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Nomadic Watercraft
42' Ketch Zephyr
Copyright 2011 - 2012 Michael Kasten
Updated 20 June 2012Sustaining a Design Philosophy
A recurring question -- one that I continue to ask is: "What makes my boat designs different from those in the main stream...?"
Although there are many distinguishing features among them that one might identify, at the core of my approach to boat design has always been the wish to create what I call Nomadic Watercraft.
What exactly does this mean...?
Nomadic peoples are defined as being those who move from one place to another rather than settling permanently in one location, usually for the purpose of hunting, herding, or to offer skills in trade. The word "pelagic" comes from the Greek pélagos, which means "open sea." Pelagic birds and fish are those that live on the open sea and in coastal waters, often having a seasonal migration pattern. Examples of such pelagic creatures are petrels, albatross, tuna and salmon.
We can apply these terms to people who live on the water, but not necessarily in one place, and refer to them as "pelagic nomads." Taking a step further, we can define their vessels as "nomadic watercraft." By this I mean truly pelagic blue-water boats capable of being used for ocean voyaging, whether it be under power or under sail.
For this purpose, a certain degree of autonomy is required of the vessel itself. From the Greek autonomia, the word autonomy literally means "self-law" or the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed un-coerced decision. This is not to imply anarchy, but rather a self-imposed order and sovereignty, as opposed to an externally imposed order or rule.
Autonomy in this context infers an independence of function with regard to self-determination, as opposed to there being an overabundance of external support or control. In other words, the requirement for such a vessel is that it be as independent as possible from shore-based support, as well as from externally imposed red-tape.
The Ocean Voyaging Yacht, VALHALLA 44Essential Characteristics
As humans, our essential needs are to have sufficient food and water, and to have adequate shelter. A core function of any nomadic watercraft is first to provide shelter, but to also provide mobility on the water. Mobility is useful for many reasons, including access to good fishing..! Therefore, in order to create a more or less autonomous nomadic watercraft I feel several essential characteristics must be inherent in the design:
- A sense of the familiar and the feeling of being 'at home' while onboard.
- Simplicity for the sake of ease of construction and economy of ownership.
- Ruggedness and strength in keeping with a simple structure.
- Seaworthiness and safety as well as seakindliness and comfort.
- Performance, stability and an economical means of propulsion.
- Ease of handling and excellent course keeping ability.
- Simplicity for the sake of economical maintenance and repair worldwide.
Rather than viewing a boat as being merely a machine for transport and a roof over one's head, I view a cruising vessel as being one's habitat. My use of the word habitat here is quite intentional, for if the vessel has been successfully designed, one will feel very much 'at home' while onboard. A voyaging watercraft of any kind after all is one's home on the water - a home within which one should feel at ease, and which should always invoke good feelings. In other words, you will want to be onboard such a vessel because you like being there.
The notion of a cruising vessel as one's habitat is explored in greater detail in my article on the Naval Architecture of Voyaging.
36' Cutter FantomInspiration
We can find inspiration in many books and articles, among which are a number of excellent stories told by voyagers past. We need not look far. Classic examples are Joshua Slocum in his book, Sailing Alone Around the World and Bernard Moitessier in The Long Way. A little story about Moitessier's Achievement provides an outline of one such adventure. There are many others...
Check out my editorial on The Cabin Boat Primer for a description of one man's take on what it means to be cruising aboard his own ideal nomadic watercraft. For another, please see my own take on what is important onboard within my editorial about Boating.
Design Examples
Among my sailing designs and prototypes, at least according to my own way of thinking, there are several examples that bring the above essential characteristics to bear upon the overall approach taken, including the all-important concept of 'home.' They are:
- 28' Cutter Bedouin (below)
- 30' Rescue Craft Ernest Shackelton **
- 33' Pelagic Cutter Freyja
- 36' Ketch Grace
- 36' Cutter Fantom (above)
- 42' Ketch Zephyr (above)
- 42' Ketch Lucille
- 44' Schooner Redpath (below)
- 44' Pelagic Yacht Valhalla (above)
- 49' Schooner Jasmine
- 50' Schooner Abshire **
- 50' Schooner Lucille (below)
- 66' Pelagic Ketch Asgard (below)
- 70' Schooner Wylde Pathaway **
- 70' Skipjack **
- 100' Skipjack / Sharpie Bermuda **
A double asterisk (**) indicates a design that is at present a prototype.
28' Cutter Bedouin
Among my motor vessel designs and prototypes there are also a number of traditionally inspired examples of simple and rugged nomadic watercraft:
A double asterisk (**) indicates a design that is at present a prototype. ALL OCEAN PELAGIC COASTWISE PELAGIC
- 30' Trawler Yacht Buster
- 32' Tug Yacht Terrier
- 32' Tug Yacht Talisker **
- 38' Tug Yacht Nidaros
- 36' Trawler Yacht Greatheart (below)
- 40' Trawler Yacht Coaster
- 40' Trawler Yacht Far Horizon **
- 42' Trawler Yacht Gulliver
- 43' Trawler Yacht Roberta Jean (below)
- 43' Trawler Yacht Rhumb Runner **
- 46' Trawler Yacht Far Horizon
- 49' Trawler Yacht Vagrant (below)
- 50' Trawler Yacht Vagabond
- 54' Trawler Yacht Greatheart
- 60' Trawler Yacht Swallows Nest
- 43' Dream Yacht Moxie
- 50' Dream Yacht Renegade
- 62' Dream Yacht Peregrine 62 **
- 82' Dream Yacht Peregrine 82 **
- 70' Rum Runner Express **
MULTI-HULL
- 60' Power Tri Pennywise **
36' Trawler Yacht Greatheart
There is even a house boat intended for inland waterways....! Though not 'pelagic' in the sense of being capable on the ocean, for inland waters the house boat still embodies the essence of allowing a 'crossover' nomadic life on the water as a Nomadic Land Craft...
- 36' Drifter
I have selected the above examples primarily on the basis of their relative simplicity and their consequent economy of ownership. Naturally the word 'economy' means different things to different people, however in this context I am referring to a vessel that is affordable and easy to care for. In that sense, the above designs are ALL simple and economical, and they are ALL boats that I would personally consider owning.
Simple in this sense does not at all imply 'crude' in any way. In fact, with simplicity comes a certain elegance of form - a kind of grace on the water. It is for this reason that I have chosen relatively more traditional types as a design paradigm - where the elements of beauty and grace are inherent. After study and observation of the working craft of the past, eventually a kind of 'boat sense' comes to the fore and you 'just know' when it is right.
Certainly there are many other vessels among my designs that also evoke this essential sense of being 'at home' to their owners. The above list is not to say anything whatever to detract from those vessels. However the above designs do embody one essential ingredient above all else in terms of their design, interior, rig, and equipment: that of Simplicity. Since the above examples are all metal boats, they have intentionally been given an easily built shape, i.e. a single chine hull form, so that they can be built without fuss by any amateur or professional boatbuilder. After all, given a simple design to start with, boatbuilding is not at all difficult, though it does require patience...
More writings on the subject of boat building and hull form can be found among my Design Articles.
43' Trawler Yacht Roberta Jean
Choices
Except for the immutable necessities imposed by physics, there are no hard and fast rules when creating a new boat design. A designer's first task is to listen to the owner's wishes. And when those wishes have been fully understood, to then begin to translate those concepts into a viable enclosure having the essential characteristics articulated above.
All design choices come down to being a matter of degree; of one's intended sailing; and ultimately of one's own preferences. One vessel or rig type is not inherently "wrong" and another inherently "right." Instead they simply represent differing expressions of one individual owner's preferred style. Therefore there really can be no argument with regard to what a design has become, as it always amounts to the owner's preferences having been expressed by the type of vessel that has been created.
This is not to imply that "style" supersedes function... However it is very much to say this: "In the sense that a vessel will be one's habitat, the creation of a certain kind of lifestyle very much *is* its function." Such lifestyle implying that the vessel be affordable, that it be easy to keep, comfortable, safe, friendly, etc. These are the feelings we usually wish to invoke when we use the term, "home."
For my own purposes, somehow a racing yacht or a Lamborghini Diablo does not invoke this feeling. Fun, yes. Home, no. A Bentley however is much closer to the mark...!
66' Pelagic Ketch ASGARD - Click for Larger ImageStyle
I have created boat designs in all styles, both power and sail. They vary from the ultra modern to the seemingly old fashioned. Why do I bother with this distinction...? Consider these thoughts:
The Modern
The majority of my boat designs tend to echo traditional aesthetics, largely for the above reasons. However there are other designs which have much more modern styling. Examples are among the following:
A double asterisk (**) indicates a design that is at present a prototype. SAIL
POWER MULTI-HULL
- 90' Power Tri (diesel electric) **
- 90' Power Tri (solar electric) **
- 90' Tunnel CAT (twin diesel) **
- 50' Fast CAT (twin diesel)**
Though certainly not a hard and fast rule, it tends to be the case when making use of a more modern styling paradigm that the resulting vessel becomes considerably less simple. For example, in terms of propulsion there is usually the pursuit of higher speed, therefore the use of more powerful engines and on a sailing vessel, a more extreme rig and keel configuration.
Along with this tendency toward maximum performance, the on-board equipment usually becomes much more elaborate and more complex. Consequently the boat often becomes considerably more expensive. This need not always be the case, but it often is.
This is not to deprecate these more modern and relatively more complex craft in any way - it is merely to point out the root causes of their tendency toward higher cost, both to build and to maintain. Certainly if cost is not an important factor then there is no impediment..! But even then, simplicity is its own reward with regard to on-going maintenance.
The Classic
The tendency toward complexity need not involve modern or futuristic styling. After all, one can just as easily complicate a traditional design...! In general though, a more traditionally styled vessel seems more in keeping with the concept of simplicity.
As a result, at least in my view, it is most often the more traditionally styled craft that seem the most inspiring, especially when given the benefit of modern materials and construction techniques. This notion should be evident upon perusal of our various Design Examples above. Among them, the more traditionally inspired craft tend to be simpler and more friendly in their overall aspect. Thus they can be more economical to build and less costly to keep than their more modern brethren.
That there is an element of our age-old maritime heritage in their design is a particular delight.
The 44' Schooner Redpath
The Modern Classic
These days, we are able to intelligently select which elements of tradition we should leave un-changed, and freely choose others that can be improved upon in a way that is compatible with the aesthetics and functionality of the type - a favorable combination I think - one that I call Modern Classic.
49' Trawler Yacht Vagrant
Focus
Whether 'modern' or 'classic' in terms of styling, if attention has been paid to the essential characteristics outlined above, we will end up with a stronger, safer, more comfortable, and even more elegant habitat on the briny sea...
Think of these Nomadic Watercraft as being relatively affordable, portable habitat for humans during our very troubled times... a unique habitat that does not require real estate, brokers, banks, or government meddling.
Further, creating a Nomadic Watercraft also does not require a great deal of wealth, however it does require no small amount of individual determination and resourcefulness..!
Wot to do,
An how to do it,
An if so,
Wy..?
- Krazy Kat, 1930's
Why?
This is the essential question... In order to answer that question we must begin by re-stating our original goal:
"To achieve a certain degree of autonomy - a self-imposed order and sovereignty - wherein there lies potential for a true wealth of being."
Though it is unusual for me to provide a link to off-site content, in order to more thoroughly explore the question of "Why..?" it will possibly be instructive to review an article that describes the concept of Autarchy.
The word Autarchy is derived from the Greek word "autarchia" which literally means "the state of self rule." In other words rule by oneself, the essence of autonomy. As a defining concept, it should be noted that Autarchy is the opposite of Anarchy... which means rule by no-one, implying chaos. Autarchy is also the opposite of Autocracy... which means rule by one and is synonymous with Monarchy or Dictatorship...
By contrast, Autarchy implies that each person assumes full responsibility for himself, exercises authority over himself, controls himself, supports himself, takes initiative on his own, joins with others - or not - as he so pleases, does not in any way seek to impose his will by force upon any other person, and seeks to remain unmolested by any external agent of coercion.
"The man of virtuous soul commands not, nor obeys."
- Percy Bysshe ShelleyTo the question, "Why?" we must answer, "Why not...?"
How?
This becomes the next question. In other words, how shall we create our own unique and autonomous habitat...?
It starts with finding or creating a good design - one that will satisfy our unique requirements. If an existing design is not found, then a new design can easily be created. To further explore that notion I have provided an outline of the process in my article on Custom Yacht Design.
When we create a new design, we use modern tools for modeling, analysis and construction. Our work-flow is described in an article on our CAD Design Stream. When it comes to building the vessel, a few potentially effective strategies are described within my articles on Affordable Boatbuilding and Building Offshore.
If you would like to discuss these concepts further, please inquire.
The 50' Schooner LucilleProfessional Memberships
Member
Royal Institution
of Naval ArchitectsMember
Society of Naval Architects
and Marine EngineersMember
Society of Boat
and Yacht DesignersMember
Metal Boat
SocietyMember
American Boat
and Yacht Council
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