yacht in sketchup

Join Duckworks
Get free newsletter

Draw a Boat Using SketchUp

Andrew is an architect, designer of boats and SketchUp aficionado. He runs summer SketchUp training courses from his studio in South Pelion, Greece.

His boat designs are on .

His website is here:

When it comes to boats and boat design, I'm a bit of a 'newbie'. I really got interested in boats when we bought a house in Greece and built my first boat here in 2008. After that, I got the bug which led me to start designing them (I'm an architect so that sort of thing is in my blood!)

I'd been using SketchUp 3D software for my architectural work. Its ability to create models in 3D and manipulate them led me to explore how it could be used to design boat hulls.

After some trial and error, I developed a method that worked and designed a boat. I emailed it to Duckworks and Chuck was kind enough to give me a page here to feature my designs .

Since then I've read a few articles on Duckworks Magazine which relate to boat design and it crossed my mind that some of you might be interested in how I go about creating a design.

This article aims to show the reader how to draw a boat in SketchUp 3D software. I hope it might be of help to those out there who have a design in their head and just can't get it on paper. The hydrodynamics are not considered here and may be the subject of a future article. In the meantime, I'll direct those interested to Marcus Bole's PolyCAD website where you can download his hull design and hydrostatic software: www.polycad.co.uk

I import my SketchUp designs into PolyCAD for hydrostatic analysis.

Please note that the subject of this article is a preliminary design for a 12' x 5' beam small skiff, created simply to show how to go through the process and give you the knowledge needed in order to make a better design for yourself!

The Software

SketchUp is available in two versions, the free version - SketchUp Make, and the professional version – SketchUp Pro. I use SketchUp Pro but everything shown here can be done with the free version – providing it is not for commercial use. You can download SketchUp here: www.sketchup.com

In addition to the free software, I make use of a few add-on pieces of software, called 'plug-ins'.

The ones used here are:

Extrude Tools by Tig

BezierSpline by Fredo 6

Let's get started!

Use the tape command to draw a rectangle that is the length and beam of your design.

Draw a rectangle over it - make it larger as shown.

Extrude the rectangle - make the extrusion taller than the boat that you're designing.

We're going to draw the 2D views of the boat on the sides of this box, and then extrude and intersect these lines in order to create the edge lines of the plywood panels.

After that we'll put surfaces between the lines to make the hull panels.

Then we'll flatten the panels to form the flattened shapes of them.

At this stage I want to see inside the box so I use the paint bucket command. Create a new material, edit the colour to something you will notice, then reduce the opacity so that you can see inside. The example above has an opacity of about 20%.

Use the view toolbar for a top view and then, in the Camera list on the top line, choose parallel projection.

Move the tape lines from the bottom face to the top face and add another tape line centrally from bow to stern.

Over these tape lines, draw the transom line and the sheer line.

For the curve on the sheer line, I use Fredo's Bezier Spline Plug-in.

This is a 3D view. I've now added vertical tape lines at bow and stern ends.

This is the side view in parallel projection.

I've added horizontal tape lines to the face to represent the high and low points on the sheer line and the motor mounting height on the transom.

Over these lines I draw the sheer line using the BezierSpline plug-in.

This is what we have so far.

The transom and sheer line, as viewed from the top, and the sheer line as viewed from the side.

I've also transferred the lines on the side view and top view across to the rear (stern) view so that I can draw the transom as viewed from the bow.

This is the bow view, parallel projection, with the transom drawn on the face.

Add some curves using the Bezier Spline plug-in.

3D perspective view

Go back to the side view, parallel projection.

Add the stem, keel and transom lines.

Then the chine lines.

Now we have a cube with the lines of the boat drawn on each face.

Same view, without the guide lines – looking less confused.

On the top face of the cube, add the chine lines.

3D view

Same view without the guide lines.

Make a copy. We're doing this so that if anything goes wrong, we'll have something to go back to.

Now we use Tig's plug-in to extend the stem and keel line horizontally.

Then vertically.

Then intersect these edges.

After deleting the surfaces that you've extruded, you're left with the stem and keel line.

Now the sheer line.

Using Tig's Extrude Edges by Vector plug-in, extrude the lines on plan view and side view, then intersect the edges.

The result after deleting the extruded surfaces is the sheer line in its three dimensional position.

Repeat the process with the chine line.

From this view, you see that we now have the lines of the stem and keel, the chine and the sheer.

Now I take another copy so that if anything goes wrong, we'll have something to go back to.

We now need to create the transom lines.

Again, extrude the lines, intersect, then delete the extruded faces.

Like this.

This shows the top line of the transom.

Now join the intersected points to create the transom face.

I then make another copy – just in case anything goes wrong.

After deleting the unwanted geometry, this is what we have.

The transom face and lines representing the position of the keel, stem, chine and sheer.

The next stage is to put the side and bottom surfaces on the hull, using these lines as the edges of the surfaces.

First make two copies of the hull and delete unwanted geometry so that you're left with two sets of lines that form the edges of the side and bottom panels.

Then use the Sandbox, 'From Contours' command to create the surfaces.

Just triple click to select everything, then click on the Sandbox, 'From Contours' command.

The above shows the faces that have been created.

This is the same view showing the hidden geometry.

Note that the curves drawn by SketchUp consist of a series of straight lines. I used the default setting here but there is an option to adjust the number of straight sections in a curve.

Note also that the Sandbox tool has created a surface by drawing lots of triangles between the curve sections.

This is useful because later on, we can use a plug-in to twist each triangle onto the same plane as the adjoining triangle. This will give us the true shape of the flattened hull panel.

The Sandbox, 'From Contours' command sometimes forms an extra surface - like this.

One needs to zoom in and delete this extra surface.

At this stage make the transom, side and hull panels into components.

Now put the bottom and side panels onto the transom.

Hidden geometry not shown. We have half a boat hull.

Side view.

Plan view with the two halves joined.

We'll now add the interior.

I'm going for a seating arrangement of abeam at bow, stern and midships. Plus side seats running bow to stern.

The vertical supports will form part of the structural framework.

First go back and make sure that all of the hull parts are components. You've probably come across 'sticky' geometry by now. Components and Groups are the way to avoid this and at the same time organise your model.

Then draw a large rectangle below the hull - and bigger than the hull.

Pull it up until it's at the required height.

Select the rectangle by triple clicking it, then use the intersect faces with model command.

Then delete everything except the surface within the hull.

Make this a component.

Now arrange vertical faces in the positions of the seat supports / frames.

Same process, select all by triple clicking, intersect faces with model, delete unwanted geometry.

Repeat for the side seats.

The model so far.

Make a copy.

Keep one and on the other, delete the hull.

You have the internal panels.

And put it back into the bare hull.

You can now take each of these parts and use them as templates for building the frames.

You can either have large scale prints made - which can now be had for a reasonable price at plan printing shops. Several do an online service - email the drawing and they'll send a hard copy back.

Or dimension them so that you can mark them out on plywood yourself.

Flatten the hull panels.

Rotate this panel onto the reg / green axis (ground plane).

Here are some of the panels ready for dimensioning or exporting as full size pdf's.

Here's the completed boat.

After thoughts:

Scaling the model is easy but give consideration to what you want to scale. For example, you might want to make the hull longer but not the seats. If so, scale up the bare hull and then add in new seats.

The illustration above shows two alternatives. The boat that is closest has been increased in length to 18' with the height raised for a long shaft outboard.

The one in the middle is the same length as the original (12'), with the height raised for a long shaft outboard.

Frames and frame thickness's

In this exercise, I haven't given the panels any thickness. You could do this by pulling the flat planes out to the required thickness.

I haven't shown a stem, but by now you'll know how to add one for yourself!

Top 8 Best Boat Design Software in 2024 (Free & Paid)

Written by: 3DSourced

January 16, 2024

Whether you’re a student, a hobbyist, or a professional, finding the right software is the key first step to designing a boat. However, with such a wide range of programs available, you need to make sure you choose the best boat design software for you.

We usually talk about 3D software in relation to 3D printing, but 3D modeling techniques are used across many applications and industries, including boat design. In fact, 3D printing is becoming increasingly prevalent in the boat design industry, with one example being Tanaruz’s 3D printed boats .

Quick Overview

Free!ship : Best Free Boat Design Software for Linux
Sailcut CAD : Free Sailboat Design Software
Bearboat SP : Free Boat Designer for Small Boats & Kayaks
DELFTship : Intuitive Free Boat Design Tool with Professional Option
Fusion 360 : Best Free Boat Design Software for Beginners & Mac
SketchUp : Best Boat Design App for iPad
Autoship : Best for Naval & Marine Architecture, Best for Windows
Solidworks : Best for Aluminum Boat Design Software & Best for Yachts

In this guide, we review several 3D ship design software to help you do just that. We’ll take a close look at both free and professional options, so that you’ll be able to find a suitable program regardless of your budget and experience.

Read more: our feature story on 3D printed boats

Best Free Boat Design Software

1. freeship – best free boat design software for linux.

Completely free and open source

Subdivision modeling to design any hull shape

Can export designs in a range of file formats

Can submit support and feature requests

Positive reviews from users

Can be tricky for novices to get used to

Not available on Mac

Unlike most of the boat building software on our list, Free!ship isn’t developed by a company, but rather by an individual called Marven with a desire to make boat design accessible to anyone.

Free!ship is a surface modeling program for designing ships and yachts, using subdivision surfaces modeling rather than NURBs, providing the freedom to design hulls of any shape.

Available on Windows and Linux, you can get started with this free CAD software by automatically generating a basic boat structure to use as a template. You can then easily use the nodes on the structure, as well as a variety of tools like curve, split, collapse, and insert plane, to reshape the design to your liking.

You need to fill in certain parameters, such as:

Boat length
Beam length
Longitudinal and vertical direction

Once you’ve done that, you can view your boat design in four different perspectives and every angle to help you finalize your structure.

Free!ship offers the option to fill out support requests, feature requests, and report bugs. However, bear in mind that design beginners may be better off with a professional free ship design software that has more support options and tutorials available, as you don’t get any training with Free!ship.

2. Sailcut CAD – Free Sailboat Design Software

Specialist sailboat design software

Easy to use node editing

Supports a variety of sail designs

Export designs in different file types including DXF files

Not suitable for designing other boat types

If you’re looking for a free small boat design software specifically geared towards designing sails and sailboats, you can’t go wrong with Sailcut CAD .

This design and plotting software can be used to design the sail, hull, and rail of a boat, in addition to precisely computing panel development in flat sheets.

You can use it for a variety of different sail types, including wing sails, cross cut, twist foot cut, vertical cut, mitre cut, and radicul cut, so it’s a versatile tool that will suit virtually any sailboat designer.

The software provides a base design template that you can then edit and view in a variety of formats, including shaded, wireframe, and development. It provides control over all the key dimensions of your sailboat, such as boat length, gaff round, and seam width.

Sailcut provides documentation that explains how to use it for CAD as well as community mailing lists and a bug tracker where you can report issues.

3. Bearboat SP – Free Boat Designer for Small Boats & Kayaks

Specialist kayak design software

Simple to use

Control all aspects of your design

Multiple view options

Advanced tools like wetting

Not suitable for larger boat designs

Dated interface

Bearboat SP is a specialist kayak design software that can also be used to design other similar types of small boats.

People have been using Bearboat to design kayaks since 1998 – and it’s the most popular program for this specific type of boat design.

It’s a fairly simple, no-frills software that makes it easy to get stuck straight in. You begin by filling in the core boat hull parameters, such as length, stability, and design deplacement, and then just click the ‘create’ button to generate your base kayak template.

From there, you can go about making structural changes to aspects like shape seam, bow and stern seam height, and rockers parameters. You can also easily change dimensions using the nodes on the 2D wireframe design.

There are three viewing options – bird view, side view, and cross-section view – for inspecting your design from different perspectives, as well as options such as changing the color of the wireframe design for easier analysis.

Advanced features include the ability to view the wetted surface and underwater area, and a drag spreadsheet that contains all the parameters of your boat design, making Bearboat SP a well-rounded boat design tool overall.

4. DELFTship – Intuitive Free Boat Design Tool with Professional Option

More up-to-date and intuitive than other free boat design software tools

Impressive model rendering

Professional license and extension options

Perform basic calculations to check buoyancy and other factors

Free version has limited features compared to paid version

DELFTship is another great free boat design software, and offers a somewhat more professional and up-to-date solution versus Sailcut and Free!ship, with more impressive renderings than other free programs.

This 3D hull form modeling program is very intuitive with a range of easy-to-use design features, including lots of nodes that make it simple to edit your base model just by dragging and dropping.

You can inspect your models from five different viewpoints and convert them to wireframes and other formats to better analyze structure. Features like the keel and rudder wizard make it simple to design additional components of your boat.

DELFTship provides an unlimited free version alongside a professional license that costs $160. You can also add on extensions and board stability analysis calculations upon request for additional fees.

Even without the paid license you can still use DELFTship free to perform basic hydrostatic calculations and resistance calculations to help improve the precision of your designs, making this one of the most impressive free boat design tools.

5. Fusion 360 – Best Free Boat Design Software for Beginners & Mac

More beginner-friendly than other boat design software

Lots of learning resources & tutorials

High quality, flexible 3D modeling tool

Impressive renderings

Available on Mac

Not a specialist boat hull design software

Unlike the other programs we’ve covered so far Fusion 360 is a general purpose 3D modeling software that’s not specifically made for boat designing. However, it’s still widely used in boat designing, and its more general nature has some advantages.

For starters, designing a boat is a fairly large and complex task, and the more specialist software like Free!ship and Bearboat SP are complex if you’re new to computer aided design.

While Fusion 360 still has a learning curve, it’s one of the best designed, intuitive, and beginner-friendly 3D modeling software out there. On top of that, it has a huge range of learning resources and tutorials, great support, and a large user community, so it’s very popular among new designers.

In fact, there are a variety of YouTube videos and written tutorials showing how to use Fusion 360 for boat design and for different types of vessels, including yachts and canoes. These include videos showing how to design wooden boats , so it’s a good choice if you’re looking for a plywood boat design software.

Another benefit of Fusion 360 is that, unlike most naval architecture boat design software, it’s available on Mac. It even has iOS and Android apps that allow you to view designs and collaborate via your smartphone or tablet.

Fusion 360 is also free for three years as long as you’re using it non-commercially.

Best Paid Boat Design Software

6. sketchup – best boat design app for ipad.

Price : $119 a year for the app (free online version available)

3D modeling iPad app

High quality renderings

Intuitive and beginner-friendly

Free online version available

Not specialized for boat design

SketchUp is another general purpose 3D software used for boat design. While it’s not one of the most widely used boat design programs, the reason it’s on our list is that it’s one of the few premier 3D CAD tools that has a fully-fledged mobile app for iPad.

While some programs like Fusion 360 have viewer apps, these don’t have the modeling tools of their desktop counterparts. However, with the SketchUp iPad app, you can enjoy advanced modeling on a tablet, and you can even get creative using an Apple Pencil stylus.

There are a variety of tutorials and videos showing how to design boats with SketchUp, and as a user-friendly software it’s a good option for beginners. SketchUp also boasts high quality renderings for producing 3D boat designs that you can easily share with anyone.

While the SketchUp boat design app has a yearly fee, you can also use the software for free using the online-only version, or choose from a variety of desktop licenses that vary in terms of features and storage.

SketchUp also offers iPhone and Android apps, although these are more stripped back versions more suited to viewing and sharing designs on your mobile.

7. Autoship – Best for Naval & Marine Architecture, Best for Windows

Price : upon quote

Large software suite that covers the entire boat design pipeline

Used by professional boat manufacturers

Highly intuitive NURBs modeling

Comprehensive testing features and data management

Extensive training and support

Can be used to create load plans

Not available on Mac

Steep learning curve

Autoship is a software suite designed for professional naval and marine architects that provides solutions for every aspect in the boat design process, from modeling to construction and load planning modules for more optimal loading.

In terms of design, Autoship software offers five different CAD/CAM solutions:

Autoship Pro – a hull design and surface modeling program.
Modelmaker – for creating 3D models of vessels and components.
Autohydro Pro – for analyzing hydrostatics and stability of your models.
Autoplate – a plate design, expansion, and management system.
Autopower – for resistance and powering predictions.

So, you can create a package with any number of these programs based on your needs. The great thing about Autoship software is all the programs are fully integrated, so any changes made to your model integrate into each solution.

Autoship Pro is the primary design solution in this suite, with a vast array of advanced features for designing vessels. Based on NURBs modeling, the intuitive interface allows you to work in up to four views simultaneously with ten levels of zoom and unzoom for top precision.

Some of the impressive features of this vessel design software include extensive context menus to help speed up operations, the ability to color surfaces so it’s easy to pick out parts in complex designs, curvature displays for curves and surfaces, hydrostatic and resistance calculations, and strength assessment tools.

Overall, with its mix of powerful design, testing, and engineering features, Autoship is one of the most complete boat design software on the market.

8. Solidworks – Best for Aluminum Boat Design Software & Best for Yachts

Price : upon quote

Solidworks is one of the most advanced 3D CAD/CAM software out there and is widely used across design and engineering industries, from automotive to aerospace as well as boat design.

In fact, this software is used by a number of leading boat manufacturers. One such example is Kvichak Marine Industries, a Seattle-based maker of high quality aluminum vessels, including both passenger and industrial boats.

In this v i deo , the assistant chief engineer explains how Solidworks’ highly precise 3D modeling tools allow them to improve processes by spotting issues quicker and therefore improve efficiency, with the ability to inspect every element from the individual pipes within hulls to the connections within engines.

Solidworks’ extremely advanced and flexible modeling allows you to create any type of boat you like. There’s even an eBook that explains each step in designing a superyacht using Solidworks.

While this software is mostly used by professional companies, there are also numerous YouTube videos showing you how to design a boat with it, so it’s accessible to amateurs.

What is Boat Design Software?

A boat design software is a program used to sketch, plan, and model a boat in 3D. Popular boat design programs include Free!ship, Solidworks, Fusion 360, and Autoship.

What is naval architecture?

Naval architecture is the processing of designing and engineering marine vessels like ships and boats, as well as their parts. Naval architects also work in boat and ship repair.

Do I need special software for designing boats?

You don’t need a special boat design software to design boats and ships. While there are a number of specialist boat design software tools out there, general 3D modeling CAD programs like Fusion 360 and AutoCAD are also used for this purpose.

What Can You Do With Boat Software?

All boat software have different features that determine what you can do with them. For example, certain programs are designed for creating certain types of boats, such as kayaks and sailboats, so this is the first consideration you need to make to find a suitable program.

More expensive programs typically offer a much wider range of features than paid versions. At the top end are industrial solutions like Autoship and Solidworks, which offer extremely high quality and flexible modeling tools and provide support for testing, manufacturing, and engineering processes, so they’re complete solutions.

There are also software like DELFTship and Fusion 360 that provide both free and paid versions, so you can try out the free versions and then upgrade if you want the extra features available on the paid licenses.

Buying Guide – Things to consider when choosing boat software

Type of Boat

Boats come in all different shapes and sizes, and some software are specially built for designing certain types of boats. For example, Bearboat SP is primarily geared towards kayak designing, while Sailcut is for sailboats.

On the other hand, general 3D modeling software like Fusion 360 and Solidworks are more flexible, so you could use it as a Yacht design software and for other types of boats. The benefits of this are the increased flexibility and beginner-friendliness, but these general programs can lack some of the more specialist features that the likes of Bearboat SP and Sailcut have.

Compatibility

The device you’re using is going to have an impact on what naval architecture software you use, as most programs only work on certain operating systems.

In fact, the majority of boat design software are only compatible with Windows. If you’re looking for a boat design software for Mac, Linux, or iPad, you may be best off using a more general purpose 3D modeling software like Fusion 360 or SketchUp.

3D Rendering & Graphic Quality

Free programs like Free!ship, Sailcut, and Bearboat SP are all great for creating precise boat designs at no expense, but in terms of graphics and 3D model rendering, they’re all very basic.

Yachts rendered in Solidworks and SketchUp

This isn’t unusual when it comes to free programs, and if you’re not bothered about graphics then it’s no issue. However, if you do want to create higher quality models and renderings – which is especially important if you’re a student or aspiring professional boat designer – then you’ll need a program that provides this, such as Solidworks or Autoship.

Usability & Training

Boat design isn’t exactly a simple process, so if you’re a complete beginner, you’ll want a software that’s easier to get to grips with.

The free boat design software we’ve covered are all fairly simple to use, but the level of intuitiveness and support varies. If you’re a complete newbie to computer design, you may want to go for a widely used modeling software like SketchUp or Fusion 360, both of which boast great support, large communities, and more tutorials than specialist boat structural design software.

Budget & Free Trial

The price of boat design software can vary a lot, from free programs to expensive professional solutions like Solidworks and Autoship that can cost thousands, so bear this in mind. Many paid boat design software offer free trials, so you should definitely take advantage of this to try a program out.

What software is best for basic boat design?

Free!ship, Delftship, and Sailcut are all popular free software that allow you to create basic boat designs.

How do you design a yacht?

If you want to design yachts, the first step is to find a high quality yacht designing software such as Solidworks or Autoship.

How do you become a boat architect / ship designer?

To be a boat architect or ship designer you need to first obtain a relevant degree, such as a BEng or MEng in naval architecture.

How much do yacht architects make?

Yacht and naval architects can make anywhere from $60,000 to $150,000 depending on their experience and position, with the average salary around $75,000.

Autoship, Solidworks, Maxsurf, and OrcaFlex are all popular marine design software that are used in professional ship design.

To become a boat designer you first need a degree in a relevant subject, such as naval architecture, ship science, or marine technology.

The best way to learn how to make a boat hull in Solidworks is by watching one the boast hull design tutorial provided by Solidworks Product Manager Mark Biasotti.

The first step to designing a yacht is finding a suitable CAD software, such as Solidworks or Fusion 360.

Lightning CAD Dock Designer is one of the most popular boat dock design software.

Top Free CAD Software for 3D Printing For Every Skill Level
Best 2D & 3D Car Design Software in 2022
Top Picks For Beginner & Pro Free Furniture Design Software
Best PCB Design Software
Free Floor Plan Software
Garage Design Software
Great Pool Design Software

Was this content helpful? Give us your feedback here.

Learn More About 3D Sourced

6 Best Large 3D Printers in 2024 (All Budgets)

5 Best 3D Printers for Miniatures & Terrain in 2024

4 Fastest 3D Printers in 2024 (All Budgets)

Coolest Things to 3D Print 2023 Featured Image Articulated Dragon Gyarados and Shiny Gyarados

The 56+ Coolest Things To 3D Print in 2023

3D Printing Troubleshooting Errors Guide

44 Common 3D Print Problems – Troubleshooting Issues 2023

13 Best Free 3D Modeling Software (For Beginners) 2024

11 Best 3D Printers in 2024 (All Budgets)

5 Best 3D Printers For Beginners in 2024

Exceptional value with anycubic’s latest 3d printer deals.

40+ 3D Printing Industry Statistics (2024 Update)

22+ Coolest 3D Printed Robotics Projects (2024 Update)

8 Best DIY 3D Printer Kits in 2024 (From $150!)

3D Printing In Space – Top Projects in 2023

Best 3D Printed Shoes in 2023 (Sneakers, Heels & More)

The Best 3D Printer Buyer's Guide Resource & 3D Printer Reviews

[email protected]

3D Printers 3D Scanners 3D Software Guides Rankings Interviews News

Sign In or Create Account

Forgot password.

If you don't receive the email within an hour (and you've checked your Spam folder), email us as [email protected].

Struggling to model a boat hull

I’m trying to model a 3 meter boat in SketchUp Web and struggling with the hull shape. The hull material is to be 2 mm aluminum. I’ve made a public rendition of the model here: SketchUp

I have the hull shape sketched out, but don’t know how to make it a set of complex surfaces (interior and exterior hull material surfaces).

Willing to pay someone to do this for me if the price is reasonable. I’m more interested in the parts I’ve already completed than the shape of the hull.

What version of SketchUp are you using? Please complete your profile. That information will help us help you.

Just did. I’m using the web version.

You’ll have to share the SketchUp file. Lookking at in in the online viewer doesn’t help.

Curious about how accurate the parts need to be. From what I can see in the viewer your model looks pretty rough.

Huh. I updated my profile to indicate that I was using SketchUp Web, that I live in Oak Harbor, WA, and… a couple other things I’ve since forgotten. I’ll double-check to see if it saved properly.

The design model is in the early stages. I need to get the shape of the hull so I can start putting in interior bits (frame parts, benches, steering, etc.). I also need to figure out how to model a dripless shaft seal, but that’s another story, and one I think I can achieve on my own (I’ll cry for help if I can’t). Also, the model only has to be accurate enough to have a conversation with a builder. I expect them to provide a response design developed in their own CAD system, which will drive things like a CNC machine.

Here’s the SKP file of the thing that I linked to above. Boat 3 Public.skp (553.3 KB)

Thank you for your support.

Boat 3 Public2.skp (1011.2 KB)

Perfect, thank you. Part of me wants to understand what you did to fix it; most of me just wants to shower you with thanks and press on to the rest of the design. I’ll go with majority rule, but I’ll stop to say that this is exactly what I was trying to create.

I don’t expect them to demand anything industry standard. They’ll take my model and re-model it in their software and go from there. I just need something to use as a communication tool.

Thank you again (and again and again).

You’re welcome

CFD Analysis of a Sail Yacht from SketchUp

A sail yacht is a great example of an aerodynamic vehicle that relies totally on the wind for propulsion. And you guessed it, where there's aerodynamics there's also an opportunity for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to make an impact. CFD has been a primary tool in the aerodynamic optimization of many recent sail yachts. This is especially true in competitive sail yacht design, such as the yachts that compete for the America's Cup . If your budget doesn't extend to the scale of Larry Ellison's then fear not, you can still benefit from CFD analysis of your yacht design in combination with Google SketchUp and Caedium Professional .

Model Preparation in SketchUp

The original model ( Baltic 50 yacht ) for this analysis came from the Google 3D warehouse .

Often SketchUp models have extraneous details (e.g., yacht rigging - wires and pulleys) that are irrelevant for a CFD analysis and can often complicate the meshing process without resulting in incremental improvement in the final CFD results. Also SketchUp models often omit key intersections (e.g., the intersection between the yacht and the sea surface - the water line). Using SketchUp it is relatively easy to delete features and add missing intersections for a well-constructed model such as this yacht.

Model Building in Caedium

After importing the COLLADA (.dae) file (exported from SketchUp) into Caedium it became clear that the main mast had inconsistent geometry. There are often problems with COLLADA import due to the imprecise nature of faceted geometry . In Caedium it was easy to construct new geometry for the mast and also the distant outer boundary (a cylinder) using Caedium's (analytic) geometry tools. Then using the hybrid topology-based tools that can mix and match geometry types (faceted and analytic) the final flow volume was stitched together from the model faces.

Rather than represent the sails as having an extremely small thickness and wasting mesh cells trying to resolve them, they were modeled as zero-thickness (or double-sided) walls. Each side of the sail was assigned a separate wall boundary condition.

The final flow volume consisted of:

318 vertices

CFD Simulation using Caedium RANS Flow

The fact that the flow volume was a mixture of faceted and analytic geometry did not compromise the rest of the simulation process. It was then an easy task to define the physics (e.g., substance and boundary conditions), create the mesh, run the simulation and extract results.

The simulation was configured to model just the air flow around the yacht above the water line. The water surface was modeled as a moving wall.

Water speed relative to the stationary yacht = 10 knots = 5.14 m/s
Speed = 20 knots
Direction = 30 degrees
Speed = 29.09 knots = 15.38 m/s
Direction = 20.1 degrees
Velocity:X = 15.38 x cos (20.1) = 14.44 m/s
Velocity:Y = 15.38 x sin (20.1) = 5.29 m/s
Turbulence Model = K-Omega SST
950,622 tetrahedral volume elements
69,412 triangular face elements

You have seen how flexible Caedium can be in combining a faceted model with native geometry to perform a CFD analysis of a sail yacht. Special Caedium features that make this possible are the hybrid topology-based operations and double-sided walls. Now it's over to you to see whether you can design a sail yacht to compete with Larry's!

Moving reference frame for ships

Hi Symscape,

I'm wondering if it is possible to move the ship with respect to the water instead of the ship being stationary and the water moving.

This is important for CFD of ships because the ship will (at the very minimum) translate vertically and pitch/trim.

As far as I can tell Caedium's MRP is only for rotating elements. Is this correct, or can the reference frame translate as required for CFD of ships?

No free movement

Caedium does not currently support general 6 degrees of movement.

Professional
Testimonials
Newsletters

Select Language

Subscribe Now

May 2019: New Caedium Release and Tutorials
July 2017: Digital Paleontology with CFD
June 2017: Runners, Insects, and a Wind Turbine

Browser Version

IMAGES

SketchUp Yacht by vDesign
Yacht-design 3D models
Yacht 3D SKP Model for SketchUp • Designs CAD
Luxury Yacht
Google Sketchup Yacht
Sketchup: How to draw this yacht

VIDEO

RC Boat Yacht Sketchup + PVC KEREN ABIS
How to make a advanced yacht with a detailed hull
Abeille Bourbon Brest 3D
SketchUp model in an online viewer
Phare du Planier (Marseille)
75 ft. Yacht SPEEDBUILD. Sketchup 2019

COMMENTS

How to model a boat in Sketchup
We answer a user submitted question asking how to model a boat in sketchup.In this video we cover:-Breaking models down into their basic geometries in order ...
How to create simple boat in sketchup tutorial for beginners
learning to create simple boat using sketchup for beginners with intersect metode and yes we do it!Sketchup Tutorialby @PapRendi https://youtu.be/ninexpEdIpM...
HOW TO MODEL A BOAT IN SKETCHUP, SKETCHUP TIPS Weekly
In this video, you can find how to model a boat with a curved surface in SKETCHUP. basic knowledge of SketchUp needed for this tutorial. some tips and techni...
Duckworks
Go back to the side view, parallel projection. Add the stem, keel and transom lines. Then the chine lines. Now we have a cube with the lines of the boat drawn on each face. Same view, without the guide lines - looking less confused. On the top face of the cube, add the chine lines. 3D view.
modeling boat in SketchUp part 2
The Computer-Aided Design ("CAD") files and all associated content posted to this website are created, uploaded, managed and owned by third-party users.
Marine Design
Saw your post for about a day ago, and it caught my eye when I saw that you were asking about boat design with sketchup. I've been using sketchup for boat designs for about 3-4 years now, with a couple of plugins, you can more or less do all kind of designs. There are a lot of different ways to create shapes and hulls in sketchup, so I will ...
modeling a boat hull in sketchup
3D modeling a boat hull using just the arc and line tool in sketchup. video sped up 6x. actual drawing time 42 minutes.
Boatdesign with Sketchup
Here is what I've been using my last week on. Still a bit of details left. I'm above average interested in boats and yachts, and is using sketchup mostly to visualize my own designs. If there are any questions, I'll be happy to answer. 6 Likes. Boatguy February 6, 2017, 3:34pm 2. Another image from the transom.
How to Render a Boat using AI with Veras in SketchUp
Bring the 3D Warehouse Component into the SketchUp Model Search SketchUp's 3D Warehouse for the "boat" under the model tab (or use link: boat | 3D Warehouse) Load the model into SketchUp Install Veras Download the installer for windows here: Veras Installer (Windows) Run the downloaded msi installer, which will add the SketchUp extension and you should see a new Veras button For Mac ...
Top 8 Best Boat Design Software in 2024 (Free & Paid)
Fusion 360: Best Free Boat Design Software for Beginners & Mac. SketchUp: Best Boat Design App for iPad. Autoship: Best for Naval & Marine Architecture, Best for Windows. Solidworks: Best for Aluminum Boat Design Software & Best for Yachts. In this guide, we review several 3D ship design software to help you do just that.
Build your own Boat using My.Sketchup! Sketchup Made Simple
3D printed ships are cool. Everyone loves 3DBenchy, but it has a non-derivative license. This tutorial shows you how to make an amazing hull using My.Sketch...
boat
boat - Recent models | 3D CAD Model Collection | GrabCAD Community Library. Join 12,910,000 engineers with over 5,960,000 free CAD files Join the Community. All time.
How to Surface Boat Hull
Hello, I am new to Sketchup and have created the keel and cross sections of a boat hull from 3-view drawings. I am now trying to figure out the best way to create a skin surface across the hull. Any ideas on how to create these surfaces would be very much appreciated. I enclosed a screen shot of where I am at in the process. Thanks Griff
How to build a boat in Sketchup PART 1.
HOW TO BUILD A BOAT IN GOOGLE SKETCHUP! There will be 6 parts, which will show you how to build a complete boat in Sketchup.Just ask if there are any questi...
Struggling to model a boat hull
SketchUp for Web. JDRay October 10, 2022, 9:15pm 1. I'm trying to model a 3 meter boat in SketchUp Web and struggling with the hull shape. The hull material is to be 2 mm aluminum. I've made a public rendition of the model here: SketchUp. I have the hull shape sketched out, but don't know how to make it a set of complex surfaces (interior ...
CFD Analysis of a Sail Yacht from SketchUp
Original SketchUp Yacht Model. Often SketchUp models have extraneous details (e.g., yacht rigging - wires and pulleys) that are irrelevant for a CFD analysis and can often complicate the meshing process without resulting in incremental improvement in the final CFD results. Also SketchUp models often omit key intersections (e.g., the ...
How to make boat hull ( two types )
https://www.patreon.com/caljucotcasthis is how to make boat hull, body or whatever you wanna call it.. hope you like!