Cat motorsailer where does the money go

[charlesakeem]

Okay for the past year and something i've been checking out researching and learning but one things that always confounds me is the, the hull is only 10 percent or less of the cost of the boat my question is what makes up the rest of the boat and how much do these things cost also is there no possible way for it to be done just as good for cheaper. I am a young guy who is pretty skilled has endless free time and free labor on his hands so i am curious to how to build a 32 to 40 ft cat while spending as little as possible.
After Rig Hull and Engine what else is there thats necessary

For the hull
So far i've settled on cedar strip construction i can get the cedar for cheap if i fell the tree, mill the wood, dry it and then cut it into suitable size myself.
the glass and epoxy i still havent found an outrageously clever and inexpensize way to get that. (doesnt seem smart to go cheap here)

Motors i was most likely going to use GM 6.5l or 6.2l these engines were used in the marine industry with just a lower compression ratio compared to the vehicle ones.

Rigging I was going to go for junk rig with a cheap durable cloth for the sail and a homemade mast.

All furniture shall be built and designed by me or friends
( in the modern minimalist style)

Paint I will have to throw it away and buy paint.

Nav equipment I am going to see what salvage i can get for gps the other stuff i have'nt thought of to much but i am looking.

Plumbing is going to be done by a friend who has a little experience and me.

Wiring i am leaving mostly up to a cousin who is a normal electrician and myself who just shows a suprising resistance to being electrocuted

What other things are there that are costing so much

[masalai]

Have a look at what the boat building suppliers offer the strip planks are shaped so the sides fit like rounded toungue & groove so the curve of the hull form matches without "V" gaps when glued (before fairing and glassing over)....

A wooden mast is not all that difficult to make with the appropriate advice on construction.

You DO NOT need such a bloody big engine - weight is a KILLER on sailing cats - - 32ft should get by with one but suggest 2 x 9.9hp high thrust 4 stroke second hand outboards (no longer made)

integrate the "furniture" into the engineering structural ridgidity components of the hull & cabin structure (HAVE IT PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED - do not be a total ******** and think you can design it yourself)....

keep all other furniture minimalist and LIGHT

USE ONLY marine quality fittings, paint, everything.... (that will hurt cause it is not cheap) - Dont use "salvaged" equipment - - Your dumbass life depends on it...

May I suggest building a canoe, if that succeeds try for a light weight dingy to use as your tender, then buy some plans and build a "warram" or some other boat design using marine ply as the base material, and then either paint it or glass it ?.... Got 6 years? Enjoy your challenges one at a time or pay lots to get it professionally built (or buy second hand - many boats are on the market, but HAVE IT PROFESSIONALLY SURVEYED before committing to buy....

The definition of a boat is "A hole in the water into which you continuously pour in lots of money" - - THAT IS THE TRUTH....

Good luck.

[boat fan]

G`day Charles...


Mas has given some pretty good advice here.

I think you need to be clear about what you want to use this boat for.

How many crew do you have available to sail the boat ?

These questions may seem irrelevant or trivial , but on the question of number of crew alone there is good reason to be clear;

If you have a fit crew of two or even three on board at all times , you can plan the boat and sail plan on simpler systems for example. Simple blocks etc.

A 40 foot single handed cat will need some mechanical advantage for sail handling .Even a junk rig for a 40 footer can be heavy to hoist .You may want a halyard winch.( Lots of battens etc .)

Even if junk rigged ( and it`s a good choice for low tech , low cost ) its a handful if you are on your own most of the time . Maybe a split rig like a junk schooner that breaks up the sail plan into smaller pieces.Again it comes down to how much muscle you have on board.Ideally you should be able to do everything required on your own , if need be.

If you want to sleep at night , invest in good , heavy anchors.
A cat of 40 ft or larger requires good heavy ground tackle , chain and anchors. Note I said ANCHORS ...you will need spares. You will need good rope. Good tested chain. All heavy stuff .

Again , if you have a crew it`s easier. You can get by with a relatively simple but robust manual windlass.

You can obtain good used equipment if you spend the time looking , and not buying just on price , or the first thing that comes along. Anchors can be bought used .Winches should be checked and fully serviced by someone that knows what they are doing. Sails you can make if you go the junk route.There are bargains to be had in used sails if you spend the time and make the effort.

Search out commercial fishing supply companies for no frills tough equipment.

Mas. gave you good advice about ditching the big heavy motors.Unless you build 70 - 100 ft you just don`t need ( or should fit ) a monster engine like that on a multihull.

Make a quick list of what you want to do with this boat .Post it here and you will probably get lots of good advice. Be realistic in your goals.

A wharram may get you most of what you want . IF on a tight budget , I would personally go with a WHARRAM LIKE boat , but with truncated dory type hulls to gain a little more displacement. Two boats come to mind here :

K designs PELICAN :




Or Mike Waller Coral sea catamarans :




http://www.wallerdesign.com.au/

[boat fan]

I just noticed you mentioned plumbing....

Not much needed here , really. Use hand pumps : much simpler to install .
Much cheaper , and simpler and more reliable than 12 volt pumps etc.

Do away with through hull fittings entirely if you can .They can fail and sink the boat.
A good case for outboards.

Keep all tanks as low as possible.

[Fanie]

Hi Charles,

I'm in the starting stage of bulding a 10m cat. Building for building it in not ready yet so I'm collecting accessories in the meantime. The list is ENDLESS. I guess it's like building up a car, it just never gets finished

Since you're a young guy (<100), if you can stick the patience out, do it right from the start. Boats are not that expensive for nothing, poor quality won't last and is dangerous... and you cannot get out and walk back, not with your current name

He he... I like your's thinking big on the engines, but those are a bit overboard (pun). Don't worry, the engine size isn't a reflection on anything else

The definition of a boat is "A hole in the water into which you continuously pour in lots of money" - - THAT IS THE TRUTH....

Truth - I haven't started yet and I'm bancrupt already

[boat fan]

Originally Posted by Fanie

Truth - I haven't started yet and I'm bancrupt already

OOOOOOOOH YEAH !!!!!!!

[charlesakeem]

A 32 to 40 foot catamaran.
Motorsailer able to cruise at max fuel efficiency at 9-12knts (preferred 12)
Safe enough to survive a storm.
Simple enough that i can fix anything and everything on it.
2 heads preferred 1 head acceptable
Built in cedar strip Because i find cedar beautiful, i can get it myself and i have a strong distrust about plywood longevity.
6'3 headroom a must (I'm a tall guy.)
Cheap to build
Shower would be likeable but far from a necessity.
Must be a world cruiser. I like some of mike waller's designs but the curves and lines just scream rob this guy

My crew is legion For American and cruising outside the Caribbean I can gather as many as 8.
If i was strictly in the caribbean 3-5
As for me I'm a big guy i weigh in at 215 normal about 240 when in shape stand at around 6'3 still growing alittle.

As for resources i have the equipment of the local college to use CNC machines, routers and the minds and muscle of there students.

[masalai]

Gosh, you don't half want much for little - you do not need "heads" - arse over the stern rail and a bucket of sea water is quite adequate - if you are shy, tie a rope to the mast, put floaties on your upper arms, tie the other end of the tethered rope around your waist, do your business, wash yourself, then climb back on board....

As a beginner use marine ply on the above suggested designs (easy to repair and available nearly everywhere.... Plywood will outlive you if you keep up on maintenance.... shower in seawater using soap that will sud up in same (warm by putting in a black plastic bag or boil some water to knock off the chill) - - else swim around when you toilet yourself - scrub the boat bottom at the same time....

Loose some weight fatso, - - do you want gold plated plumbing, wiring and watermaker too - - - GET REAL - - - ON a budget? - - - seriously think what you want to do, - - or is it to "pose and pull chicks" by pretending to be rich - - wrong sort of crew there....

The Pelican & the waller would do very nicely..... Do some research and homework, think about whether you are dreaming or what?

[kengrome]

charlesakeem,

Your stated goals appear to be inconsistent with your list of features. If you really want to spend as little as possible -- instead of just making this claim then doing otherwise -- you will:

- Use the smallest engine that will push the boat at displacement speed.
- Use a porta-potty or a bucket and some sawdust instead of a head.
- Install NO plumbing pipes or fixtures inside the boat.
- Choose the shortest, smallest and simplest design you can find.
- Choose a design that does not require epoxy and glass.
- Scrounge for anything you can find that will save you money.

To save even more money you will forego the ICE-based propulsion system complately and just use the wind for your propulsion.

But if you're not really interested in building cheap, you can add all kinds of 'stuff' you want, and then you can watch the cost soar beyond your expectations ... and perhaps beyond your ability to pay for everything too.

By the way, there are lots of woods other than WRC that look nice and don't cost anywhere near as much. But this should not matter at this stage of the game because you have not selected a design yet, and the design will dictate the construction materials and methods.

[charlesakeem]

May someone give me a link for the cat that doesnt need glass or ply.
How much cost would i save by not having any plumbing at all.
It seems that using a car engine is much cheaper than getting even 9.9's

[charlesakeem]

I just really really really dont like ply in fact it borders on hatred of the stuff, besides ply isnt free for the cutting.

[boat fan]

Originally Posted by charlesakeem

May someone give me a link for the cat that doesnt need glass or ply.
How much cost would i save by not having any plumbing at all.
It seems that using a car engine is much cheaper than getting even 9.9's

No Charles its not cheaper. It`s not just the engine.
What about the rudder , steering , stuffing box , thrust bearings , shaft ,skeg ,prop, shaft log , cutlass bearing , engine mounts,water cooled exhaust manifold , water pump ,flame arrester .blah.... blah.......not to mention gearbox ........?


Instead , get 1 outboard and tank.


There is a way to simplify and save money on a head , if you don`t want a porta potti .....

http://www.airheadtoilet.com/

[boat fan]

Originally Posted by charlesakeem

I just really really really dont like ply in fact it borders on hatred of the stuff, besides ply isnt free for the cutting.

Ply is great actually .If done right .The boat could last longer than you - IF you do it right - There are a lot of boats out there right now that are 30 + years old and have many , many years left in them. Thinking plywood cannot be durable is VERY out dated Charles ..........



Personal preference. Strip plank is not that cheap.Lots of glass ( inside AND out )...oh yes the FAIRING ...
Lovely job fairing the inside of two narrow hulls....

Still if that`s what you want I guess you should have it. Regardless of where you get the wood , it`s not cheap.

[kengrome]

How much cost would i save by not having any plumbing at all.

Depends upon what you would have had if you had installed some plumbing ...

Previously you said you want two heads, not just one. Even one head will cost you thousands of dollars when you include the fresh water tanks, holding tanks, pumps, valves, faucets, marine toilet, basin, thru-hulls, etc. ... so my guess is that you'd save thousands by avoiding the installation of built-in plumbing and nearly everything that goes along with it.

[kengrome]

What about the rudder, steering, stuffing box, thrust bearings, shaft, skeg, prop, shaft log, cutlass bearing, engine mounts, water cooled exhaust manifold, water pump, flame arrester, gearbox ...

Actually most large catamarans do not steer via their outboards, they generally lock these motors in position and steer with their existing steering systems, so "rudders" and "steering" are already available ... but pretty much everything else you mentioned is spot on ...