Building a cat Looking for some advice :: Catamaran Sailboats at TheBeachcats.com

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Building a cat Looking for some advice

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Wolfman

Rank: Chief

Registered: Jun 24, 2009

Last visit: Jun 15, 2023

Posts: 1555
Posted: Jul 08, 2012 - 05:23 PM

Lots of home built cats out there. Tornados, Sharks and a few others (can't remember what the smaller shark type was).

Noah's marine has a plan and supplies for a 16' cat here:

http://www.noahsboatbuild…c=GLP%2DLACHATTE&eq=&Tp=

Paper tigers are popular in australia. Plans here:

http://www.papertigercata…=article&id=70&Itemid=85

The Tiger shark is a scaled up version.

So it is not unheard of to build your own. But it will be a steep learning curve, probably not much harder than building 2 wooden kayaks. Sounds like fun to me.

Regards,
Dave

--
Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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yurdle

Rank: Mate

Registered: Aug 22, 2007

Last visit: Jan 07, 2015

Posts: 742
Posted: Jul 08, 2012 - 07:40 PM

Building your own is a far cry from designing and building your own.

--
Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
--
Wolfman

Rank: Chief

Registered: Jun 24, 2009

Last visit: Jun 15, 2023

Posts: 1555
Posted: Jul 08, 2012 - 09:00 PM

That's true, better to pick a design and scale it to your liking. Or pickup 3-4 plans, measure a couple of fiberglass boats and figure out what you like best for each. The best idea I can see is to pick up an old boat (say an H16 or N5.2) for nearly free, throw away the hulls and make your own. That way if it sucks you are just out several hundred dollars in wood and resin, instead of thousands of dollars for the entire rig. And if it doesn't suck, you can slowly customize it the way you like after the basic boat is together.

God help me, but I'd love to build a cedar strip Tornado!!

--
Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
--
pbegle

Rank: Mate

Registered: Mar 12, 2003

Last visit: Feb 19, 2021

Posts: 879
Posted: Jul 08, 2012 - 09:49 PM

I sail a strip wood Tornado & played a dirty trick on my neighbor who has a Corsair 24' tri. Gave him my other woodie to sail for the summer (in exchange for storing both for the winter) and now the Corsair is up for sale. He couldn't stand the livliness of the 375# boat compared to the Corsair & relishes raising the hull 8' in the air. Pete
dtfuqua

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Jan 09, 2012

Last visit: May 17, 2013

Posts: 78
Posted: Jul 09, 2012 - 07:07 PM

I can't remember the guys name but for comfortable cruising, have you looked at "Slider" catamaran? I think the guys name is Ray? just google "slider cat".
tidalreach

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Jul 09, 2012

Last visit: Jul 12, 2012

Posts: 7
Posted: Jul 10, 2012 - 08:53 PM

yurdleI highly suggest you buy an old cat first, and use the knowledge you gain from it to assist you.

Thats poor advice. An old cat will offer him no further insight than a new cat he built himself and at 1quite the saving compared to a new Hobie. My first kayak I built myself. An old one would have offered nothing that I didnt learn from mine built from plans - and at a third of the cost of a new kayak commercialy made.

I highly suggest the original poster at least considers Rich Woods Catamaran designs for which he offers plans. Ive built several boats - none of which required someones used and abused heap to help me make a better decision. Sail what you make and go from there.
The Quattro 16 is lighter and FASTER than a Hobie 16 as well as a Dart. The lightness comes from the fact that okoume and fiberglass composite is stronger than gelcoated fiberglass pound for pound. Woods also employs skegs in his designs that are agreed [internationaly] to assist in upwind sailing and tacking. I started cutting bulkheads last night. Im looking forward to this craft hitting the water.

LOL, and I didnt need anyones banged up yard junk to make the choice.

Pete
tidalreach

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Jul 09, 2012

Last visit: Jul 12, 2012

Posts: 7
Posted: Jul 10, 2012 - 09:20 PM

bacho
mrjabberwochyOh I plan a whole big write up and ill have the final plans posted free for those to use including instructions.
With the above posts I have done my fair share of metalworking too including welding, machining, casting (mainly aluminum and bronze). Trust me you dont need to worry. Part of the point of this is to make a well documented guide. Yes donor rigs will be handy and I might have a few lined up. thanks for your concerns though I can see where they come from =D This will be a strip built hull for those interested and i'll provide documentation on that process as well. As I am teaching my friend all of these techniques as well It will be sort of a learning guide for a hobbyist.

The problem is that you are asking VERY basic design questions. You want to get started in a month but don't even know your hull length yet? You really need to try a few designs and see what you like and don't like about them. Don't just read others opinions about designs. That way you will build something you really like. The last thing you would want to do after taking the time to build your boat is to try out another boat or design and realize you have a tank.

What are you thinking about using for beams? How will your tramp(s) mount? Where will your your stays mount? How will your DS be designed? How much free board and volume do you want? Skegs or Daggers? I think all of those questions need to be answered before you can tackle such a project.

I think he needs to do some reading on some well established cats that the top designers offer plans for. The best arent tanks and they answer a lot of the questions you rightly asked. Designing it himself at this stage is awsomely uphill, and frankly, virtusally impossible to really achieve a great craft. The plus side here is that his strip building almost guaruntees a lower wetted surface than tortured plywood might, though there are exceptions. Id look up the top designers - like Woods - and go from there. The questions of where stays mount, freeboard and beam structuring and so on is already answered for him. Ive followed the Quattro16 for the last... wow... 13 years as well as the designers progress on other multihull craft. No one boat is EVERYTHING ever, but he could chose a lot worse.

Pete
yurdle

Rank: Mate

Registered: Aug 22, 2007

Last visit: Jan 07, 2015

Posts: 742
Posted: Jul 10, 2012 - 10:49 PM

What do you sail again? A kayak? Or a bulkhead?

--
Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
--
tidalreach

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Jul 09, 2012

Last visit: Jul 12, 2012

Posts: 7
Posted: Jul 11, 2012 - 10:56 PM

yurdleWhat do you sail again? A kayak? Or a bulkhead?

A kayak, a sailrigged kayak, a tacking proa and a trimaran is under construction. Nearly done. The cat is a gnawing interest of mine Im finally moving on. Your avatar looks like you sail and anchor.

Pete
havliii

Rank: Mate

Registered: Aug 28, 2010

Last visit: Jul 19, 2016

Posts: 108
Posted: Jul 12, 2012 - 05:10 AM

tifdal r.....

Which tri did you build? self designed or plan set? any pictures?

--
'life is too short to drink cheap beer'
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tidalreach

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Jul 09, 2012

Last visit: Jul 12, 2012

Posts: 7
Posted: Jul 12, 2012 - 07:28 AM

havliiitifdal r.....

Which tri did you build? self designed or plan set? any pictures?

I want to say "self designed" but its actually a composite of other designs. The trouble with all other Trimaran plans is that they - and Im totally serious - wont fit through my basement condominiums window. There is lays the *stretching* and such of established designs in order to facilitate the shop window exit. Its a "sitontop" as opposed to the cockpit style which aggrevatingly can fill with water and forever be a bilge pump issue. If it werer lake sailing alone itd be a cockpit deal. With the 3 to 5 foot waves in Long Island Sound it HAS to be a closed body sitontop. Room for storage to be sure, but above decks. My finishing touches will be a sliding seat ontop to move the CG forweard and backward depending on conditions and sail loading. IM still keeping options open for an inboard drop keel as opposed to a leeboard. The leeboard is a little ungainly but it has the distinct advantage of adjusting lateral pressure on a reach to dial out weather helm in the most efficient manner. Its also lighter for tghe craft overall. You can dial out weatherhelm with the rudder of course but at the cost of drag.

There is no plan set. I merely *adjusted* the dimensions to accomodate my needs.

Its going to be nice. Im looking to get a hundred sq. ft. of sail at the least - maybe 150 max. The bouyancy of the amas have a lot to say in the regard and I wont know until its sailed. Its robust enough for a full 200 sq. ft. rig but I havent designed amas to carry that loading. Theres a lot to be said for ease of carry and setup with lighter components.

No pics yet. Ill post when done.

Pete
**unknown user**

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Jan 01, 2024

Last visit: Jul 20, 2012

Posts: 10
Posted: Jul 12, 2012 - 03:58 PM

hey some body have a 10 feet cat or construction plan or someting to help me
**unknown user**

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Jan 01, 2024

Last visit: Jul 20, 2012

Posts: 10
Posted: Jul 12, 2012 - 03:58 PM

email me im new here jean_r_@hotmail.com