CSC 30 Catamaran- the coastal passage

[peterchech]

http://www.thecoastalpassage.com/cheapcat.html

Seems like a fun, cheap project. Yet google turns nothing up beyond the Coastal Passage article. Has anyone actually built one of these? Why would it only be a "smooth water" boat?

[CatBuilder]

Every time I see those "cross beams", I nearly have a heart attack.

[redreuben]

Originally Posted by CatBuilder

Every time I see those "cross beams", I nearly have a heart attack.

And that would be why it is a smooth water boat !

Heh, the good old 6"x2" "She'l be right mate" LOL

[DGreenwood]

Those beams made me suck a little wind there for a second too! Then I guessed that the house structure when installed probably adds a box structure by bonding to those beams. Still looks shaky?

[redreuben]

That house structure looks like it is suspended between the beams for and aft, and not fixed to hulls in any serious way, look at the aft end photos, so just more load for the beams, eek !

RR

[CatBuilder]

Originally Posted by redreuben

And that would be why it is a smooth water boat !

Heh, the good old 6"x2" "She'l be right mate" LOL

Ha ha ha! That is definitely a "she'll be right mate" kind of boat.

[rayaldridge]

The first guy to finish a Slider sistership is now building one of these in Louisiana. Dean's a pretty smart guy, a diesel mechanic, so I'm thinking he's considered the beam load. They look a lot bigger than the 2X6 beams on Slider.

But I think he views the boat as a Bahamas sort of vessel, rather than an ocean-crosser.

I think if you look at the center pan picture, you see that there is a lip on either side of the pan, which appears to be there to bond the pan to the hulls in some way. That may covert the pan into a pretty strong stabilizing structure.

Dean is an example of a guy who built an entry-level cruising multi (Slider) and liked it so much that he then went on to a larger project. This is why I think multi designers should spend more of their design time on tiny multis. The payoff isn't big upfront, but that's how you can teach people about the advantages of multihulls.

[gonzo]

Design flaws aside, it it possible to build a boat for that money. That is, if you keep cost to a minimum in the interior and rigging.

[gypsy28]

beams are a box of 4x2 timber and multiple layers of ply, they actually look prety strong to me, connections to hulls and bulkheads are probly the weak spot, but that could certainly be beefed up easily for not much weight gain

[redreuben]

I really didn't mean to knock the boat in a serious way, hey the guy has done it !

And I give him full credit for it !

But when looking at boats such as these you really need to have eyes wide open, those of us who have been around boats see the weak links, it's the first timers who go to see in them that worry me !
RR

[sabahcat]

Originally Posted by CatBuilder

Every time I see those "cross beams", I nearly have a heart attack.

Roger Simpson told me that the beam calculations for my last 30ft cat showed a beam similar in size to a 6 x 4 standard photo.

Because this would freak a lot of people out, it had beams closer to 6 x 24.

[CatBuilder]

I guess every other catamaran is seriously overbuilt then?

I see no box beam. Where are they? I see a pair of boards bolted to the top of a bulkhead where the beams would normally go.

[waikikin]

Originally Posted by gypsy28

beams are a box of 4x2 timber and multiple layers of ply, they actually look prety strong to me, connections to hulls and bulkheads are probly the weak spot, but that could certainly be beefed up easily for not much weight gain

Reads like you've got some first hand exposure to the vessel or design info, possibly the only poster so far with that
Regards from Jeff.

[Richard Woods]

I've written about this before

I don't see how it is "cheaper" than any other 30 ft cat with the same general proportions and interior. You're going to need, say, 60 sheets of 9mm ply regardless of the design.

Then the epoxy will cost the same whatever the design, so too the engine. To save money you'll buy a used engine and I suspect a used rig. Obviously you could be unwise and not use epoxy, and use the cheapest WBP ply etc and save money but end up with a throwaway boat with a 5 year life. Is that a sensible option? I certainly would not build a boat and take it to sea with plywood so obviously cheap looking as that shown in the photos

If I built another of my 28ft Gypsy designs, for example, I reckon I'd could still do it for well under USD21000. After all, my prototype cost me around USD8000 to it's first sail, although that was 15 years ago now

I know I'm biased, but I do think that a boat built to the design from an established designer probably has a better resale value than one designed by an amateur. And hopefully a boat like a Gypsy will have a more usefully detailed set of plans, saving build time and ultimately costs

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

www.sailingcatamarans.com

[DGreenwood]

Originally Posted by Richard Woods

I've written about this before

I don't see how it is "cheaper" than any other 30 ft cat with the same general proportions and interior. You're going to need, say, 60 sheets of 9mm ply regardless of the design.

Then the epoxy will cost the same whatever the design, so too the engine. To save money you'll buy a used engine and I suspect a used rig. Obviously you could be unwise and not use epoxy, and use the cheapest WBP ply etc and save money but end up with a throwaway boat with a 5 year life. Is that a sensible option? I certainly would not build a boat and take it to sea with plywood so obviously cheap looking as that shown in the photos

If I built another of my 28ft Gypsy designs, for example, I reckon I'd could still do it for well under USD21000. After all, my prototype cost me around USD8000 to it's first sail, although that was 15 years ago now

I know I'm biased, but I do think that a boat built to the design from an established designer probably has a better resale value than one designed by an amateur. And hopefully a boat like a Gypsy will have a more usefully detailed set of plans, saving build time and ultimately costs

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

www.sailingcatamarans.com

For those of you considering your first build, you would be very wise to listen and consider what this man said. Building a proper boat without detailed plans is like driving your car with a blind fold on. And 5 years goes by very quickly...so when your cheap materials begin to melt, all that you will be able to think of is those 100s and 100s of hours and love you put into the project. The cost of the plywood wont even come to mind.