I was cofounder of Boston boatworks that started out 30 years ago as a builder of custom composite Grand Prix racing sailboats using pre-epoxy construction methods, we borrowed from the aerospace industry.
Eventually we branched out into blue water performance, cruising sailboats. Along the way, we developed our own method of thermoforming Corecell® foam cores to achieve the optimal structural properties of the boats we built while reducing weight that we could translate into higher performance.
The manual method was extremely labor and time intensive but the results we achieved were excellent. It started with building a male mold, lofted from 2-D drawings and heating plain foam core in a temporary oven and then rushing to vacuum-bag whole sheets to the hull plug before they cooled off. Eventually, you could create a tight-fitting rigid core kit with no slits in the foam that worked with our laminating technique. But it was only appropriate for custom projects that could afford to pay the premium cost associated with the manual process.
Flash forward 25 years and Boston BoatWorks is now collaborating on a design with the intent of optimizing for offshore safety, comfort and range at speeds of up to 40 kn in luxury express cruiser motor yachts. We became interested in bespline’s adaptive mold technology and its ability to accurately duplicate compound shapes from a CAD file. At this point all our design work was available in a 3D CAD file. The adaptive mold was the perfect compliment to the advancement in composite design software.
It seemed like bespline had accomplished a production solution to our labor-intensive manual thermoforming method that could the custom level quality we sought in limited production volumes. We agreed to be the first North American production builder to utilize a splineCore kit in our products and engaged directly with them to refined specifications to get the first core kit delivered before the beginning of the production cycle for the first boat.
As bespline promised, the core kit arrived on-time, on-budget and fit the mold perfectly. We calculated the amount of resin that we would save through eliminating the slits in the core at 500 pounds. The design weight and actual weight were within half a percent, so we are comfortable that we achieve that objective.
We made a few adjustments to the kit and the 2nd iteration for hull #2 became the mapping kit for #3 and #4.
An unexpected benefit was that the laminating team loved working with the splineCore kit. It was much easier to handle, less prone to damage and helped them achieve their building excellence objective.
As a builder of luxury yachts using best methods and materials, our customers became accustomed the fact that some of the benefits of the way we build boats won’t even become apparent for 10 years.
The expectation of not having visible print through of double cut core showing through the very light 10-ounce boat cloth skin coat in our boats is a cosmetic benefit that only owners of splineCore kit boats can count on.
– Scott R. S. Smith
Co-founder of Boston Boatworks
Aerospace, immersion and entertainment applications
Our complete self-supporting composites dome solutions for the simulator industry are engineered to delver the best while offering lightweight and corrosion-resistant properties. We also provide advanced composites for aerospace applications, ensuring high performance and reliability in demanding conditions.
Automotive Solutions
Explore our comprehensive product range, including fiberglass, carbon fiber, and hybrid composites, designed to meet the creative vision of interior and exterior architects who stand out from the crowd with bespoke features in curved and double curved panels. We even offer real wood and real stone veneers for that unique wow-fa
Empowering small businesses: bespline’s next-gen technologies
bespline’s goal is to make next-gen technologies available beyond large conglomerates — enabling small businesses and innovators to realize their visions. We partner with companies to develop solutions that work — at small scale but also commercial production — while eliminating waste, weight and emissions.
