Motor yacht design is a multidisciplinary process that includes qualitative, quantitative, and iterative analyses. There are many personalized design and engineering steps from construction material selection to interior design; therefore, a practical design guide is required. In this study, 27 active lobster-type motor yachts whose overall lengths range from 10.5 m to 22.6 m were investigated in terms of hull and superstructure design and propulsion. Hull forms are modeled with CAD and form characteristics are calculated. Moreover, the hull form, superstructure, and deckhouse design parameters are presented using CAD data, and length-based correlations are made using layouts. In addition, the Savitsky method is used for semi-planning and planning hulls to calculate resistance and power data. The existing conventional diesel-mechanical and diesel-pod drive propulsion systems onboard yachts are compared, and alternative propulsion systems are discussed. Finally, a novel and practical design framework is created for use in the preliminary design phase of lobster-type motor yachts.
Keywords: Yacht design, Motor yacht, Lobster yachts, Propulsion systems, Design framework