Catamaran Transport Methods

Discussion in 'Multihulls' started by Iridian, Dec 19, 2021.

  1. Iridian
    Joined: Jan 2020
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    Location: MD

    Iridian Junior Member

    Was thinking about methods of transporting a homebuilt catamaran from somewhere not close to the ocean.. Seems like heavy lift helicopter might be doable?



    Imagine the utter terror as your multi-year long investment flies through the sky.
     
  2. fallguy
    Joined: Dec 2016
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    Location: usa

    fallguy Senior Member

    I had a guy come here and tell me he can crane the thing 100 feet up and over my trees.

    Had nightmares and daymares about a boat with a tree in the middle.
     
  3. bajansailor
    Joined: Oct 2007
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    Location: Barbados

    bajansailor Marine Surveyor

    @Iridian have you built the boat already, or are you sensibly thinking about all the logistics first before you start construction?

    How long and wide (and heavy) is your catamaran?
    And what distance would you have to transport her?
    If you have not started yet, Fallguy is building a demountable Skoota power cat - maybe your cat could also be built in sections and then assembled by the water?
     
  4. Iridian
    Joined: Jan 2020
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    Iridian Junior Member

    Thinking of logistics prior to a house purchase that will enable the build.

    My dream is a raku 52, but I'm going to start with some smaller stuff.
     
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  5. Rumars
    Joined: Mar 2013
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    Rumars Senior Member

    If you have enough money for a helicopter lift you also have enough money for waterfront property, where you can simply push it into the water and float it to the ocean.
    Otherwise you have to build it in pieces and assemble it elsewhere.
     
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  6. Iridian
    Joined: Jan 2020
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    Location: MD

    Iridian Junior Member


    I've been looking at that option as well. Unfortunately I live in a relatively high COLA location with lots of cliffs.
     
  7. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    If you live in Maryland; you'd be wise to buy a home on the Chesapeake tributaries. Then crane it to water when ready. Cost is maybe 2-5 grand.
     
  8. Iridian
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    Iridian Junior Member

    The dream situation would be somewhere that I could pull the cat up a ramp and store it right next to the barn I built it in. My other love is kite boarding, which requires open water and an accessible beach.

    Affording that + the boat build itself is a bit of a stretch though, especially within commute distance.
     
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  9. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    the housing market is pretty hot these days; maybe it'll ebb some

    one thing I will tell you is building a boat at your home s best because you can go do an hour long project at 8pm and keep the ball rolling
     
  10. Rumars
    Joined: Mar 2013
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    Rumars Senior Member

    The good thing about catamarans is that they can be buildt in modules. With proper planning it's entirely possible to build a big bridgedeck cat in 8-10ft wide sections, systems included. Laminating and cosmetics of the joints should not take more then a few days in a boatyard (you will have lots of practice by then), the rest can be done in the water.
    Storing it off season is a different matter, you will have to pay a marina or yard. Once buildt you are tied to its size and it's limitations, for example there are few haulout places for a 26ft wide boat.

    To regularly store it at home you would have to make it demountable, wich means some sort of open deck or pod type. For that I would go custom.
     
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  11. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    A 52' marina slip in Annapolis? Probably gonna run 1,000 a month which has a present value in a mortgage of around 250k if you have the capability.

    Translated, this means you can pay 250 grand more for a house to offset marina fees.

    I used 180k for my land purchase and that was the amount of 20 years of marina fees or so.
     
  12. bajansailor
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    bajansailor Marine Surveyor

    @fallguy maybe the best bet for @Iridian is to build a demountable Skoota like yours?
     
  13. BlueBell
    Joined: May 2017
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    Location: Victoria BC Canada

    BlueBell . . . _ _ _ . . . _ _ _

    A heli lift is ridiculously expensive, hugely dangerous, and completely unnecessary.

    I looked into it when I was working with a local helicopter company.
    The "Good Guy" rate was $20K, plus the cost of roof repairs in the area,
    plus the risk that they may have to drop the boat at any time.
    And that was if we could even get a permit, which was unlikely.

    Any other means of transport would be preferred in my opinion.
     
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  14. Rumars
    Joined: Mar 2013
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    Rumars Senior Member

    While the above is true, the financial calculations depend on specifics. He may well take a net financial loss by moving, either because jobs with the same income level are not available, or the taxes are higher, or he has to pay babysitters instead of calling grandma, etc.

    My advice is simple. In your chosen area look for a property where you can drive a semitrailer into the backyard (meaning envisioned building area) without much fuss. Most people will look at farms, but there are many other suitable ex-commercial properties wich might even be cheaper, for example an old gas station, motel, logging camp, etc. After you find and buy the dream thing, take a map, identify the nearest suitable shoreline and start touring the communities in search for a mooring. Get on the waiting lists, it does not matter if they tell you it's 10 years long, your dream cat won't be ready tomorrow. Alternatively and as a long term strategy you can look at ruins with water rights wich can be purchased cheap. Give the ruin a coat of paint every two years, hire a local to regularly mow the front yard and declare it a second home.
     

  15. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    While I admire the intent, I was shopping for such places in Puget Sound. The water ruins were literally 500k. What happens here is people tear those older places down. In my shopping I did see a place for 50k that was not buildable, but water rights for a mooring ball. Of course, we are drifting far off here (ha!). I'd not want to moor my boat unattended away from people; even with cameras; you have to hope for noone taking the vessel. And this thread is ripe for jabs and polemics, so perhaps I've started.

    My wife and I scoured the coasts, well, mostly her, I was quite set on the cold n rainy pnw. We (she) found land in Texas that was more affordable. But there were places in the Chesapeake that were not too terrible. I want to fish, so the Gulf was okay for me, minus hurricanes.

    What we discovered was the further from the ocean you get; the more affordable land got. For example, 200 miles into Puget Sound, land was about 200k for buildable lots, but about double when you were 60 miles from sea.

    We got very lucky and found a place in Corpus Christi 7/10ths of a mile to the sea. Not big enough to build a large cat amd the HOA would never allow it, but docking rights for 50' out from bulkhead. My boat is about 37' tip to tip.

    Right now, I have a tent in the front yard here and so far the neighbors have not complained. I hate it more than they because it accumulates snow on the top and sides too well. But it'll stay up until we paint the decks and bottom next spring..
     
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