What are the pro's and con's of a Wooden catamaran?
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Tyler holmes
Panama city, FL
Boat whore
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Wooden catamaran
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Posted: Jan 17, 2011 - 10:26 PM
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- Rank: Chief
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Posted: Jan 17, 2011 - 11:26 PM
We have one in my area, I think someone ID it as a Cougar. Bloody big boat, room for 10 people on the hard decks.
It is a real head turner, the woodwork was nothing short of stunning. To keep it looking like that would also require constant work. You wouldn't leave it out in the elements all year.
I would think the cons are the same as any wooden boat, especially older ones. Unless the owners are meticulous the wood can get wet. This means heavy, & weak due to delam, & rot. Many times the hardest places to repair are the first area to suffer. An older wooden boat is a definite case study in Caveat Emptor.
Pros are you can build it yourself. They can be strong & light.
In my view it is easier to buy/maintain even an older glass boat, but that view discounts the pleasures some find in building their own. Sort of like hot rodding.
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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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Posted: Jan 18, 2011 - 06:21 AM
pros - looks great if clear coated, can be self built with normal tools, can be cheaper than new, can offer as good performance if built incredibly lightly but then can be damaged much more easily...
cons - generally heavier, takes forever to build, needs much more annual maintenance, only looks better if clear coated, generally looks worse when not clear, (sharp corners), usually more expensive than a glass boat 2nd hand, usually needs under cover storage for winter -
- Rank: Lubber
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Posted: Jan 18, 2011 - 08:34 AM
Plywood boats? Check out this link:
http://www.formula16.net/…tent/view/40/57/lang,en/
Home built Formula 16 cats are not uncommon and are frequently built with epoxy coated marine plywood. In some ways the ply core is superior to a foam core. Ply boats are very stiff and strong. Phill Brander has recently developed an updated version of his F16 Blade design that is designed specifically to be home built of ply. I am in the planning stages of building one myself. F16s can easily be sailed 1-up or 2-up. They have a minimum weight of about 230 lbs and ~200 feet of sail with a main and jib. They are the ultimate cat in my opinion.
Some pictures of Phill Brander's first Razor are here:
http://picasaweb.google.c…pyPhoto?feat=directlink#
He talks about the Razor here (scroll down the page some):
http://aus-f16.blogspot.com/
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Dave Wilson
Hobie 16, Hobie 14
Tampa, FL
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