Boat Show Overall Winner: Hull & Deck modelled by 3DM-WORLD in Rhino 3D
The top of the range Haines Hunter SP725 Sports Pursuit 7 metre glass
fiber boat, modelled externally in Rhinoceros ® by Tim Elliot of 3DM-WORLD™
took double honours when unveiled at its premiere public showing at the
recent Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show.
Use the scroll bar to the right to read
the full story of this boat's re-design, following the devastating fire
that destroyed the factory and the original (now superseded) Haines Hunter
7 metre boat moulds. The text below follows the nine month development
of the new boat, including:
- 3D laser scanning of original features
- Hull & Deck Modelling in Rhino by Tim Elliot of 3DM-WORLD
- CNC manufacture of the mould plugs in Australia
- Mould production in New Zealand
- Public debut at the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boatshow held in Auckland, 12th to 15th May 2011
3D Laser Scanning:
Following the fire that destroyed the factory and the 7 metre moulds,
an original SeaCraft Haines Hunter 7 meter boat was laser scanned in 3D.
This scan was to form the template for the new, remodelled and re-faired
design in Rhino:
Various popular hull and deck design features from the smaller boats in the Haines Hunter range had an influence in the final design of the Haines Hunter SP725 Sports Pursuit. In addition, further new design requirements were specified by SeaCraft including :
- Longer, broader Cockpit
- Parallel gunwale from maximum beam on deck to stern, whilst maintaining existing dead-rise angle
- Higher windowsill to accommodate increased internal headroom
- Softer stern lines
Modelling in Rhino3D:
The following images provide various views of the hull and deck design
as modelled in Rhino by Tim Elliot of 3DM-WORLD:
Above: New stern and transom
Above: Re-fairing of Hull and Deck
Above: Deck details including anchor hatch and well, engine well, etc
Above and below: Re-fairing of Hull and Deck to accommodate parallel gunwale from maximum beam on deck
Above: Top View
Above: Bottom View
Above: Bow View
CNC Mould Plug Manufacture in Australia:
Within hours of the final designs in Rhino approved for manufacture in Auckland, IGES files are emailed to Brisbane for CNC machining on a massive gantry based 5-axis mill. The following images show the plugs in various stages of manufacture and preparation for shipping to Auckland:
Transport of Plugs to Auckland, NZ:
Above: Too big for conventional container transport, the Hull Plug is shrink wrapped on a flat deck ready to ship by sea from Brisbane to Auckland on top of the container stack.
The deck plug loaded on its own flat deck transporter, is readied for shrink wrapping too.
Preparation for Mould Manufacture:
After the journey by sea from Brisbane Australia, the team at SeaCraft
in Auckland, New Zealand, polish the plugs in preparation for moulding
female production moulds.
Above: Preparation of Hull Plug in Auckland prior to taking a female mould from the plug.
Above: Work begins on preparing the deck plug in Auckland for mould making.
Debut at the Show:
On the Water:
About Miller Moyes Sea Craft Ltd and the new Haines Hunter SP725 Sports Pursuit Boat:
Miller Moyes Sea Craft evolved from two separate companies, i.e. Miller Moyes Ltd & Sea Craft Ltd.
Miller Moyes Ltd was originally part of the 'Wiseman' group that was established in the 1950's. Les Miller originally worked as a mechanic in the company and eventually owning the business. Miller Moyes Ltd established themselves as the largest OMC / Johnson / Evinrude dealer in New Zealand.
Sea Craft Ltd was established in 1946 by Sandy Sands. The company manufactured timber boats up until 1966 when production changed to GRP.
In 1981 the two companies merged with Sea Craft becoming the manufacturing part of the company and Miller Moyes Sea Craft the retail division, servicing the Auckland region. At that time the company also acquired Haines Hunter (NZ) Ltd and Sea Craft began production of the already established Haines Hunter brand.
In January 2010, the Ellerslie factory caught fire due to an electrical fault. The fire was so extreme it lit up the Auckland sky and closed the neighbouring southern motorway. The damage was catastrophic and destroyed many of the moulds.
The loss of the 7 metre moulds was particularly tough on the company as this, their largest model, was also the company's top earner. But at 10 years old, the fire created a catalyst to re-design and modernize the company's flagship product, whilst giving it every opportunity to incorporate customer feedback that had been logged over the years. To this end, Denis Kendall approached Tim Elliot of 3DM-WORLD™ to do the re-modelling and re-fairing work of the deck and hull in Rhinoceros® surfacing software, where many design revisions were incorporated. The interior and linings were re-modelled by Seacraft's in-house Rhino User: Nic de May.
The result is the double accolade awarded to the SP725 Sports Pursuit at this year's 2011 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show, including the supreme award. The awards were:
- Boat of the Show - Overall Winner: Haines Hunter SP725 Sports Pursuit
- Boat of the Show - GRP Fishing Boat Open: Haines Hunter SP725 Sports Pursuit