Hobby Kat

[Boreas]

Hi everyone. Just want to tell you all that for some time I've been considering to build the Hobby Kat (Hobie Cat's ugly sister) and have studied these plans and as I was cutting the cardboard plates to make my maths and see how much plywood should I buy, I noticed that there might be something wrong and that's something that troubles me. As you will see, on the jig profile the base line runs paralel to the jig at 3" but at ribs 1 and 2 the distance from jig to Base Line is 4" 3/4. So my question:

Is there a mistake? If so ¿how can I overcome it?

If there isn't any mistake, then can anyone explain this to me?, please.





(http://www.svensons.com/boat/?p=SailBoats/Hobby_Kat)

[Boreas]

I had forgotten to show the pics

[tspeer]

Originally Posted by Boreas

...on the jig profile the base line runs paralel to the jig at 3" but at ribs 1 and 2 the distance from jig to Base Line is 4" 3/4. So my question:

Is there a mistake? If so ¿how can I overcome it?...

I think the plans are correct. The ribs at the forward beam need to extend farther upward to hold the forward beam than they do at the aft beam. The forward beam is arched, while the aft beam is evidently flat.

The extra 1 1/4" is to handle the slope of the forward beam mounting shown in section BB of the following page. You will cut off the corners of the ribs to match the shape of the beam.

[Lenny25]

The plans are a little unhelpful on this, because it appears if the ribs are resting on the jig, whereas in reality (and in the photos) they protrude, and are nailed to the crossbars of the jig. so in reality the gap between the base line and the jig is probally alot less.

I realize that i'm posting on a very onld thread. But i would be very interested to know if you did build the Hobby Kat, and how it went. I'm planning on building one myself, so would really appreciate any advise or tips.

[Munter]

Surely there are second hand hobies in your area? Cat design has moved on a bit since those designs and a more modern (but still home built) design would surely sail better, faster and at lower weight than those old plans?

[Lenny25]

I'm not really interested in second hand hobies, even though they may sail better. My hobby (no phun intended) is actually woodworking not sailing. I want try sailing, but I think what I will really enjoy most, is sailing something that I built myself.

As i said I'm new to boat building, and these are the only "Hobie" type plans that I know of..If anyone knows of some more modern plans, i would be really interested to know about them.

I want to do a "hobie" type boat because I have crewed on some hobie 16's & 18's and really enjoyed it. Because of the small hulls, it should also work out to be a little cheaper as far as wood is concerned.

[Lenny25]

Ok, so i checked out the Shark, Speedy Cat 435 and the 16' Quattro.

The shark's first problem is it looks like its all fibre glass. I want a ply wood boat. I also think the solid trampoline might be cumbersom if i have roof racks and not a trailer.

Speedy Cat 435- Two words: Butt Ugly! wow, thats an ugly boat! At first i thought it looked kinda cool with the front of the hulls being square (kinda like a hobie tiger ) but i searched and could not find a single soft rounded edge on that whole boat! Shame i'm actually being quite superficial, i should not judge a boat by it's looks. It's design is very, very simple! How well does it sail? Perhaps i have a false perception that just because something is more complicated it must work better.

To me the Quattro looks like a beaut! How does she sail? (In comparison to the Hobby and the Hobie). Does anyone know what the plans cost, and where to get them?

Thanks
Lenny

[bruceb]

Of course I have an opinion For what it is worth. I think the quattro 16 or other more current design would be a lot better use of wood and your time. The hobby and hobie 14s have very low displacement hulls and are just not as useful as most any of the newer designs (even H-16s). Build time and material costs are not going to change much (stitch and glue is probably faster), and I think you will like the final product a lot more. Build quick- sail more Bruce

[Lenny25]

Any thoughts on the SC 435 vs say the Quattro 14 or Quattro 16?

Do people ever sell second hand plans?
(The plans for the Quattro 16 are R1000! Which is about equivalent to the cost of all the wood)

[waynemarlow]

Originally Posted by Lenny25

Any thoughts on the SC 435 vs say the Quattro 14 or Quattro 16?

Do people ever sell second hand plans?
(The plans for the Quattro 16 are R1000! Which is about equivalent to the cost of all the wood)

Too add further confusion, the best at the moment wood 16ft cat in plan terms is the Blade F16. Would cost about the same to make ( in wood, sails may be a bit more ) as your Hobie but is a totally desired boat and if you don't like sailing then you could sell it on for considerable profit. Plus its a cool boat to sail unlike the Hobie which is a pig.

[bruceb]

Yes Wayne, they are, but there are a LOT of them Lenny, the Blade 16 is a really nice modern boat, but is also far harder to build and expensive to equip- probably not the kind of cat you are interested in. The Quattros look average to build and should be about right for your sailing expectations, plus could use second hand hobie parts- a real price and time advantage. Yes the plans seem expensive, but I think they are very complete. Most designers frown on re-cycling their plans, but sometimes there are un-finished boats/plans available. The SC 435 looks "simple" not boxy to me, should be very easy to build, and should be a far better cat than the hobby or hobie 14. The deep hulls are a little dated, but should perform well in most conditions. All the above is JUST an opinion, please take it with your own experience and needs. Bruce

[Richard Woods]

Thank you for considering my beach cat designs. The download version of the Quattro 16 plans is GBP75, about USD100. The smaller Pixie, which is more comparable to the Hobbycat is about USD75.

I don't think that is too expensive, especially when one sheet of 4mm (3/16in) ply costs around USD60 and you need 6 sheets, plus timber and about 6kgs of epoxy to build the hulls.

The rig is the expensive bit, especially when building a beach cat. I suggest you look round for at least a second hand mast and boom. (Most beach cats use the same sections). Otherwise you'll spend USD1500 or so on new spars

I have to say, you get what you pay for. Cheap, or free, plans of a very old design are probably not cost effective when you consider the materials cost and more important, the time it takes you to build.

Even more important! You will be risking your life on the boat once it is finished... Something to think about

No doubt you have seen the Youtube videos of both the Pixie and Quattro 16 sailing on my website.

Good luck with your project

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

www.sailingcatamarans.com

[bruceb]

I think it would be nice to build a boat from a designer that pays attention to these forums Bruce

[Lenny25]

Wow, the man himself

Thanks Richard for the advice! It's great to know that i will actually be able to consult the designer should I choose the quattro.

We are quite lucky here, our wood is about half the price of yours. But still as you say, considering the time,money and effort that will be put into this project, it's probally worth spending a few more bucks on decent plans. That i know are tried and tested! (i have not found anyone who has actually built a hobby)

[Lenny25]

What do i look for, when searching out a second hand mast, boom and sails. Are most 16" beach cats rigged with the same length masts and same size sails? (excuse my ignorance, i am a noob to sailing)