Shipbuilding: Seattle architect makes detailed 3D prints of Washington boats he grew up loving

When Gino Palileo moved to Seattle from the Philippines in 2015, his first job in his new city was at an ice cream shop on the waterfront. Watching the blue and white boats sail across Elliott Bay was the beginning of a lasting appreciation for ships.

“When I started high school, we went camping a lot, so we went boating,” Palileo told GeekWire. “Maybe we can do two or three trips every year.”

When Palileo started college to study architecture, he got a 3D printer to help with design and modeling. Now an architect who splits his time between Seattle and New York, he still sticks to 3D printing as a hobby — and this week he showed off a new passion project.

In a post on Reddit, Palileo shared photos of the prints he made for Washington State Ferries. The 1:400 scale models are intricate replicas of Olympic-Class ships from the navy: M/V Chimacum, M/V Samish, M/V Suquamish and M/V Tokitae.

Palileo created his designs from scratch in Rhino 3D modeling software and then printed the boat models – which are 9.8 inches long – on a Prusa MK4S printer. The designs are available on her page in the Prusa’s Printables marketplace.

Models include various boat decks, railings, accommodation and additional infrastructure. He can print small cars and trucks, or people.

“I really like these boats; it’s always fun to be on them,” said Palileo (@GP_3D) in his Reddit post. “They all have beautiful names that honor the tribes, people and places of the indigenous people of the Puget Sound area.”

Commenters on Reddit showed that the love is strong for boats in the Seattle region – and Palileo’s art:

• “Wow! My wife is from Whidbey Island. I’d like to make one for her.” – @jordanhusney
• “If you print one, take it to the boat itself and present it to the captain. It would be nice to see it in the display box on the boat.” – @Shayden-Froida
• “This is amazing – thank you! My father-in-law was the chief engineer of the Olympics and this will be an amazing gift for him.” – @thevowel

Palileo, a self-proclaimed transit geek, said he has plans for more Seattle-related designs and prints. He might do a Monorail or maybe a Link light rail. He also likes the Virginia V ship docked in South Lake Union.

And when it comes to revisiting boats, he’s always been on the lookout for something classic.

“I was thinking maybe an old boat – the Kalakala?” Palileo said. “It’s more complicated than I thought so I went with the current one for now. But I want to do that and have a nice silver color for it.”