True Round Metal Boat Building

Traditional true round hull 'Plating Methods' have always been arcane and obscure in nature. Plating a true round or wineglass styled sailboat hull design, to date, has been an exercise in artistic metal forming. The purpose of this book is to demonstrate a simpler approach to plate a true round metal hull. A method that reduces building a True Round hull to time tested metal fabrication methods used every day in the industry. No arcane or artistic skill required.

The book begins with a discussion about the principles of 'Approximate' Development. A long established sheet-metal layout method that develops 'Warped' or 'Compound' surfaces, including the 'Warped' surfaces of True Round Metal Hulls, onto a single plane. 'Approximate' development reduces the construction of True Round Metal Hulls to time honored architectural metal-working procedures that are consistent and predictable.

The entire hull is pre-engineered. Every part of the hull including the Transverse Framing, Longitudinal Framing, and Shell Plating are fully developed onto a single plane. All parts of a 'Bezier' design fit together in a fair and seamless manner. There is nothing vague about the process. "True Round Metal Boat Building" by D.L. Schaffer, simplifies construction of true round hulls for every metal boat builder.


The 'Bezier 12.5" - a classic and curvy Sixteen foot aluminum tumblehome hull design is used to demonstrate the construction principles of 'Bezier Chine design and construction'.