enjoy building these and would like to expand more into this area. Part of what make these so enjoyable to design and build is that the variations are nearly endless.
The small table at the top is intended to be semi-custom, the length can be adjusted but the width is fixed at 14″, 16″ and 18″. This helps keep costs down as there does not need to be new patterns made for each table. The solid wood, veneers and profiles can be tailored to mach your individual needs and preferences.
Read MoreAging Gracefully
It’s launch day, and after months or maybe years of hard work by many people, the project is nearly done. The crew has cleaned every nook and cranny, the art work is in place and there are only a handful of items that must be completed after sea trials. If you asked them, most of the build crew would tell you that this is the best one they have built. We all hope that each is a little better than the last one. In short the new yacht looks magnificent. But really most new yachts look very nice on launch day, what I always wonder when I am looking through one is how will this look after five or ten years of use? Boats move and twist, wood work gets bumped and dinged, it all takes a toll. That toll can be minimized and over time the look will be more like that of a cherished antique. Aside from how the interior is treated by people on board, there are many factors that affect how it holds up, the following paragraphs cover some of them.
Read MoreSalish Sea Yachts IS48 Look & Feel Concept
IS48 look and feel concept
I n December of 2009 I was asked by Matt Elder of SEA Marine to come up with concept for the interior of the upcoming Doug Zurn designed Salish Sea Yachts IS48. Pat, the owner wanted a Northwest contemporary look inside on boat number one. The sample piece would set the tone for the interior of the first IS48, and be a cabinet for their Seattle boat show booth. We looked at a variety of woods and eventually settled on vertical grain old growth Doulas Fir as the primary material with Pacific Yew and Alaskan Yellow Cedar as accents. The document to the right shows my initial look and feel concept for the project.
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