Naval Architect's Notebook

Modern sailboat design requires a certain amount of engineering and naval architecture calculations. Here are a few files to serve as an example of some of the number crunching and computer modeling that is part of the sailboat design process.

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Right Click on the document name and select "Save Target As" to download the files to your computer.

Wave Form Area Curve Development for MS Excel (22 KB)
Used for Colin Archer's Wave Form Theory

4.6 Meter Class Rating Rule (52 KB)
Developed for the K-5m. Similar to the 6 meter class, but smaller. Revised January 2012

Stability for Offshore Sailing Yachts: Does AVS Even Matter? (web page)
Article on sailing yacht stability

Forget Everything You Know About Prismatic Coefficient (web page)
Possibly the most misunderstood and overrated factor in sailboat design

K-28 Weight Estimate (87 KB)
An example of a weight estimate calculation spreadsheet

K-28 Scantling Calculations (116 KB)
Scantling calculation spreadsheet using the ISO guidelines.

K-28 Stability Report (816 KB)
Intact and damage stability report for the K-28.

K-28 Mast and Rigging Calculations (159 KB)
Traditional method used to calculate spar and rigging loads.

Fairing a Sailing Yacht Hull With Rhinoceros 3d Modeling Software (1,420 KB)
The method used to develop hull designs for boats on this web site.

Polar Plot for the K-28 (14 KB)
Polar plot for the K-28 developed from my VPP spreadsheet.

Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) for MS Excel (253 KB)
My home grown VPP spreadsheet.

How to Build a Hull Display Model (web page)
Building a display model to visually evaluate a new hull design.

K8500 Stability Report (625 KB)
Intact and damage stability for the K8500

Polar Plot for the K-5m (14 KB)
Another polar plot. This one for the K-5m.

Double Ended Racing Yachts of the 1920's and 1930's (web page)
Some of the best looking boats ever built by L. Francis Herreshoff and Nick Potter.

K-5m Stability Report (576 KB)
Another stability report. This one for the K-5m

K-5m Weight Estimate (78 KB)
Another example weight estimate spreadsheet.

K-5m Scantling Calculations (136 KB)
The K-5m scantling calculations to the ISO standard.

Preliminary Design Spreadsheet for an International 8 Meter Sailing Yacht (45 KB)
Some number crunching to develop the proportions of a full displacement sailing yacht.