CNC Plans not Included

I think I just found the biggest layout error in this design. I have the passageways, 24 inches wide, centered in the hulls instead of offsetting them to the outboard side.

That would reduce the shelf width by about 1 foot and give me an extra couple of feet deck space.

 

Jorge - my idea for the mast , a small correction is that you achieve the final shape before any resin flows...

Also- you cant infuse or lay otherwise very thick laminates onto a mandrel in 1 shot. Thick laminates for a mast or similar, must be done in female molds or formers. The reason is the fiber crimping which occurs as the stack is compressed. Another problem is when the resin flows, the stack expands as the resin is pushed in and the stack ends up in a wrinkled mess. I discovered this the hard way when i attempted the infusion of my forebeam over a foam mandrel. The diameter of the stack significantly reduces as the vac pulls down- all that extra fiber towards the outer layers has to go somewhere and it all just bunches up into wrinkles...

In a female mold, the laminate is stretched rather than compressed so the fibers dont crimp and there is no problem...

 

Ahhh ok, don't know how I missed that, much better that way so you can make sure it's all perfect.

Yeah on my idea what they do with prepreg is wind plastic on it every so many layers to consolidate the fabrics, on the last layer of laminate, they wind the plastic on and leave it on. Then they put a breather fabric and the vac bag. I believe your idea is easier since you don't need to rig up a winder.

https://youtu.be/M7HmLguvXZU

 

Yeah totally different process - it assumes that the fibers arw tightly wpund in the first place. From there , as its not infusion, the stack wont relax when the resin is pushed in etc...

Female molds is the way to go... and a mast is a developable / single curvature shape so its easy to make a direct former/mold for a home builder.

After the hounds and other fittings are laminated on afterwards, there is some fairing and painting required regardless sp i wouldn't mind if the mold didn't impart a perfect finish with visisble seams between flat sheet materials used for the former...

 

I think the laminate they use on cabinets would do the job, steel flashing material might be too stiff and kinks pretty easy. I think the laminate could be taped with a thin layer of the clear packing tape on the inside and heavier tapes on the outside. I doubt there would be much of a seam.

To make sure the laminate stays true to the jig, an air bladder might be added to the inside and pumped up just enough to squeeze it tight to the mold, like kiteboarding kites air bladders... if it trys to fidget around I would contact cement a strip on the base.

 

Something a designer never would have missed I am sure, I was able to shorten the shelf by 14 inches, big difference, now my vision is coming together for an open uncluttered space!

 

Reminder to self,
- take the Alpha 42 off your likes list!
- keep BD high as possible
- front windows must be dogged down like portholes
- on first two steps which are over shelf - Put drains or grate so water can just fall through
- sliding door to hull or pop up door whichever must pull down tightly to a seal.
- worry a little about the overhanging roof up front.

http://www.sailmagazine.com/cruising/lifestyle/abandoning-be-good-too/

 

Comon Jorge - whats next?

Ive been working on my own, a few pics shows where im up to...

 

Wait a second, what ever happened to buy an old one and fix it up ??? lol

I'm still laying everything out to make sure it fits, made a lot of small changes and now working on how to incorporate 90% of the fit out into the mold. I should have very little work to do on the second boat!

Found a very similar boat Nautitech open 45 ... mine is better... but it's humming along nicely. ))


Helm and ropes will be led inside I think, you can't see the sails from outside because of huge roof and you get best all around view from inside, might as well keep everything right by the mast.

Here are some pics

 

I get 8840 Watts per hour just out of that roof !!!

 

There will be 3 main molds

Hulls and lower bridgedeck



Top deck and upper bridgedeck



The roof which will include mullions and stiffeners etc...

The hardest mold to build will be the top deck, it's got the most details. Hulls and Roof molds are simple!! Get a 4 man crew and the second cat would be done in a few months if that because all the framework for the salon, the aft cockpit and the bunks is in place when you infuse.

 

Yes but have you ever built a mold? Theres just as much work in it as compared with building the boat, so your first boat will take almost twice the man hours and twice the materials costs to get the first one out. This is a big boat jorge - dont underestimate it!

Your solar wont get the full output at any time of day. there is shade from the mast rigging and sails.

Oh, Did i mention your boat looks BIG? after a second look its actually HUGE!

 

Heres a vid of a custom "more of a lightweight" cruising bridgedeck cat... doesnt need 35kts for those speeds either

 

That little boat is a speedster ))). Seeing that water come up over the windshield in such small seas makes me worry about my roof overhang up front. Think I will have to get rid of that. I won't have opening windows up front either, window glass is on the sides only.

Instead of looking at the size, look at how spartan it is. There is probably less extra material here than in Chris Whites cats. Almost every inch of the shell is used inside and out without creating blocky cut up spaces. The little bit of extra material such as the cantilevered platform for bunks is prefabricated with drawers and just popped in, the shell provides the supporting framework in the primary infusion. Same with the aft luxurious sofas and what appears to be a grossly luxurious galley is nothing more than counter tops which I can make look Dubai expensive.

60 foot long, 4.25 foot waterline, 48 inch BD Clearance, low sheer, boom tight to the roof, no fossil fuels or generator. This boat should perform very well and I like the look a lot.

The mold thing is a moot point because the whole idea is that I am not building just one boat. However, I can build a mold fast, there is nothing in this geometry that is more complex than stuff I have done before. CNC and proper lifting equipment is a must, then it just becomes another day at work.

What I am really focused on now is the idea of an Unstayed Mast. I just don't want to sacrifice upwind performance though I don't even understand how much performance we are talking about, maybe it's okay??

I started this post from home this morning, quit writing because I had to run to work, turned on the computer at work and found my post saved so I could continue writing, pretty nice.

 

Ive been around alot of catamarans in my time and there is not many people out there who woule disagree that this is a huge boat.

Making molds is great if your pockets arw deep enough. This boat is gonna cost you over $750k the way youve described it... and thats being conservative i think... hope you can afford it!

With unatayed masts - you will likely have to put them in the hulls to get enough bury so the engineering doesnt become impossible. A 60ft cat like this is gonna need an 80ft mast. The amount of carbon in that is making my wallet hurt just thinking about it...

BTW - have you priced out your electrical system yet? I can see over $100k im that alone