Aluminium Plate Boat Design Philosophy
From Evolution to Engineering.
Boat design does not stand still — but not all change is progress.
Over the past 20 years, aluminium plate boats have evolved dramatically in weight, power, and intended use. What has not always kept pace is the underlying hull engineering.Our design philosophy starts with a simple principle:When the use case changes, the hull shape must change with it.
Over the past 20 years, aluminium plate boats have evolved dramatically in weight, power, and intended use. What has not always kept pace is the underlying hull engineering.Our design philosophy starts with a simple principle:When the use case changes, the hull shape must change with it.
From Tough Tinny to Offshore Expectations
Over the past 20 years, the humble plate dinghy has been pushed far beyond its original role. What was once a tough tinny is now often expected to perform offshore.
Years ago, a typical “tough tinny” was:Built from 3 mm plate.Powered by around 25 hp.Used in sheltered to moderate conditions.
In that configuration, boats of this type were well suited to their intended use at the time. Since then, market expectations have changed significantly.Over time:40 hp became common.Then 60 hp.Plate thickness increased to 4 mm. Raised casting decks became standard.Fit-out weight, fuel capacity, and expectations all increased.
Years ago, a typical “tough tinny” was:Built from 3 mm plate.Powered by around 25 hp.Used in sheltered to moderate conditions.
In that configuration, boats of this type were well suited to their intended use at the time. Since then, market expectations have changed significantly.Over time:40 hp became common.Then 60 hp.Plate thickness increased to 4 mm. Raised casting decks became standard.Fit-out weight, fuel capacity, and expectations all increased.
When Incremental Changes Break the Balance
As weight and power crept up, performance compromises followed:Inefficient running angles.Increased wetted area.Harsher ride in short chop.Reduced efficiency at modern operating speeds.
Crazy trim angles when climbing out of the hole.This isn't a build-quality issue - it is a geometry problem.
Small hulls pushed beyond their original design envelope require fundamental re-engineering, not incremental tweaks. The purpose has changed — which is why modern hulls must be designed differently from the outset.
Small hulls pushed beyond their original design envelope require fundamental re-engineering, not incremental tweaks. The purpose has changed — which is why modern hulls must be designed differently from the outset.
The Problem with Following Trends
In larger plate boats, we’ve seen a different issue emerge over the years.
Design iterations that seem to be increasingly driven by trends:Wider and wider chines.Deeper and deeper deadrise.“Aggressive” numbers that sound right at the ramp.
The result is often:Bow-heavy trim.Wet ride characteristics.Excess spray thrown high and wide.Boats that look capable but are uncomfortable in real conditions.
Excessive fuel consumption.
Analysis Over Assumptions
Extreme numbers rarely produce balanced hulls.
In recent years, many aluminium boats have been shaped around headline figures — deeper deadrise, wider chines, more aggressive geometry — often driven by trends rather than analysis. The result is frequently boats that look capable on paper but run wet, trim poorly, are slower and less fuel efficient than they could be, or feel unbalanced in real conditions.
Rather than chase fashion, we rely on engineering analysis.
In recent years, many aluminium boats have been shaped around headline figures — deeper deadrise, wider chines, more aggressive geometry — often driven by trends rather than analysis. The result is frequently boats that look capable on paper but run wet, trim poorly, are slower and less fuel efficient than they could be, or feel unbalanced in real conditions.
Rather than chase fashion, we rely on engineering analysis.
CFD Is an Engineering Tool — Not a Drafting Aid
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is not a styling tool, and it is not something that can be meaningfully applied without a deep understanding of fluid mechanics, numerical methods, and the assumptions behind the models.
CFD requires:An understanding of non-linear hydrodynamics.Correct boundary conditions and mesh strategy.Interpretation of results in the context of real-world operation.Without that foundation, CFD outputs can be misleading — or worse, used to justify preconceived shapes.
Drafting and styling are valuable skills, but hull performance is an engineering discipline.
CFD requires:An understanding of non-linear hydrodynamics.Correct boundary conditions and mesh strategy.Interpretation of results in the context of real-world operation.Without that foundation, CFD outputs can be misleading — or worse, used to justify preconceived shapes.
Drafting and styling are valuable skills, but hull performance is an engineering discipline.
Designing by Analysis, Not Assumption
CFD does not replace sea trials — it informs geometry decisions before plate is cut. Using specialist CFD, combined with decades of practical on-water experience, our current hull designs are developed by analysing:
Deadrise distribution, not just a single transom angle.Chine run angle along the hull length.Chine width and down-angle, tuned for lift, efficiency, and spray control.Longitudinal balance, to maintain stability without running bow heavy.
Each of these parameters interacts with the others. Optimising one in isolation almost always degrades overall performance.
Deadrise distribution, not just a single transom angle.Chine run angle along the hull length.Chine width and down-angle, tuned for lift, efficiency, and spray control.Longitudinal balance, to maintain stability without running bow heavy.
Each of these parameters interacts with the others. Optimising one in isolation almost always degrades overall performance.
The Outcome
For smaller boats, this approach leads to hulls designed from the outset for offshore conditions, at modern weights and power levels.
For larger boats, it means rejecting extremes and finding the true performance balance — not the most aggressive geometry, but the one that delivers predictable trim, efficiency, and comfort across real operating conditions. Our hulls are designed to:Run dry.Trim predictably.Remain efficient across real load ranges.Deliver confidence when conditions deteriorate.
We don’t design by tradition.We don’t design by trend.
We design by advanced analysis.
For larger boats, it means rejecting extremes and finding the true performance balance — not the most aggressive geometry, but the one that delivers predictable trim, efficiency, and comfort across real operating conditions. Our hulls are designed to:Run dry.Trim predictably.Remain efficient across real load ranges.Deliver confidence when conditions deteriorate.
We don’t design by tradition.We don’t design by trend.
We design by advanced analysis.