Bowdidge Marine Design
Mark and Debbie Bowdidge
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Based in Australia, my love of boats began in my early teens when I used to sail the 12-foot Cherub class and early plywood catamarans with my father. With Dad at the helm and me hiked out on the harness, covered in spume's of spray and doing what felt like 30 knots. Or the time with storms forecasted that afternoon, we threw the boat off the trailer, leapt in and hoisted the kite. We we're screaming! Straight offshore for 2 miles we flew, and then time to tack along the shore. Ripping down the kite, we threw in a tack. Nothing happened! "Where's the centerboard!!? In our haste to do some real low level flying, we left it at home! With the squalls rolling toward us and blowing us further off shore, we were up the proverbial creek without a paddle. We got back ok, with our heads hung down in shame; we accepted a tow from a "power boat". A lot of fond memories and the seeds were sown.
My career in boat building then began years later in the fishing industry, building and repairing dinghies, nets and working on trawlers, Game boats, monohulls and building mutihulls. A few years later, we decided to move to Townsville and build our own 42-foot catamaran, which was to become our family home for the next 11 years.
Back into boatbuilding and our business established again, we began cruising the Australian coastline and overseas logging over 30,000 nm in coastal & offshore passages, finding work as we cruised. Debbie & I began building, repairing and rigging and after gaining our Commerical Coxswains license, began delivering boats up to 70-feet in length for both the pleasure and commercial fields.
Today, with a Westlawn degree to our credit, we have opened our own yacht design office here in Queensland. We have mostly done large and commercial work but will be offering a selection of plans for amateur builders here at Duckworks as well as at our website: http://www.bowdidgemarinedesigns.com/
Our Back Up Policy
Since people tend to work on their boats after work and on weekends, our office is open 7 days a week to answer any questions or queries. This way you can continue building during your only available time!
Bowdidge Marine Designs will support you right through the whole process, from design selection through to the launchings.
Most builders need no advice from us because our designs are extensively detailed. Some however, ask questions occasionally, mainly for reassurance. Very occasionally though, a builder needs ongoing advice, so time can be spent directing them along the right course.
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1) Backup service is supplied free of charge.
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2) We expect to answer all reasonable questions about how to build the boats which we design.
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3) Study the plans carefully. Our designs contain a lot of information, in the form of either drawings or texts. If you've never built before, it can be easy to get lost initially, not knowing where to find anything. However, please take time your time to study the plans before asking questions which could be answered by studying the design carefully. You will soon start to see where to find the information. If you cannot find what you need, then please feel free to ask us.
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4) Your questions will be answered. With all our clients, we usually ring or email every few weeks, just to "touch base" and see how their progress is going, answering any questions, queries or concerns that they may have. Especially if they've never built before. We also believe it's important to have a good relationship with all our clients.
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5) Instruction varies with size. It is possible to provide step-by-step instructions for small boats. For larger projects it is a highly impractical desire. For these we provide detailed design drawings and as much guidance as we can in the form of standard details and specifications or building guides. These must be seen as complementary to your reading in reference books.
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6) In relation to the design, please ask us, not someone at your local club bar or marina! We will give you good advice on most subjects related to your project. If we cannot answer ourselves, we will advise on potential sources to find the answer.
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7) Back up service is only provided to the original purchaser of the plans
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8) As most people tend to build after working hours or weekends, we feel its important that our office is open to all questions and queries 7 days a week to help you through the construction process. We feel that this is an important part of our BACK UP POLICY for you.
Our boat plans are priced on detailed design standards and also our Backup service.
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