Steel Cat

[Bali Dream]

Can someone advise me to where I can find plans and cutting files for a Steel Catamaran, simmular to a design by Bruce Roberts "Power Cat 39"

I am about to retire and wish to build my own boat, for cruising the eastern part of the Indonesian Archipelago.

Also looking for info on Diesel Electric propulsion systems for this vessel. Cruising Speed +- 12 knots, with lots of range.

Thanks for your insight.

Bali Dream

[Paul Mooney]

check out Vetus they have a 2.2kw diesel electric package:http://www.vetus.com/
You can build a cat in steel however I always thought the idea of a cat was light displacement, steel scantling weight is not suited for this size cat if you want good design. You may find a design out of steel but not from a designer with integrity and it will be heavy displacement. Why build a cat if it's heavy it will just cost more then a monohull and perform basically the same.
Just my opinion but you could not pay me to build a catamaran less then at least 60' if not 80' out of steel and even then I'm not sure, Aluminum is the way to build a metal cat.

[Bali Dream]

Thanks for the reply.
By now I have figured out that building a CAT in steel is not advisable, so I will build it "as designed" in "Tupper ware".
My only ocncern is, and will remain getting the hull pierced by floaitng debris, as I will be in way out of the way locations. There are hundreds of islands strung out between Timor and the North-end of Sulawesi, most of these with very small or no populations, and no help can be had in these waters.
Thanks for the info on "vetus", will check it out.