College Catamaran/currach

[Shane M]

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to view this.
I am a newbie but I have tried the search option for help but to no avail.

I am a 4th year Wood Science and Technology Undergraduate at the University of Limerick currently researching my Final Year Project titled ‘A Freshwater racing Currach.. an investigation into the traditional Irish currach and other conventional watercraft with the resulting realisation of a hybrid’
I am in contact with various organisations, clubs, and currach builders. Researching various articles and journals, finding some information, I do not want to be relying on the internet too much. The problem is I am unconventional in my approach and now intend constructing a currach catamaran, lightweight, narrow and long but with increased stability, influenced by www.wavewalk.com. I intend constructing my prototype out of marine plywood and using conventional canvas and tar on the hulls or else ballistic nylon and urethane varnish. The ribs will be CNC’d with notches for the laths.
Confused?? I would say so..
It will be tested in a college fountain initially then a stream and finally hopefully a stretch of river. I weigh 107kg (235lbs) I want to ensure it floats and then stays floating when I am in it!! I have found calculations regarding the Archimedes principle and am wondering do I just calculate one hull and multiply by 2 in the design process to determine the length required? Maths is not my strong point… and I am not an experienced boat builder just an experienced woodworker who believes I can prove the concept and that my lecturers of little faith are wrong!!!
Any advice or feedback on anything would be very much appreciated...

Kind Regards
Shane Moloney
shanemoloney25886@yahoo.ie

‘…a boat should be judged only, and I repeat only, in the light of the requirements for which she was built and the resources of the society that built her. She should never be judged by comparison with other boats built for different purposes of different materials in different circumstances.’