The RAZOR

Blade, Taipan, Stealth, Viper and now the RAZOR which I presume will be the

easy build but still good performance

F16. Things are good!
We also have one-offs like the boat Ncik did (if it is F16 compliant and sailed as an F16, I dont know for sure?), Altered and the rumours of two other designs coming as well (one from Europe/Germany(?)) and one from a well known marine architect and member of CS.

With so many designs to choose from, both from manufacturers and building plans, the biggest issue now is having parts like masts and beams shipped around the globe.

Phill, way to go! Eagerly waiting for more news about the RAZOR build, and not the least, how it sails when it is done!

PS: Phill, any renderings to show us how you envision the hullshape?

maybe next year's winter project for me?

Stitch and Glue?

Like here:

http://pygmyboats.com/Construction.htm

Eric,
Similar but in may ways simpler.
The idea is something that is quick and easy to build.
So only 4 panels plus deck and a minimum number of bulkheads.
No jigs just a stand to hold the hull upright while the parts are assembled. I showed the drawings to a friend today and he is keen to build a 14ft version. Didn't do any work on it today. Went sailing instead. We got 11.5 knots out of a 29ft full bridge deck cruising cat that sleeps 8 going upwind. Damn good for a cruiser and good fun.

Tomorrow I will cut out the panels for the hulls.

Regards,
Phill

I had a spare hour today after shopping with the other half so I cut out the keel panels. With the side panels also cut out I just need to glue the gunwales on and I can start assembling the hulls.
I may get a chance to glue them on after work tomorrow.

Just have to see.

I'm interested in a smaller cat for my kids. Nothing available here really suits--in fact, I sold my Hobie 14 turbo because I just hated it and it was still very heavy for my kids. Building a light 14 footer for them is an option; keep us apprised.

Eric,
The idea behind a 14ft version would be not only quick and easy but cheap. I may even end up building a 14ft for myself.
If you are really interested we can talk off line about your preferences for such a craft.
My staple gun was playing up today so only glued the gunwales and stringer for two hull sides. Took one hour each when it should have been half that.
I don't get any more time until Thursday. I think I'll do the other two sides then and then go watch the A class worlds.

I got my brother's wedding Friday, sailing saturday and bike riding sunday and back at work Monday. Bugger- need more days in the week.
Anyhow I'll try to fit in a bit here and there and may even take some more pics over the next week.

Regards,
Phill

Phill and others,

Over the last months, while playing about with landyachts, I again renewed my desire for a simple small catamaran with a unstayed rig. Just a single sail craft that is easily fully assembled and disassmebled. I'm convinced that a market is to be found for such a craft if its hulls look pleasing enough. Both for kids and adults alike. I too would love to own such a craft fro the small spare hours that I'll be getting in the next years. Not having complex systems like a spi or trap are actually benefits in this concept.

Anyway, take this thought as a general reply not as say advice or anything.

Best of luck !

Wouter

My mate and I have been building a foiling moth design of his over the holidays. Flat-pack cnc-ed carbon and foam sandwich panels put together in a female mdf jig, with the inside joins taped and frames and bulkheads installed in about 3 hours. Started a week ago and he is fairing the external hull join tapes today, with plenty of mountain biking, missed days and sleeping-in breaking up the build. I estimate about 40 man hours of build time.

Only items left to install are the wand push-rod guide tube and foredeck, should be water-tight and maybe launched by the end of the week, assuming some small parts have been ordered. All other parts are complete from another boat.

The hull build is extremely quick with this method and produces so little dust and fumes. Will definitely consider it, or a modification of this method, for future builds. Maybe flat panel sides and frames with a moulded bottom. There are some big boats being done this way.

Glass or carbon versions of your hull could be popular.

Ncik, could you build up two of those moths, join them together and have a foiling cat?

Wouter,
A 14ft version will essentially be a single sail craft although may have a hooter option.
Hooter as opposed to spinnaker for easy of rigging and the ability to use upwind in light air.

The hulls seem pleasing enouh to the eye on my PC. I expect the real life one to also look good.
However with the amount of sail area I'd want to put on a 14ft version it won't have an unstayed rig.

I hope to take some pics of progress on Thursday or Friday.

Ncik,
I'm beginning to realise how quick this build would be if the parts were CNC cut and it is quite surprising.
I have a friend nearby building a CNC machine. I'll have to get on his case and get him to finish it before a 14ft version is built.

Regards,
Phill

Timbo, it could be done, but easy enough to design dedicated cat hulls. The time consuming to build, or expensive to buy, part is the foils, more than the hulls now-days. And I'm not convinced T-foils are quicker on cats. L'hydroptere dihedral style is the way to go, simpler all-round and probably faster too.

Only problem with CNC is that the larger machines are rarer. We were lucky that the moth fit perfectly on ATL's standard panels and cutter. Larger hulls would require scarfing, but ATL have a system for that too.

any more pics anywhere of the hulls/concept?

Gero,
The design I'm building can use a butt strap joint instead of a scarf joint. The butt strap is used in the kayaks and 14ft Paper Tiger quite well. I used a scarf joint because I've done heaps of them but someone who is not confident with that type of joint would not have to use it.
The machine being built here is 2500mm long so it could probably make a kit quite easily and that would have a butt strap joint. Just to keep it simple.

Patrick,
I will keep taking pics as the project progresses and I will do a write up on the objectives of the design. Got a lot of family stuff on right now so can only grab an hour here and there but I will try to keep it moving forward.

http://perverted-moth.blogspot.com/

any update?

Eric,
I have not been near the Razor for a week or two and it will most likely be another two weeks before I get back to it.
The last week and next two weeks are going to be very hectic.
But in two weeks time I will again have some time for the Razor.
When I get a chance I will try to take a couple of pics of where I'm at.

Regards,
Phill

Phill-
Don't forget to get some sailing in too!! About the joints- What about utilizing a

step

as in the hydroplane floats, speedboats and some cats at the joint? If you had a bulkhead there it would be even easier if you wanted a significant step, ie more than just the thickness of the hull material.

Kirt

Kirt,
Good point.
I just gave up two weeks of sailing and took a week off work to build a 40 metre retaining wall with a fence on top and then paint the front verandah.
The wall and fence are a segment of an circle with a 60m radius just to complicate things a little more.
All good fun.
When all this is done I will progress the RAZOR AND get some sailing in.
Regards,
Phill

Ah yes!!

Honey-Does

! I know them well! They have often gotten in the way of my sailing as well! I'm in the middle of putting together a 40x54 ft building- hopefully then I'll have a nice spot to build another boat- Perhaps a RAZOR?? But I did take 2 hours yesterday to get out on the Taipan at least!

Take care!
Kirt

Folks,
I have been sidelined for around a month now meeting some very important family obligations. Most of those have now been taken care of so I can get back to the RAZOR.
So far I've put in probably around 12 hours and I need to start assembling the hulls. Had the panels been CNC cut I think so far around 3 hours of my time would have been taken up. Just what is needed to glue on the gunwales and sub-deck stringer and mark in the position of bulkheads etc.
I'll try to get some more pics up either today or tomorrow.

Regards,
Phill

The hull panels need a stringer.
To stop the staple gun from bruising the timber I cut up an ice cream container which is the burgundy bits of plastic that you can see.

This shows the panels required to make up the skin of the hull.

RAZOR looks sharp <img src="<>/grin.gif" alt="grin" title="grin" height="15" width="15" />

You actually stapled the stringer on to the panels to let the glue set?

Rolf,
The answer is yes and I also stapled the gunwales on too.
I didn't bother with the plastic on the gunwale staples because that will have a layer of glass tape over it.

Regards,
Phill

I got up at 6 so I could get my ride in before the heat .
On the plus side it gave me a couple hours to work on the RAZOR. So I added some pics to the album.

Regards,
Phill

Phil,

Now I understand. <img src="<>/grin.gif" alt="grin" title="grin" height="15" width="15" /> You meant to design and build the RAZOR first then design and build the BLADE. <img src="<>/laugh.gif" alt="laugh" title="laugh" height="15" width="15" /> <img src="<>/laugh.gif" alt="laugh" title="laugh" height="15" width="15" />
This thread could go on forever. <img src="<>/blush.gif" alt="blush" title="blush" height="15" width="15" />

Thanks for the progressive images. <img src="<>/cool.gif" alt="cool" title="cool" height="15" width="15" />

Regards,

Peter

Peter,
As far as this thread going on forever!

I may be a bit slow when I build- but not that slow.

More pics added to the albumn.