Marine Designs
We have boat plans (both yacht designs, catamaran designs and power designs) for all sizes. From the 12ft Mushulu Dinghy stitch & glue yacht tender to the Oceansky 57 catamaran. We design timber boats, plywood boats, strip plank boats, fibreglass composite boats, steel and aluminum boats to very modern styling for both monohull designs or multihull designs, powerboat or sailboat and in round bilge, multi-chine or radius chine hull forms.
Our boat designs are for diverse uses, including sailing dinghies, cruisers, racers and boats for fishing and excursions. All by Westlawn graduate, Mark Bowdidge. Look at the Bosun's Mate 23 and Oceansky 57 for opposite concepts which we have designed.
Based in Australia, my love of boats began in my early teens when I used to sail the 12-foot Cherub class and early plywood catamarans with my father. With Dad at the helm and myself hiked out on the harness, covered in spume's of spray , it left a fond of memories and the seeds were sown.
My career in boat building then began years later in the fishing industry, building and repairing dinghies, nets and working on trawlers, Game boats, monohulls and building mutihulls. Deciding to have a break, Debbie and I and our young family decided to head west and go mining (underground) as a Miner. A few years later, we decided to move to Townsville and build our own 42-foot catamaran, which was to become our family home for the next 11 years.
Back into boatbuilding and our business established again, we began cruising the Australian coastline and overseas logging over 30,000 nm in coastal & offshore passages, finding work as we cruised. Debbie & I began building, repairing and rigging and after gaining our Commerical Coxswains license, began delivering boats for both the pleasure and commercial fields.
It was on our last offshore ocean passage through Asia that we decided to act on an interest I had in designing. Not content though with being "just another amateur designer", on returning back to Australia from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, I decided to enroll with WESTLAWN , in the study of Small Craft Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering for vessels up to 197 ft or 60 metres length overall, with the full intention of a change of career from boatbuilding to yacht designing.
During my 2nd year of studies, I was honored "Owen Scholar" and awarded the Owens Scholarship for "Excellence in the study of Small Craft Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, based on both academic achievement, creative ability and on design presentation". (The scholarship was funded by the generous donations of Norman G. Owens, former president of the once internationally recognized Owens Yacht Company of America. When the Owens Yacht Company was sold to Brunswick, it was the second largest boat manufacturer in the world.)
Offered a position a full time contract Designer with TOM FEXAS YACHT DESIGNS.( more....)
This prompted us to open our Yacht design office - BOWDIDGE MARINE DESIGNS, we began working on new luxury power boat designs for companies such as Mikelson, Krogen, Morgan, Carmargue, designs whose length overall exceeded 55 ft or 17 metres.
(Click HERE to see the types of work we've done...)
Tom Fexas Yacht Designs, founded in 1966 by the renowned designer Tom Fexas, has pioneered some of the most unique and influential powerboat designs of the second half of the 20th century. With about 1,000 vessels to their designs, ranging from 17-ft. launches to 160-ft. motoryachts, the Fexas office relies heavily on Westlawn to supply top-flight talent and has remained incredibly busy for decades, with designs from the famous Midnight Lace series, to projects for Palmer Johnson, Cheoy Lee, American Marine, Burger, Derecktor, Royal Denship, Knight and Carver, Mikelson Yachts, and others.
Contemplating getting a boat and just take off cruising? What about the kids and what will they think of the idea?
Please click on "LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE" article, written by our youngest daughter and her thoughts on living and cruising for most of her life.
In 2007 I entered the "Cruising World Magazine" design competition with a 57ft racer/ cruiser catamaran, the "OCEANSKY 57", with minutes before the official closing date.
Designed 2 years earlier, it was awarded
9th place overall.
Of the 70 overall designs submitted worldwide for the competition, of which 30 were multihull designs
,
"The OCEANSKY 57 was the only Multihull to make it into the TOP TEN."
