“The creation of beauty is more satisfying than mere possession”
John Gardner , Building Classical Small Craft.
My name is Cristian Pilo, I was born in 1971 in Sardinia, Italy. I’m professionally involved in boatdesign for homebuilders since 2005 , when Nautikit (italian dealer for Dudley Dix’s plans) asked me to modify the TLC 19 design, that some months later under Dix’s supervision became IDEA19.
I’ ve been working in these years splitting my time among drawing board and boatyards , working as technical officer surveying the bulding of big motoryachts and sailboats for renowned Italian yards, and aside as designer, developing plans suited for homebuilders and small boatyards in wood , GRP, and aluminium alloys.
My philosophy is to produce plans that will lead to the building of modern, sporty looking, sturdy and reliable boats, with a proper balance between perfomances and safety on the sea. If you’re looking for “on the edge” racing featherlight boat to be built with an obsession on saving weights , this is not exactly my design filosophy.
If you’re looking for modern looking, fast paced, reliable boats, to be build in a reasonable amount of hours from very detailed drawings, with a designer that will answer to your questions within 48 hours, probably you’re in the right place.
My plans are higly detailed, drawings are constantly revised after each boat launched to correct even minimal flaws according to the builders notes and experience, that’s why I’m glad to keep contact with EVERY builder from plans’ purchasing until the boat is sailing; every project is CAD 3d born, hull shapes are created with a dedicated software suite which gives me all the infos about hydrostatic, hydrodinamic and seakeeping features, then a commercial 3d surface modelling s-ware is the “jack-of-all-trade” that I use to develope the project, until everything is clear and fit on board; since I normally work on small-medium boats , this way of working allows me to have a complete olistic approach on the project; this means that every single part is 3d modelled in the same file, so I can do a first “virtual assembly” of the boat checking all positions and avoiding any possible interference between interiors, structures and systems on board, and taking care of building sequence.
Almost each plans is flanked by a 15-25 pages booklet dedicated specifically to that boat model (not a generic “how to build strip planked boats”) , in wich I suggest a sequence and tips for each part of the building process, taking it from the sum of my own and others builders’ experiences.
Study plans : basically I think that in 2016 it’s absurd to pay them, so they’re available for free in each project page, you can download them in pdf format, they’re extracted from building plans , so they witness exactly the level of details and drwing quality that you’ll find on plans. With studyplans and bills of material in your hands, each one of you can take smart and wise decisions, calculate how much money will take to built the boat, and avoid bad surprises after the purchase of plans.
I normally try to answer to emails within 48 hours, so if you need further infos about a project, or you want to talk me about a new one, send me an e-mail ( info@modernwoodenboat.com ) or contact me via skype ( Crispilo ) or via the form in the contact page .
Fair winds !
Cristian Pilo
Modern Wooden Boats