Shipwright combines deep expertise
in maritime engineering and software development.
Software development & parametric ship modeling
Hull models from limited information
When a vessel is in trouble, the full design package rarely is available. A
general arrangement, a capacity plan, principal dimensions, a deadweight
scale — often that is all there is. Shipwright’s naval architects build
accurate, hydrostatically validated 3D hull models from exactly that kind of
limited input, using Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, and Python.
We develop the tools in-house, we use them on real casualties, and we
validate every model against known vessel hydrostatics.
RapidHull — parametric hull generation
Shipwright’s in-house RapidHull program generates a faired ship hull in
Rhinoceros from a compact set of input parameters — 15 shape parameters and
9 curve-position parameters lofted through 10 section curves — producing a
preliminary hull model in minutes with minimal user intervention.
Built entirely in Grasshopper and the stock Rhinoceros Python editor — no
third-party plug-ins, so models open cleanly on any standard Rhino seatIterative solving drives the model to match known displacement, drafts,
and deadweightOutput validated against actual vessel hydrostatic data to the accuracy of
IMO MSC.1/Circ.1229, Guidelines for the Approval of Stability Instruments
From any input to a working model
2D drawings and capacity plans. Rhinoceros hull model of the 276 ft
historic sailing vessel Falls of Clyde, built from limited 2D plans,
principal dimensions, and a deadweight basis in support of salvage
engineering for the Hawaii Department of Transportation.
Point clouds. Detailed below-waterline hull model of the 70,367 GT
cruise vessel Carnival Sensation, reconstructed in Rhinoceros directly
from comprehensive 3D laser-scan point-cloud data captured by our own team.
Parameters and regression. Rhinoceros and GHS model of a 3,934 TEU
containership developed from mission requirements and industry-standard
regression techniques, with full hydrostatic and structural analysis across
loading conditions.
Live casualty hydrostatics. Weekly hydrostatic analysis and deadweight
surveys sustained across the multi-year remediation of the 872 ft aircraft
carrier USS Yorktown (428 tanks), keeping a live stability picture on a
WWII-era hull.
Python for naval architects
Our engineers write documented, maintainable Python inside the stock
Rhinoceros distribution:
Parametric planing hull with hard chine — complete hull from 11
inputs: principal dimensions, angular and fullness parameters, chine widthParametric Wigley hull with variable bow rake — the industry-standard
research hull from 4 inputs, with a scripted station transform for custom
bow geometryScripts delivered with inline comments and written methodology, so client
teams can run, audit, and extend them
Supporting toolchain: Rhinoceros / Grasshopper / Rhino.Python, General
HydroStatics (GHS), HECSALV, in-house regression and parent-ship libraries.
Hydrostatics, validated
Every hull we deliver carries its numbers with it: displacement and
deadweight, drafts and trim, LCB / VCB / LCF, KMt / KMl / GM, righting-arm
(GZ) curves, and tank capacities and soundings — intact and damaged
conditions — checked against known vessel data and independently reviewed by
a licensed Professional Engineer before release.
Custom maritime software
Beyond hull modeling, Shipwright builds custom applications for the maritime
industry: fleet and inspection tools, engineering calculators, and workflow
software that is straightforward, supportable, and compatible with the
software your teams already run.
Need a hull model and there’s no lines drawing?
Contact SHIPWRIGHT LLC at (954) 835–4885 or team@shipwright.biz