Building a catamaran

[passy]

Hi guys,


Does anybody know if it is possible to build a catamaran using 2 boats and connecting them together.
I am not talking about a small catamaran build with 2 kayaks that can only be use on a lake.
I am talking more like 36 feet or so.
If anybody can help I will appreciate a link to a website, pictures or explanations.

Thank you

[Nomad]

Your talking about attaching two 36' Mono's and making a 36' Cat? Overall with all of the design and construction issuses realated you would be better off building a cat for scratch or purchasing molds. There are to many problems related with it.

[Frosty]

I can not give you any pics,web sites or explanations but I saw a cat in the marina where I am and it looked as though some one had done just that, infact the hull was the same top and bottom . He had made the boat with one mould.Taken 4 moulds from this and made 2 hulls. There was an obvious join around the center but this would have given it strength. Actually I quite liked the look of it, it was a bit bigger than 36 , more like 50. How he joined the 2 hulls? I have no idea>

[tschienque]

Cats gain their greater speed thru lightness and high LWL:BWL ratio

A pair of volumnuous hulls will not have the knife thru hot butter effect that the narrow beam (of each hull) does. Furthermore there'll be the temptation to fill those volumnuous hulls with gear making a very heavy cat! Add those factors along with a cat's extra wetted surface (causing drag) and it won't be a cat but a DOG!

How will you know how strong the crossbeams and their connexions should be if you don't have a designer to talk with?

Overall YES YOU CAN - but it won't sail, it won't motor and it won't sell when you come to the conclusion that it really doesn't work.

Wharrams are inexpensive - get a survey!!! MacGregors are quick if you can find one.