Chambered hull boat design method and apparatus

A method of constructing a multi-chambered boat, the method comprising:

• a) positioning a plurality of stationary platforms that each have placement holders attached thereon which are adapted to hold multi-creased wall sections in a preassembled arrangement;
• b) placing a baffle between a first and second multi-creased wall sections and welding the baffle to the perimeter edges of the multi-creased wall sections;
• c) said method being characterized in that the second multi-creased wall section is adjacent to the first multi-creased wall section so the perimeter edge of the second creased wall section is in a positioned alignment with the perimeter edge of the first creased wall section;
• d) whereas the preassembled arrangement of the multi-creased wall sections is upside-down than the final operational position of the multi-chambered boat.

A method of constructing a boat hull having a central hull portion and a metal multi-chambered perimeter hull portion having a hull perimeter configuration and extending at least along opposite sides of the central hull portion to a forward hull location, said method comprising:

• a) providing a platform assembly comprising a plurality of placement holders which are adapted to hold multi-creased wall sections in a preassembly holder arrangement corresponding to said hull perimeter configuration;
• b) positioning metal, multi-creased wall sections in the placement holders in a preassembled arrangement, with each multi-creased wall section having a lengthwise axis and being formed in a surrounding wall configuration, each multi-creased wall section having a plurality of creases which are generally aligned along the lengthwise axis, and along which the multi-creased wall section is bent at crease locations, with each multi-chambered wall section comprising sidewall portions located between proximate crease locations, and with each multi-creased wall section having oppositely located end perimeter portions;
• c) positioning baffles between adjacent end perimeter portions of adjacent multi-creased wall sections, with end perimeter edges of adjacent multi-chambered wall sections being positioned in adjacent alignment with one another;
• d) welding each baffle to adjacent perimeter portions of adjacent multi-chambered wall sections to form a plurality of perimeter hull chambers as a preform hull perimeter structure;
• e) and providing a central hull structure positioned between side portions of the preform perimeter hull structure and welding the central hull structure to the preform perimeter hull structure.

A method of constructing a metal multi-chambered perimeter hull section of a boat hull where the multi-chambered perimeter hull section comprises two perimeter side portions and a forward perimeter portion defining a central region in which a central hull portion is located, said method comprising:

• a) providing a platform assembly having a plurality of placement holders which are adapted to hold multi-creased wall sections in a preassembled holder arrangement corresponding to said hull perimeter configuration;
• b) positioning multi-chambered wall sections in the placement holders in a preassembled perimeter arrangement, with each of said multi-chambered wall sections being formed as a surrounding wall configuration having a plurality of creases along which the multi-creased wall section is bent at crease locations, with each multi-chambered wall section portions located between proximate crease locations, and with each multi-creased wall section having oppositely positioned end perimeter portions;
• c) positioning baffles between each adjacent end perimeter portions and adjacent multi-chambered wall sections, with end perimeter edges of the adjacent multi-chambered wall sections being in a positioned alignment with one another;
• d) welding each baffle to its adjacent end perimeter portions of the adjacent multi-chambered wall sections to form a plurality of hull floatation chambers which form said multi-chambered perimeter hull section.

A boat hull comprising:

• a) a central hull portion;
• b) a metal multi-chambered perimeter hull portion having two side hull portions which are on opposite sides of the central hull portion, and which have forward perimeter hull portions converging toward one another at a forward end portion of the boat hull;
• c) said perimeter hull portion comprising:
• i. a plurality of multi-creased wall sections, each of which has a lengthwise axis, and each formed from a related metal sheet in a surrounding wall configuration by being bent along a plurality of generally lengthwise creases, with wall section portions extending between adjacent pairs of said creases;
• ii. said multi-creased wall sections each having end perimeter edge portions with adjacent end perimeter edge portions of adjacent multi-chambered wall sections being adjacent to one another in end-to-end relationship at a perimeter juncture location;
• iii. a plurality of baffles, with each baffle being positioned at a related perimeter juncture location, with a perimeter edge of the baffle being adjacent to the end perimeter edge portions of adjacent multi-chambered wall sections, and with the adjacent end perimeter edge portions and the perimeter edge of the adjacent baffle being welded together to form a watertight seal, and with the adjacent baffle making an air seal between interior regions of adjacent multi-chambered wall sections;
• iv. said multi-chambered wall sections and said baffles thus being joined together to provide a plurality of airtight floatation chambers, with each chamber being enclosed by a related wall section and two related end baffles, with weld connections at the related end baffles forming an airtight connection.