True Round
Metal Boat Building

'Bezier Chine' is a High Tech Design - Low Tech Construction metal boat building process which enables 'one-of' builders to fabricate true round metal sailboat hulls as easily as a hard chine design.

‘Bezier Chine’, a metal boat building design process based on a computer enhanced application of 'Approximate Development'. A sheet-metal layout method, dating back to a much earlier time, used to develop 'Warp' or 'Compound' architectural surfaces onto a 'Single Plane'. This includes the Architectural sheet-metal surface of the Bezier 12.5 below.

What is Approximate Development - Click Here

‘Bezier Chine’ hulls are fabricated by standard metal forming practices used in today’s metal fabrication industry.  The complex hull panels are shaped using a cold forming "Press Break" process. This metal boat building method is simple, consistent, and predictable.  There are no vague and obscure artistic techniques.

No Heating

No Hammering

No English Wheel

No Special Tooling

No Fixtures

Or any other Exotic Methods you may have heard of

'Bezier Chine' is a design and construction method to fabricate True Round' metal hulls.  It does not just imitate a 'True Round' form, it is a 'True Round' form in every respect. just like a fiberglass designed hull.  It is easier to build and requires far less metal working skill and equipment over building a 'True Round' hull by traditional means.  The entire hull surface is pre-engineered.  All plating fit seamlessly to a specified location on the hull framework.

'Bezier Chine' design and construction is illustrated thru the building of the 'Bezier 12.5', a small curvy, aluminum tumblehone design.  In short, if this cury little boat can be built using the 'Bezier Chine' design and construction method, any other hull shape would be a breeze.

Approximate Development Bezier Chine Prefabrications: Bezier Chine Hull Construction: Bezier 12.5 Pictures:

Bezier Chine Highlights:

'Bezier Chine' does not use any of the traditional arcane and obscure skills such as line heat, the English wheel or explosive and hydraulic forming. The hull plating is shaped by time tested metalworking methods. There is nothing vague about the method. You can see the process thoroughly by following the building of the "Bezier 12.5" and reading my book 'True Round Metal Boat Building' - Bezier Chine Design'. Available at Amazon.

'Bezier Chine' corrects the three significant unresolved issues with 'Radius Chine' design: By its own nature 'Radius Chine' does not produce true round hulls, It limits hull shape and forces the greater portion of the curved section at the turn of the chine below the design waterline making the hull look slab sided. There is no visual advantage of having a radius at the turn of the chine if you cannot normally see it.

Shell panels are shaped using a cold forming "Press Break" process. The method is simple, consistent, and predictable.

Bezier Chine Design produces full size flat patterns of the hulls three dimensional surface. Information such as bend angle, forming line, and reference dimensions needed to form the flat patterns to its original three dimensional shape are also provided with the each patterns.

The curved sections of this hull fit together easily, with minimal adjustment onto the framework.

The pre-engineered design and fabrication method enables an average person to build a true round bottom hull using the same skills as required in hard chine construction.

The result is the unmistakable beauty of a round hull - the uninterrupted graceful line curving to meet the water.

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