Bespoke Boats Marrying form and function on Alaska's waterways.

• Author: Kvapil, Rachael

Boats are holes in the water that owners throw money into, the saying goes. That money pays not just for operating a vessel but for customizing it. When a stock model can't get the job done, it's time to call on the skills of a naval architect.

Boat customization isn't a process to jump into lightly. Time and money are both major investments in a start-tofinish project. Any naval architect will happily work with a client to design and bid out a custom vessel; a really good one will tell you when customization isn't absolutely necessary.

"We take the time to talk with boat operators about their needs from the start, says John Waterhouse, principal at Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), a nationwide engineering firm with offices in Ketchikan. "If there is a stock model that we know about that can do the job, we are happy to point them in that direction."

Waterhouse says understanding the goals of boat owners is key to delivering the best design. A few things influence how easy it is to determine these goals, such as the experience of the boat operator, the clarity of their vision, and the ability to communicate their needs.

"Sometimes we expect the owner to know how to get to the result they desire," says EBDG President Robert Ekse, "but often it's just as much as a discovery for them as it is for us. Selecting the right approach is really a process walking them through the different methods' possibilities."

"When the conversation between us and the client works, it's wonderful," says Waterhouse. "The design creation and build are magic."

More Than Racing Stripes

Once the naval architect fully understands the purpose of a vessel, the design process begins. As with any customized project, this process ranges in complexity. The more specialized equipment and specific requirements for the vessel, the more complex the design. However, the experience of the naval architect also comes into play. An architect who has designed custom boats for a variety of industries will have a better idea of what configuration of space, technology, and equipment could possibly work. They use previous designs as a reference point for clients with similar needs.

State and federal regulations have a powerful influence on design, and those regulations are often in flux. Alaska has a minimum set of requirements for all water vessels, such as display of information, life jackets and accessible storage, visual and electronic distress signals, fire extinguishers, ventilation...