MIKE WALLER YACHT DESIGN
MEET THE DESIGNER

Hi There!

My name is  Mike Waller , and I would like to tell you a little about myself, the philosophy of the business, Mike Waller Yacht Design, and about the designs we have available.

The Designer

I describe myself as a Yacht Architect, rather than a Yacht Designer. Whilst it is true that Yacht Architects are yacht designers by definition, it is not always true that Yacht Designers have any formal qualification in their art. 
I qualified as a Yacht Architect from the Westlawn Institute, in the United States of America. This college specialises in training designers for small craft, as opposed to ship (Naval) architecture, and is arguably the most respected facility of its kind in the world, having produced some of the worlds leading Yacht Architects.  I am also a member of  SNAME (Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers). An Australian by birth, I have designed professionally since 1987, and on an amateur basis for considerably longer.

The Business

Mike Waller Yacht Design is a small, multi discipline business, designing both mono-hull and multi-hull yachts,  power or sail, both as custom designs or as stock plans. Whilst much of the recent focus of the business has been in custom multihull design, we also provide a small (but growing) range of small boat stock plans for amateur builders. Whilst the designs on this site are designed mainly for timber or timber/glass composite, Mike Waller Yacht Design will also design for other materials, such as steel, fiberglass composite or aluminium alloy.

The Philosophy

Most plans  included on this site are suitable for amateurs to construct. In fact, most designs currently included were specifically designed for amateur construction. These vessels are designed mainly for timber construction, using the timber/epoxy composite technique, or timber/plywood/epoxy. Timber and plywood are among the best and easiest material for the amateur to use, and when combined with epoxy, have none of the wear and degradation problems which used to be associated with wooden boats in the past. It is this technology which is responsible for the worldwide resurgence of wooden boat construction today.
The principles on which our boats are designed are strength, safety, seaworthiness and comfort. We will not sacrifice these in order to gain high performance. Nevertheless, our boats have a reputation as excellent performers. They are also known for their strength.
I have always believed that boating is more expensive than it needs to be, so one of our main priorities is to keep our prices as low as practical, and to provide high quality and value for money.   By keeping the business small, and by avoiding expensive equipment usage, we are able to produce very high quality plans for an affordable price. This philosophy is also reflected in the type of boats we produce, several of which are primarily intended as lower cost, easy to build, but high quality alternatives to the 'Tupperware' boats which are often the only option available to many.
Happy Building! 

Mike Waller.


Top of PageMain Menu