About SMD

Since graduating from the Landing School of Boatbuilding and Design in 1986, I have been fortunate to work for a number of very well known boatbuilders. Some of these builders include Bertram, Carver, Pro-Line and Sport-Craft. I have also had the pleasure of working for the well known designer Jay Benford at Benford Design Group. Each of these experiences has taught me a great deal and I try to keep all the successes as well as the few failures in mind while working on each new design.

I have worked in all phases of design on boats ranging from a 15' outboard to an 80' steel motoryacht. My experience includes styling, hull design, stability calculations, structural design, machinery arrangements, interior arrangements, electrical schematics and joinery detailing. As I have been the only designer on staff at a number of my jobs, I have also gotten a good deal of experience in the project management area. In fact, at Sport-Craft I was responsible for a number of departments. These included Tooling, Quality Control and Lamination. Needless to say, these experiences have given me a very well rounded education in boat design and construction.

Since starting my firm, I have worked on a variety of projects. These have been for both production builders as well as custom projects. You can find out more about these projects on my Latest Projects page. While I use Ashlar-Vellum Graphite and Argon CAD software to create the bulk of my designs, I do still draw by hand when it is the best method. I also use a large number of spreadsheets that I have written for calculating everything from the volume of baitwells to prop sizes to full weight and trim studies. While these tools are used to aid in designing the boat, they are no substitute for over 20 years of experience!

With my wife Arlene, son Logan, Jazzy the geriatric Golden Lab mix and Niki the black German Shepherd, I make my home in Citrus County on Florida’s Gulf Coast. A quiet area with beautiful lakes, rivers and the Gulf of Mexico, Citrus County is an ideal area for small boats as there is always a stretch of sheltered water. Hopefully, I’ll find enough time in my schedule, and money in my budget, to actually fit in some fishing and boating!

On this page you will find photos of a few of the 100's of projects I have worked on while employed by a number of production builders. Clicking on a photo will take you to a new page with a little information about the boat in the photo. These were all created while I was working on the staff of each of these boat companies.The use of these photos should not be taken as an endorsement of Smith Marine Design by any of the companies mentioned.

Timm Smith